Billy Timmins
| Billy Timmins TD |
|
|---|---|
| Deputy leader of Renua Ireland | |
| Assumed office 13 March 2015 |
|
| Preceded by | New office |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office June 1997 |
|
| Constituency | Wicklow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 October 1959 Baltinglass, County Wicklow |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Renua Ireland (since March 2015) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (2013–15), Fine Gael (until July 2013) |
| Alma mater | University College Galway |
Billy Timmins (born 1 October 1959) is an Irish politician. He is a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency,[1] and the deputy leader of Renua Ireland. He previously sat as an independent TD, having lost the Fine Gael parliamentary party whip in July 2013.[2]
Timmins was born in Baltinglass, County Wicklow. He was educated at Patrician College, Ballyfin, County Laois; and University College Galway where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Legal Science, and at the Military College, Curragh. Timmins served as an army officer, serving in Galway, Donegal and Kilkenny and with the United Nations in Lebanon and Cyprus.
He was elected to Wicklow County Council for the Baltinglass area in 1999 and served until 2004. Timmins was first elected to Dáil Éireann for the Wicklow constituency at the 1997 general election to succeed his father Godfrey Timmins who was retiring, and has held his seat ever since.[3] Having just arrived in the Dáil he became party spokesperson on Defence, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Relief. In 2000 he became party spokesperson on Housing.
Following the 2002 general election he was appointed spokesperson on Agriculture and Food. In Enda Kenny's front bench reshuffle in 2004 he received the Defence spokesperson portfolio. He was party spokesperson on Foreign Affairs from 2007 to 2010. In June 2010 he supported Richard Bruton's leadership challenge to Enda Kenny. Following Kenny's victory in a motion of confidence, Timmins was not re-appointed to the front bench. From October 2010 to March 2011 he was party deputy spokesperson on Social Protection with special responsibility for Pension and Welfare Reform.
Timmins was expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party on 2 July 2013 when he defied the party whip by voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.[2][4] On 13 September 2013, he and six other expellees formed the Reform Alliance, described as a "loose alliance" rather than a political party.[5]
See also
References
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| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Teachta Dála for Wicklow 1997–present |
Incumbent |
