Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan recovering after heart attack

Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan is recovering after a heart attack which left him in hospital for two weeks, it has emerged.

Political sources have confirmed that the Carlow Kilkenny TD is recovering well after becoming ill while at home.

Mr Phelan is understood to have suffered from chest pains before being admitted to hospital in Waterford.

When he arrived in cardiac care, the 41-year-old was told that there was a 100 per cent blockage in one of his arteries and that he was days away from a fatal cardiac event. It is understood that he had a stent put in and spent a fortnight in the hospital.

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Other members of Mr Phelan’s family have suffered fatal heart attacks and sources close to Mr Phelan say the reason for his heart attack was primarily genetic.

He is not expected to attend the Dáil when it resumes early next week as he is recovering at home and would be considered high risk in terms of Covid-19.

Mr Phelan was the youngest member of the Seanad in 2002 where he served two terms until his 2011 election to the Dáil. He served as a Kilkenny County Councillor from 1999 to 2003 and holds an economics degree.

As a former minister of State, one of his last actions before the dissolution of the last Dáil was to get Government approval for legislation to establish a permanent referendum commission and to conduct major reform of the electoral register.