Terence Flanagan

Terence Flanagan (born 1 January 1975) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a Dublin City Councillor since May 2019. He previously served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-East constituency from 2007 to 2016.[1][2]

Cllr
Terence Flanagan
Dublin City Councillor
Assumed office
May 2019
ConstituencyDonaghmede
Teachta Dála
In office
May 2007 – February 2016
ConstituencyDublin North-East
Personal details
Born (1975-01-01) 1 January 1975
Dublin, Ireland
Political partyFine Gael
(until 2013), (since 2017)
Other political
affiliations
EducationChanel College, Dublin
Alma materDublin Business School

He was a member of Dublin City Council from 2003 until 2007, originally co-opted onto the council to replace Richard Bruton, due to the ending of dual mandates in September 2003, he was elected to the Council in 2004 obtaining 2594 first preference votes.[3] Upon Flanagan's election to the Dáil in 2007[4] for the now defunct Dublin North East Constituency, his brother Declan Flanagan P.C[5] was co-opted onto the City Council as his replacement.

In February 2008, Flanagan made a speech which was notably similar to a previous one by Labour Party TD Joan Burton. He initially denied that the speech was copied, but later issued a statement admitting and apologising for the plagiarism.[6] He was Fine Gael deputy spokesperson on the Environment, with special responsibility for Housing, from October 2007 to March 2011. Flanagan was re-elected to the Dáil in February 2011 with 12,332 first preference votes.[7][8]

Flanagan was expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party on 2 July 2013, when he defied the party whip by voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.[9][10] On 13 September 2013, he and six other expellees formed the Reform Alliance, described as a "loose alliance" rather than a political party.[11]

On 13 March 2015, Renua Ireland was launched, with Flanagan as one of its three sitting TDs and many other Reform Alliance members as declared election candidates. Later that day Flanagan represented the party in an interview on RTÉ's Drivetime radio news programme, where he was unable to answer any questions about the party's policies.[12][13][14]

Flanagan stood as a Renua Ireland candidate for the new Dublin Bay North constituency at the 2016 general election, but lost his seat, being eliminated at the 9th count.[15]

In April 2017, it was announced that he would rejoin Fine Gael.[16]

In November 2018, he was selected by local Fine Gael branches to be a candidate in the Donaghmede Local Electoral Area of Dublin City Council to contest the 2019 Local Elections.[17][18] In April 2019, he was warned by Dublin City Council litter wardens for breach of regulations after putting up election posters in advance of the permitted day. He claimed he was at a disadvantage for having done so.[19] He was also forced to apologise after his poster erections at 3am alarmed an elderly woman.[20]

Flanagan was elected to Dublin City Council in the 2019 local elections, in the Donaghmede area.

References
  1. "Terence Flanagan". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  2. "Terence Flanagan". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  3. "ElectionsIreland.org: 2004 Local - Artane First Preference Votes". electionsireland.org. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  4. "ElectionsIreland.org: 30th Dáil - Dublin North East First Preference Votes". electionsireland.org. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  5. "Declan Flanagan".
  6. "Flanagan regrets copying Burton's speech". RTÉ News. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  7. "ElectionsIreland.org: 31st Dáil - Dublin North East First Preference Votes". electionsireland.org. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  8. "Revealed: The ten biggest winners and losers of Election 2011". 28 February 2011.
  9. "Abortion law moves one step closer". Irish Independent. 2 July 2013.
  10. "Fine Gael expels four TDs for voting against abortion Bill". The Irish Times. 3 July 2013.
  11. "The politicians formerly known as the Fine Gael rebels are now the Reform Alliance". TheJournal.ie. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  12. Jason Kennedy; Denise Calnan; Sam Griffin (13 March 2015). "Car crash interview on RTE, spat with Matt Cooper and parody on social media - RENUA Ireland's eventful first day". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  13. Harry McGee (13 March 2015). "Renua Ireland's Terence Flanagan has 'mental blank' on radio". Irish Times. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  14. "One of Lucinda's Renua TDs had a nightmare interview and trended on Twitter". TheJournal.ie. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  15. Mary Minihan (29 February 2016). "Former TD Lucinda Creighton says finding a new job the priority". Irish Times. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  16. "Former TD who left FG over abortion back in party fold".
  17. "Terence Flanagan becomes second TD to leave Renua and return to Fine Gael". 17 November 2018.
  18. "Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael 2019 Local Election Candidate for Donaghmede Electoral Area". Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  19. Power, Jack (24 April 2019). "Dublin City Council investigating early election posters". Irish Times. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  20. Berry, Darragh (24 April 2019). "Dublin Councillor apologises following 3am incident that 'frightened the life' out of 84-year-old woman". Dublin Live. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
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