Profile: Timmy Dooley (FF)

Starting his third term in the Dáil, Timmy Dooley (47) has been an Oireachtas member since 2002, when he was elected to the administrative panel of the Seanad. In the upper house and subsequently in the Dáil, he was the party’s transport spokesman. In a rare occurrence for an opposition TD, an amendment he introduced was accepted to road traffic legislation, for significant penalties for the criminal offence of leaving the scene of a serious or fatal crash. A virtually lifelong member of the Soldiers of Destiny he started in Ógra Fianna Fail in the 1980s and was a founder member of the party’s national youth committee. He was chairman of the Kevin Barry cumann at UCD, graduating from the college with a degree in commerce. He worked in business development with a number of companies before moving full time into politics. Born in Limerick, he went to Mountshannon National School and Scariff Community College. He is married to Emer McMahon and they have two children.