Profile: Thomas Pringle (Ind)

Thomas Pringle (48) from Killybegs, Co Donegal is an Independent left-wing politician who was first elected to the Dáil in 2011. He was first elected as an Independent councillor to Donegal County Council in 1999 and, before entering Leinster House, was manager of a water treatment plant in Killybegs. From a republican family he was a member of Sinn Féin for about three years but has mainly served as an Independent. He first stood for the Dáil in 2002, gaining 2,630 votes, and has steadily built up his base since. He also stood in Donegal South West byelection in 2010, winning 3,438 votes and was elected in the general election the following year, polling 5,845 votes. He has campaigned on an anti-austerity ticket and called for a boycott of water-charge payments. In the Dáil, he aligns himself with TDs such as Clare Daly and Mick Wallace. He is married with three children.