Noel Grealish
Noel Grealish | |
|---|---|
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office 6 June 2002 | |
| Constituency | Galway West |
| Leader of the Progressive Democrats (Interim) | |
| In office 24 March 2009 – 20 November 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Ciarán Cannon |
| Succeeded by | Party disbanded in 2009 |
| Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats | |
| In office 25 May 2007 – 24 March 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Liz O'Donnell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 December 1965 County Galway, Ireland |
| Political party | Independent (since 2009) |
| Other political affiliations | Progressive Democrats (1999–2009) |
Noel Grealish (born 16 December 1965) is an Irish independent politician and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency.[1] He is from the Gaeltacht region of Carnmore, near Galway city. He was formerly a Progressive Democrats politician.
Grealish first contested an election in 1999, when he was elected to Galway County Council to represent the Oranmore electoral area with 1,357 first preferences. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2002 general election with 2,735 first preferences, succeeding long-serving TD Bobby Molloy.[1]
He was re-elected at the 2007 general election with 5,806 first preferences.[2] As one of only two Progressive Democrat TDs elected in 2007, he was appointed as Chairman of the Progressive Democrats parliamentary party in June 2007. Grealish was Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats from 25 May 2007 to 24 March 2009 succeeding Liz O'Donnell in the position. Towards the end of 2007, Grealish stated that he had discussions with a senior Fianna Fáil politician about the possibility of him joining Fianna Fáil,[3] but Grealish made the decision to stay with the Progressive Democrats.
Grealish assumed the leadership of the Progressive Democrats on 24 March 2009 following the decision of then leader Ciarán Cannon to stand aside and join Fine Gael. Grealish served as interim and final leader of the party until 20 November 2009, at which point the party disbanded.
He sits as an independent TD in Dáil Éireann, and was re-elected as an independent at the 2011 general election. He supported the Fianna Fáil-Green Party government in parliamentary votes from 2007 until September 2010, but on 24 September 2010 he announced that he was withdrawing his support for the government due to health cuts.[4][5]
Along with Michael Healy-Rae and Michael Lowry, he is not a member of the Dáil Technical group.
References
- ^ a b "Mr. Noel Grealish". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
- ^ "Noel Grealish". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
- ^ Brian McDonald (6 November 2007). "PDs teeter on brink as Grealish holds talks with FF". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
- ^ "Noel Grealish withdraws support for Government". Irish Independent. 24 September 2010.
- ^ "Noel Grealish withdraws support for Govt". RTÉ News. 24 September 2010.