John Lahart | |
---|---|
![]() Lahart in 2016 | |
Teachta Dála | |
Assumed office February 2016 | |
Constituency | Dublin South-West |
Personal details | |
Born | Ballyroan, Dublin, Ireland |
Political party | Fianna Fáil |
Alma mater | Mater Dei Institute of Education |
John Lahart is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-West constituency since the 2016 general election. [1] [2]
Lahart is from Ballyroan, County Dublin where he was educated at Scoil an Spiorad Naomhin [3] and then by the Christian Brothers at Coláiste Éanna. [4] After training as a teacher at the Mater Dei Institute of Education, he taught at Ballinteer Community School from 1995 to 2000. [4] Lahart also received a master's degree from Mater Dei in 1996. [3] In 2007, he was awarded a BSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy. [3]
He later lived in Knocklyon, working as a psychotherapist in private practice. [5] He was a member of the Irish Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (IACP). [3]
Lahart joined Fianna Fáil in 1983, after being encouraged by Séamus Brennan TD to get involved in the party. [5] From 1992 to 1994 and from 2000 to 2007, Lahart was a special adviser to Tom Kitt, the Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South. [4] He was a member of South Dublin County Council from 1999 to 2016, [5] [6] and served as leader of the Fianna Fáil group on the council. [7]
In October 2014, Lahart was the unsuccessful Fianna Fáil candidate in the Dublin South-West by-election, winning only 8.6% of the first preference votes (FPV). [8] He was seen as having fought a good campaign, and performed well in two televised debates. [9] Lahart described the challenge of getting known in the constituency, [10] and in 2015 Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin explained the by-election as part of a medium term plan of building a "platform" for the 2016 general election. [11]
The next general election was held in February 2016, when Lahart topped the poll with 14.3% of the FPV. [12] He was the first candidate to be elected, on the 11th count, becoming Dublin South-West's first Fianna Fáil TD since the defeat of both Charlie O'Connor and Conor Lenihan at the 2011 general election. Emma Murphy was co-opted to fill the seat on South Dublin County Council which had been automatically vacated on his election to the Dáil. [6]
In May 2016, he was appointed to the Fianna Fáil Front Bench by the Leader of the Opposition Micheál Martin as Opposition Spokesperson for Dublin, replacing Darragh O'Brien. [3]
At the general election in February 2020, he won 8.1% of the first-preference votes, and was re-elected on the eleventh count, without reaching the quota. [13] [14] In June 2020, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party negotiated a deal to form a coalition government, and Lahart was tipped as a possible Minister of State. [15] However, he opposed the programme for government, [16] and when the new government was formed, he was not one of the eight Fianna Fáil TDs to be appointed as Minister of State.
In July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he became the first TD to wear a face mask in the Dáil chamber. [17]
John Lahart | |
---|---|
![]() Lahart in 2016 | |
Teachta Dála | |
Assumed office February 2016 | |
Constituency | Dublin South-West |
Personal details | |
Born | Ballyroan, Dublin, Ireland |
Political party | Fianna Fáil |
Alma mater | Mater Dei Institute of Education |
John Lahart is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-West constituency since the 2016 general election. [1] [2]
Lahart is from Ballyroan, County Dublin where he was educated at Scoil an Spiorad Naomhin [3] and then by the Christian Brothers at Coláiste Éanna. [4] After training as a teacher at the Mater Dei Institute of Education, he taught at Ballinteer Community School from 1995 to 2000. [4] Lahart also received a master's degree from Mater Dei in 1996. [3] In 2007, he was awarded a BSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy. [3]
He later lived in Knocklyon, working as a psychotherapist in private practice. [5] He was a member of the Irish Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (IACP). [3]
Lahart joined Fianna Fáil in 1983, after being encouraged by Séamus Brennan TD to get involved in the party. [5] From 1992 to 1994 and from 2000 to 2007, Lahart was a special adviser to Tom Kitt, the Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South. [4] He was a member of South Dublin County Council from 1999 to 2016, [5] [6] and served as leader of the Fianna Fáil group on the council. [7]
In October 2014, Lahart was the unsuccessful Fianna Fáil candidate in the Dublin South-West by-election, winning only 8.6% of the first preference votes (FPV). [8] He was seen as having fought a good campaign, and performed well in two televised debates. [9] Lahart described the challenge of getting known in the constituency, [10] and in 2015 Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin explained the by-election as part of a medium term plan of building a "platform" for the 2016 general election. [11]
The next general election was held in February 2016, when Lahart topped the poll with 14.3% of the FPV. [12] He was the first candidate to be elected, on the 11th count, becoming Dublin South-West's first Fianna Fáil TD since the defeat of both Charlie O'Connor and Conor Lenihan at the 2011 general election. Emma Murphy was co-opted to fill the seat on South Dublin County Council which had been automatically vacated on his election to the Dáil. [6]
In May 2016, he was appointed to the Fianna Fáil Front Bench by the Leader of the Opposition Micheál Martin as Opposition Spokesperson for Dublin, replacing Darragh O'Brien. [3]
At the general election in February 2020, he won 8.1% of the first-preference votes, and was re-elected on the eleventh count, without reaching the quota. [13] [14] In June 2020, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party negotiated a deal to form a coalition government, and Lahart was tipped as a possible Minister of State. [15] However, he opposed the programme for government, [16] and when the new government was formed, he was not one of the eight Fianna Fáil TDs to be appointed as Minister of State.
In July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he became the first TD to wear a face mask in the Dáil chamber. [17]