Constituency Kildare South Name Martin Heydon Nationality Irish Role Politician | Party Fine Gael Website www.martinheydon.com | |
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Born 9 August 1978 (age 46) ( 1978-08-09 ) Profiles | ||
Martin heydon fine gael td kildare south ge16 vote no 1
Martin Simon Heydon (born 9 August 1978) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party since June 2016. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) since 2011, currently for the Kildare South constituency.
Contents
- Martin heydon fine gael td kildare south ge16 vote no 1
- Budget 2017 dail eireann martin heydon kildare south
- Background
- Political career
- Personal life
- References
Budget 2017 dail eireann martin heydon kildare south
Background
Heydon is a native of South Kildare and lives outside of Kilcullen town, owning a family farm. He was educated in Crookstown National School, Cross & Passion College Kilcullen and Teagasc Kildalton Agricultural College in County Kilkenny.
Political career
Heydon joined the Fine Gael political party in 2008. He was elected to Kildare County Council in June 2009 at his first attempt. He was replaced on Kildare County Council following his Dáil Éireann election in February 2011 by Councillor Ivan Keatley.
He was the first Fine Gael TD to be elected in the Kildare South constituency after Alan Dukes lost his seat in 2002. Heydon ran on his own for the party in 2011 and polled over 12,000 votes to be returned as a first-time TD on the first count, his first attempt in a general election. He was more than 3,000 votes above the quota and as a result Newbridge Fine Gael councillor Fiona McLoughlin Healy was added to the ballot for the 2016 general election as his running mate.
Heydon won parliamentary re-election in the 2016 general election, topping the poll in Kildare South.
He served as Chair of Fine Gael's Internal Committee on Agriculture & Rural Affairs between 2011 and 2016.
On 8 June 2016, Heydon was elected Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, succeeding retired Limerick TD Dan Neville. Carlow–Kilkenny TD Pat Deering was elected Vice Chair by the Parliamentary Party. Heydon's responsibilities in this role include chairing the weekly meeting of Fine Gael TDs and Senators in Leinster House, and representing the party through the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament.
Personal life
Heydon is married to pharmacist and former ladies' GAA All-Star Brianne Leahy. The couple have two sons.
He is an officer of his local Gaelic football club, St Laurence's GAA.