Tom Morrissey

----Tom Morrissey (born July 1956) is an Irish Progressive Democrats politician and former member of Seanad Éireann. He was nominated by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern to the 22nd Seanad in 2002. He was subsequently appointed to the Progressive Democrats Front Bench as Transportation Spokesman in September 2002. During his time as a Senator, Morrissey was involved in a wide variety of parliamentary activities and served on the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport. He also served as Chairman of the Progressive Democrats Parliamentary Party. He was a key figure in drawing up the Party's New Heart For Dublin discussion paper.

Morrissey was first elected as a Fine Gael representative for the Castleknock ward in the 1991 local election with 1,172 votes which translated into a large 15.77% of the vote. He was an unsuccessful Dáil candidate for Fine Gael in Dublin West in the 1992 general election and 1996 by-election receiving 1,179 (3.17%) and 3,728 (13.12%) votes respectively. He then joined the Progressive Democrats and was unsuccessful in the 1997 and 2002 general elections in Dublin West. He received 7.61% in 1997 and 7.9% in 2002. His second successful local election was in 1999 when he was elected as a Progressive Democrat member for Fingal County Council, again in the Castleknock ward receiving 1,218, a whopping 14.13% share of the vote.

In 2006 he decided to run in Dublin North for the 2007 general election. Morrissey fully supported the privatisation of Aer Lingus, a large employer in North Dublin, and the reduction of pay and working conditions for its workers. Morrissey received 1,355 votes (2.55%) in the 2007 general election. Morrissey was not returned as a Senator in 2007.

Morrissey remains a key member of the party in his Dublin North Constituency.

External links

* [http://www.morrissey4transport.com/ Tom Morrissey's official website]
* [http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/our_people/member/8/ Tom Morrisey's profile on the Progressive Democrat party website]