Election 2020: Jim O’Callaghan (Fianna Fáil)

Often spoken of as a future Fianna Fail leader, Jim O’Callaghan (52) retained his Dáil seat in a highly competitive constituency after first being elected in 2016. A barrister and senior counsel, he acted as legal adviser to the party before winning the seat.

The party’s justice spokesman since 2016, he is an able Dáil performer in a portfolio that sees the largest volume of legislation going through the House of any department, including the passage of his Parole Bill which was supported by Government to establish the parole board on an independent statutory footing and allow victims have a say in the parole process.

Popular with his colleagues and well regarded with other parties, he is likely to be on any negotiating team that may be established for government talks, as he was in 2016.

Educated at UCD, Cambridge University and King’s Inns, he served as a Dublin City councillor in Pembroke-Rathmines and lives in Rathmines. He played rugby at under-21 level for Ireland and is a keen cyclist, regularly cycling to work.