Edward Timmins (62) is a chartered accountant from the village of Grangecon near Baltinglass, Co Wicklow.

He has been a Fine Gael councillor for more than 20 years and comes from a family steeped in politics. His father Godfrey was a long-standing councillor and TD for the party and was succeeded by Edward’s brother Billy in 1997. (Billy was expelled from the party in 2013 after defying the party whip over abortion legislation).

Timmins, an engineering graduate from Trinity College Dublin, worked briefly as a maths teacher and went on to work and study in France, Germany and Switzerland. He helped establish companies in the UK, Spain and US worked as a finance director for a number of firms.

After returning to Ireland, he was elected to Wicklow County Council in 2004. Married to Orla and with one daughter, Orla (24), he has been working full-time as a public representative for the past four years.