He was first elected as a south Dublin county councillor for the Green Party in 1999 before being elected to the Dáil in 2002. He left the Green Party after losing his seat in the 2011 general election and is now an Independent and running as part of the Independent Alliance. He is also a member of the Independent “community alliance” on South Dublin County Council.

Honesty. Passion. Persistence. Experience. Got education cuts reversed and more educational investment at a time of massive budget reductions.

To provide effective representation in Dáil on local AND national issues. To consult regularly. To listen closely. To lead when necessary.

To transform political decision-making by removing blanket whip votes, allowing true democratic input (assuming IA holds power balance).