Election 2020: Alan Kelly (Labour)
Tipperary – Elected on ninth count
Labour TD Alan Kelly was publicly backed by health campaigner Vicky Phelan in the election. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Alan Kelly’s passion for patient healthcare during a time when the country experienced a number of health scandals made him a popular local candidate.
From Portroe just outside Nenagh, Co Tipperary, he won over many of his constituents through his work on the HPV vaccine and the CervicalCheck controversy, with women’s health campaigner Vicky Phelan publicly backing him in the election.
Kelly (44) served on both the Public Accounts Committee and the Health Committee in the 32nd Dáil.
An extensive political background, Kelly previously served as minister for the environment, community and local government, deputy leader of the Labour Party from 2014 to 2016 and minister of state for public and commuter transport from 2011 to 2014.
Kelly was also a member of the European Parliament for the South constituency from 2009 to 2011 and a senator for the agricultural panel from 2007 to 2009.
He went to secondary school at Nenagh CBS and attended University College Cork where he obtained a BA in English and history.
