Derek McDowell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Derek McDowell
Senator
In office
September 2002 – September 2007
ConstituencyIndustrial and Commercial Panel
Teachta Dála
In office
November 1992 – May 2002
ConstituencyDublin North-Central
Personal details
Born (1958-09-11) 11 September 1958 (age 65)
Dublin, Ireland
Political partyLabour Party

Derek McDowell (born 11 September 1958) is an Irish former Labour Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1992 to 2002, and member of Seanad Éireann from 2002 to 2007.[1]

McDowell was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1989 general election in the Dublin North-Central constituency,[2] but at the 1992 general election he was returned to the 27th Dáil, topping the poll with 23% of the first-preference votes. He was re-elected at the 1997 general election with a much reduced share of the vote.[2] At the 1999 Irish local elections, he was elected to Dublin City Council from the Clontarf area.[2]

At the 2002 general election, McDowell lost his seat to the independent candidate Finian McGrath.[3] After the loss of his seat in Dáil Éireann, McDowell was elected to the 22nd Seanad by the Industrial and Commercial Panel, where he was Labour's Seanad spokesperson on Finance, Transport, Enterprise, Trade and Employment. At the 2007 general election, he stood again in the Dublin North–Central constituency, but did not regain his seat. He did not contest the subsequent elections to the 23rd Seanad.[2]

McDowell worked as Head of International Advocacy at Concern Worldwide,.[4] During the 2011 to 2016 Fine GaelLabour Party coalition he served as deputy government press secretary and advisor to Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Tánaiste Joan Burton.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Derek McDowell". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d "Derek McDowell". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
  3. ^ "General election, 17 May 2002: Dublin North–Central". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
  4. ^ "Former Labour TD named as Concern's Head of Advocacy". Irish Independent. Irish Independent. 14 July 2009. p. 1. Retrieved 30 October 2022.