Constituency Pembroke-South Dock Nationality Irish Political party Sinn Fein Name Chris Andrews Cousins David McSavage | Constituency Pembroke Role Teachta Dala Uncles David Andrews Constituency Dublin South–East Parents Niall Andrews | |
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Born 25 May 1964 (age 59) ( 1964-05-25 ) Other political
affiliations Fianna Fail (until Aug. 2012) Previous office Member of Dail Eireann (2007–2009) Similar People Todd Andrews, David Andrews, David McSavage | ||
Constituency South-East Inner City | ||
Chris Andrews (born 25 June 1964) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He was previously a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-East constituency from 2007 to 2011. He was elected to Dublin City Council as a Sinn Féin member in May 2014.
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Family
He is the grandson of Todd Andrews, a leading figure in the early days of Fianna Fáil. His father Niall Andrews and his uncle David Andrews both served as Fianna Fáil TDs, while his first cousin Barry Andrews was elected a TD at the 2002 general election. He is the fourth member of his family to sit in the Dáil. He is a cousin of the comedy writer and performer David McSavage, and another cousin, Ryan Tubridy, is a chatshow host of The Late Late Show on RTÉ One. Andrews is married with two daughters.
Electoral History
In May 2007, Andrews topped the poll in Dublin South-East, on his second attempt, gaining 6,600 first preferences. He was a Councillor on Dublin City Council between 1999 and 2004 and between October 2006 and May 2007.
He was convenor of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, and was a member of the Trade, Enterprise and Employment Committee and the European Scrutiny Committee in the 30th Dáil.
He lost his seat at the 2011 general election.
Support for Palestine
During the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict he called for an economic, diplomatic and political boycott of Israel, for its ambassador to Ireland to be expelled, and for shops to remove "settler produce" from Israel. He said that Israel had the right to defend itself, but that its disproportionate response meant that "...it can only now be classified as a terror state". He later told a Russian reporter that there was no electricity in Gaza throughout his time there. On 30 May 2010, he was one of three Irish politicians who were prevented from leaving Cyprus by authorities to join an international flotilla carrying aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
In March 2011, Andrews set off on another flotilla to Gaza. His shipmates included Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh. In November 2011, Andrews was reported to be on board another ship heading to Gaza on a humanitarian mission.
Resignation from Fianna Fáil
In the aftermath of the 2011 election Fianna Fáil were struggling in the polls having lost many of their seats. In August 2012, Andrews left the Fianna Fáil party. He claims that he was disillusioned with the lack of direction the party was taking after it was revealed he had been using a Twitter account to anonymously attack party leader Micheál Martin and other senior members, including a constituency rival, Councillor Jim O'Callaghan. Andrews claimed that his decision to quit the party was not related to the Twitter account.
In September 2013, he joined Sinn Féin and successfully contested the 2014 local elections for the Pembroke South Dock electoral area of Dublin City Council for the party.
In February 2015, he was selected to contest the new constituency of Dublin Bay South at the forthcoming general election; however, he failed to be elected in 2016.