Profile: Paschal Donohoe (FG)

It has been a remarkable achievement for Paschal Donohoe (41) to stay in the Dáil in a constituency that went from four to three seats. His election in 2011 rebuilt a Fine Gael base after a long gap, but predictions did not favour his re-election in a predominantly working class constituency with some of the most deprived areas in the State. The Minister for Transport emphasised during his campaign the advent of the DIT campus in Grangegorman, the Luas extensions and the improvements to the Mater hospital. An able media performer he was frequently sent out to defend tough Government decisions but never raised his voice or lost his calm demeanour. A Star Wars fan, his office window is lined with figurines from the science fiction film and from the TV show Game of Thrones. First elected to the Dáil in 2011, he was appointed first as a minister of state and three years later to the Cabinet table. He graduated from Trinity College with a degree in politics and economics, and previously worked as a sales manager with a multinational company. He is married with two children and lives in Phibsborough.