Joe Behan
| Joe Behan | |
|---|---|
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office May 2007 – February 2011 | |
| Constituency | Wicklow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 July 1959 Bray, County Wicklow |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Independent (since 2008) |
| Other political affiliations |
Fianna Fáil (until 2008) |
Joe Behan (born 30 July 1959) is a former Irish politician. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency from 2007 to 2011.[1] He was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD at the 2007 general election.[2]
A teacher from Bray, Behan was a long-serving member of Bray Town Council and Wicklow County Council,[3] winning and holding his seat in the 1999 and 2004 local elections.[2] He was Cathaoirleach (chairman) of Wicklow County Council from 2006 to 2007, but in accordance with the abolition of the dual mandate under the Local Government Act 2001 he was deemed to have resigned his council seats when elected to the Dáil in 2007.
Behan unsuccessfully sought the Fianna Fáil nomination to contest the 1997 general election in the Wicklow constituency.[3] He did not win a nomination until December 2006, when he was one of three candidates selected by the party for the 2007 general election.[4] He was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2007 general election.
On 17 October 2008 he resigned from the Fianna Fáil party in protest at the 2009 Budget. Despite claiming in his letter of resignation that: "I intend to adopt an independent stance on each and every issue which comes before the Dáil from now on.",[5] he refused to join a Technical Group [6] and largely continued to side with the government.
He stood for re-election in Wicklow at the 2011 general election, but lost his seat.[2]
References
- ↑ "Mr. Joe Behan". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Joe Behan". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Roche fails to get FF nomination". The Irish Times. 9 May 1996. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
- ↑ Miriam Donohoe (16 December 2006). "FF ends selection saga in Wicklow and confirms three candidates". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
- ↑ "Full text of Joe Behan TD's resignation letter from Fianna Fáil". The Irish Times. 17 October 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
- ↑ "Behan opts out of independents' link-up with Sinn Fein". Irish Independent. 12 November 2008.
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Joe Jacob (Fianna Fáil) |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Wicklow 2007–2008 |
Succeeded by Himself as Independent TD |
| Preceded by Himself as Fianna Fáil TD |
Independent Teachta Dála for Wicklow 2008–2011 |
Succeeded by Stephen Donnelly (Independent) |