The Mayo Fine Gael TD, Mr Michael Ring, is the party's spokesman on social and family affairs. Outspoken, colourful and witty, he is a strong Dáil performer and an active constituency worker. He has been the most trenchant critic of the ending of the dual mandate, writes Michael O'Regan.
First elected to the Dáil for the old Mayo West constituency in June 1994, he has since been an impressive poll-topper. In the last election he topped the poll in the five-seat Mayo constituency with 9,880 first-preference votes.
He shares the constituency with the party leader, Mr Enda Kenny, and that, combined with his electoral performance, assures him of ministerial promotion if Fine Gael returns to government after the next election.
His election to Mayo County Council in 1991 provided a base for his Dáil election. He passionately believes that the Bill ending the dual mandate is unconstitutional because it deprives members of the Oireachtas of the right to put themselves before the people in local politics.