| Pat Breen TD | |
|---|---|
| Teachta Dála | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office May 2002 |
|
| Preceded by | Donal Carey |
| Constituency | Clare |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 March 1957 Ennis, County Clare |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse(s) | Ann McInerney |
| Alma mater | Limerick Institute of Technology |
| Website | www.patbreen.ie |
Pat Breen (born 21 March 1957) is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Clare constituency since 2002.[1]
Having been a member of Clare County Council and the Vocational Educational Committee from June 1999 to 2002, Breen was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2002 general election.[2] He is the Fine Gael Deputy Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for Human Rights and Overseas Development Aid. He serves on the Dáil European Affairs Committee and is deputy leader of the Irish Delegation to the Council of Europe.
Breen has previously served as Fine Gael Deputy Spokesperson on Transport and Enterprise, and Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Small Business. He has also served as a member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, the Privileges and Procedures Committee, the House Services Committee and the Committee on Enterprise and Small Business.
He is married to Ann McInerney and they have two sons.
In October 2006 he submitted a written Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on behalf of a constituent who wanted to know when a relative would be released from prison. The question asked when the person would receive early release - "To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a prisoner (details supplied) will be eligible for early release". This attracted media criticism because the prisoner was a convicted paedophile. In response Breen said that he was seeking information on behalf of his constituent, that he was not advocating early release, that he deplored the crimes, and that he should have phrased the question differently.[3][4]
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Donal Carey (Fine Gael) |
Fine Gael Teachta Dála for Clare 2002–present |
Incumbent |