Election 2020: Pat Buckley (Sinn Féin)

Pat Buckley (50) looked vulnerable in Cork East until the Sinn Féin surge helped him retain the seat he first won in 2016.

A thoughtful and impassioned speaker on mental health issues, his political career has been driven to a large extent by the suicide of two of his brothers about whom he has spoken in the Dáil.

Their deaths prompted him to found a suicide-prevention charity the Let’s Get Together Foundation and he is a member of a number of local community organisations.

He is the party’s spokesman on mental health and suicide prevention.

Election 2020: Sinn Féin to push to form government, as high-profile figures lose seats

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Fine Gael reaction: Party will lead Opposition if it cannot form government

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Cork East results: Final three seats decided on count eight

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Fianna Fáil reaction: Martin opens door to government with FG or SF

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The 50-year-old married father of two who was educated at Waterford Institute of Technology hails from Midleton, where he first served as a town councillor before election to Cork County Council.

In 2017 he was charged with a public order offence for verbally abusing gardaí while drunk when he was told to turn down loud music at a child’s party. He subsequently apologised for the incident.