Profile: Pat Deering (FG)

Carlow-Kilkenny: Fifth TD elected of five

Pat Deering (49) is a farmer from Ballybit, Co Carlow, who has been a Fine Gael TD since 2011. His father, Micheal Deering, was a councillor. He attended the Kildalton Agricultural College in the mid-1980s and is a member of the Irish Farmers' Association since 1999. He has a strong involvement with the GAA in Co Carlow and was chairman of the county board from 2005 to 2010.

He has been a member of the Fine Gael party since he was in his teens, and was a member of Carlow County Council from 2009 to 2011.

He is married and has one son and one daughter.

Colm Keena

Colm Keena

Colm Keena is an Irish Times journalist. He was previously legal-affairs correspondent and public-affairs correspondent