Profile: Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (62) was Sinn Féin's health spokesman in the last Dáil. He served as Dáil leader until the election of Gerry Adams and an expanded parliamentary party in 2011. First elected to the Dáil in 1997, the Monaghan-based politician had contested general elections in 1987, 1989 and 1992. A former bank official, he was first elected to Monaghan County Council in 1985. He was general manager of An Phoblacht/Republican News from 1982 to 1985 and director of elections for Kieran Doherty, one of the H-Block hunger- strikers, who won a Dáil seat in 1981. He is married to Briege McGinn and they have four daughters and one son.