Alan Farrell (born 29 December 1977) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a member of Seanad Éireann since December 2024. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North constituency from 2011 to 2016 and for the Dublin Fingal constituency from 2016 until he lost his seat in 2024. He was chair of the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs from 2016 to 2020.[1]
Alan Farrell | |
|---|---|
 Farrell in 2019 | |
| Senator | |
| Assumed office 10 December 2024 | |
| Constituency | Nominated by the Taoiseach |
| Chair of the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs | |
| In office 8 July 2017 – 15 September 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Daly |
| Succeeded by | Kathleen Funchion |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office February 2016 – November 2024 | |
| Constituency | Dublin Fingal |
| In office February 2011 – February 2016 | |
| Constituency | Dublin North |
| Chair of the Fine Gael parliamentary party | |
| Assumed office 17 April 2024 | |
| Leader | Simon Harris |
| Preceded by | Alan Dillon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 December 1977 Malahide, Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse |
Emma Doyle (m. 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Dublin City University |
| Website | alanfarrell |
Political career
editFarrell served as a Fingal County Councillor from 2004 to 2011 and as Mayor of Fingal from 2007 to 2008.[2][3][4]
31st Dáil
editIn the 31st Dáil, Farrell was a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform. He was also the chair of the Fine Gael Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform from 2011 to 2013 and the Fine Gael Committee on Justice, Defense and Equality from 2013 to 2016.
Farrell was the subject of controversy after he hired his wife, Emma Doyle, as his temporary parliamentary assistant for four months in the Dáil. This was just two weeks after she was rejected by Farrell's Malahide Fine Gael Party branch as his replacement on Fingal County Council in 2011. Parliamentary assistants salaries range between €41,092 and €52,200 per year, which is paid for by the State.[5]
In 2013, Farrell was appointed Head of the Irish Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.[6]
In October 2013, he referred to singer Sinéad O'Connor as being "mad as a brush", in a tweet. He later issued a brief apology via his website and later deleted the apology.[7]
32nd Dáil
editFarrell was re-elected at the 2016 general election.[8] In the 32nd Dáil, Farrell was a member of the Public Account Committee[9] and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality.[citation needed] Farrell was reappointed as Head of Delegation to the OSCE PA following the formation of Government.[citation needed] He was appointed chair of the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs in July 2017.[10]
33rd Dáil
editFarrell was re-elected at the 2020 general election.[11][12][13] On 30 September 2020, he was appointed Fine Gael’s spokesperson on Climate Action by party leader Leo Varadkar.[14]
In April 2024, Farrell succeeded Alan Dillon as the chair of the Fine Gael parliamentary party.[15]
Farrell lost his seat at the 2024 general election. On 10 December 2024, he was nominated by the Taoiseach to the Seanad.[16]
Controversy
editFarrell took Hertz Rent A Car to court after one of its vehicles knocked against his Audi A6 while its driver was engaged in an encounter with a spider which crawled along her arm at a traffic stop. Farrell claimed to have experienced neck and shoulder injuries as a result of the collision, which occurred in Drumcondra on 9 April 2015. In 2018, a photograph - showing Farrell at the time he was supposed to have been injured holding a poster of himself on an electricity pole while standing on a ladder in Skerries - was shown in Dublin District Court. Judge Michael Coghlan looked unfavourably on the personal injuries claim, ruling that Farrell had not sustained a "significant injury" and awarding him a total of €2,500. Judge Coghlan also noted in court that a separate claim by Farrell for material damage to his car had been relinquished since the accident. Photographs taken by the driver at the scene (none were produced by Farrell) were shown to the court and some difficulty was had in locating the precise damage to Farrell's motor car.[17] The Sunday Independent suggested the case "raises serious questions about Mr Farrell's judgment", contrasting it with insurance problems for motorists and referring to past remarks made by Farrell on Ireland's supposed "compo culture".[18]
Personal life
editIn November 2018, Farrell spoke publicly about his lifelong battle against insomnia, which often keeps him awake until 4 am. Farrell's insomnia first occurred, he has said, when he was "five or six".[19]
References
edit- ^ "Alan Farrell". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ "Alan Farrell". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "Seat for FGs Alan- after 4 week canvass!". Fingal Independent. 18 June 2004. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Alan Farrell TD". Alanfarrell.ie. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ Kelly, Fiach (26 March 2011). "FG TD hires wife as aide after council bid fails". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "TD says sorry to O'Connor". Irish Examiner. 8 October 2013. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
- ^ "Elections Ireland - Dublin Fingal". Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Public Accounts Committee - Membership". Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ "Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs - Membership". Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ "Farrell delighted to secure seat despite fall in party's vote". Fingal Independent. 15 February 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020.
- ^ Wall, Martin (10 February 2020) [9 February 2020]. "Dublin Fingal results: SF wave results in high-profile Fine Gael casualty". Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ "Election 2020: Dublin Fingal". Irish Times. Dublin. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ "Farrell appointed as Fine Gael spokesperson on CLimate Action". Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ^ Sherlock, Cillian (17 April 2024). "Alan Farrell named Fine Gael chairman". Sunday Business Post. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Three former TDs appointed to Seanad after losing seats". RTÉ News. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "PressReader - Irish Independent: 2019-05-28 - Case could help give our claims culture the push". Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ Weston, Charlie (15 July 2018). "Backbench TD does himself no favours taking compensation claim for a 'very minor' injury". Sunday Independent. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ Horan, Niamh (26 November 2018). "'Insomniac since I was a boy of five': Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell opens up about an affliction a growing number struggle with". Sunday Independent. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.