He was elected to Cork City Council in 2004 before being elected to the Seanad in 2007 after he failed to secure a seat in the 2007 general election. He was elected to the Dáil in the 2011 general election. The former Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, he is the chair of Fine Gael LGBT.

Cork is moving forward, our policies are helping create new jobs. I‘ve led campaigns for change & want to continue standing strong for Cork.

To bring the benefits of economic recovery to every home in Cork, investing in communities and better services to keep the recovery going.

Introduce a Bill for a soft opt-out model of organ donation, this will respect individual and family wishes but increase donation rates.