Home: Coppingerstown near Ballinacurra just outside Midleton, Co Cork.

Status: Married with 4 sons

Occupation: Full-Time Public Representative

Political Career

First elected as a TD for Cork East Constituency in the general election in 1997. I have served as a TD for the area for the past thirteen years having been re-elected to Dail Eireann 2002 and 2007. Currently the Fine Gael Spokesperson on Defence.

Previous party spokespersons positions I held were Disability, Dail Reform, Equality and Social and Family Affairs, and Labour Affairs, Consumer Rights and Trade, in addition to numerous junior spokesperson positions in Finance, Agriculture and Education.

As a TD for Cork East my priorities for the area include:

• Youth & children’s facilities, childcare and school places
• Local infrastructure, community and sports facilities
• Local enterprise and employment opportunities
• Agriculture and fishing industries
• Transport – traffic congestion, N25 upgrade (including Castlemartyr & Killeagh Bypass) and Fota Road upgrade

Other areas of special interest to me are:

• People with disabilities , older people and carers
• Defence matters
• Political reform

Education

I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Mathematical Science, Diplomas in Career Guidance and Educational Administration from UCC. Awarded a Teachers Certificate in Educational Wordwork in 1978. I was conferred with an Honours Masters Degree in Education by the National University of Ireland in 1996.

Other Information

Before I was elected to Dáil Eireann, I was a woodwork and technical drawing teacher and a career guidance counsellor in St. Colman’s Community College in Midleton. While at St. Colman’s I established the Home/School/Community Liaison Project.

In addition to being involved with the Midleton Youth Project, I am also a Director of the Midleton Youth Health Café Project and I would like to see more, better quality youth friendly facilities in East Cork.

I am a Director of Midleton and District Day Care Centre Ltd and a patron of Midleton & Carrigtwohill Red Cross. I was also a Commissioned Officer in An Forsa Cosanta Aitiuil and a past member of Macra na Feirme.

Photos of local images used on this site were taken by Tom Tattan