Patrick Nulty
Patrick Nulty | |
|---|---|
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office October 2011– 24 March 2014 | |
| Constituency | Dublin West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 November 1982 Dublin,Ireland |
| Political party |
|
| Alma mater | |
Patrick Nulty(born 18 November 1982) is a teacher, university lecturer and former IrishLabour Partypolitician. He was elected as aTeachta Dála(TD) forDublin Westata by-election in October 2011.[1]He sat as anindependentTD after losing theLabour Partywhip on 6 December 2011.[2]He resigned as a TD on 24 March 2014 after sending several sexually inappropriate messages to domestic abuse victims in his constituency and a 17-year-old girl.[3][4]
Biography[edit]
Nulty was born and raised inCorduffnearDublin.[5]When two weeks old, he was injured in a house fire, leaving him with burn scars on his face and arms.[6]He attended RiversdaleCommunity Collegeand has a degree insocial policyfromTrinity College Dublinand a Masters in Social Science fromUniversity College Dublin.[5]He worked as a social policy advisor for a homeless charity for five years.[5]He is also a former National Chairperson ofLabour Youthand was a prominent activist of the Students' Union in Trinity.
Political career[edit]
Labour Youth[edit]
A leading member of Labour Youth's re-foundation in the early 2000s, Nulty served in Labour Youth as the National Chairman, Communications Officer and Gender Equality Officer. Nulty led a campaign while in Trinity Labour Youth against the sexual harassment of female students on campus.[7]Throughout Nulty's career in the Labour Party, he had been a vocal supporter of Labour Youth and was regular speakers at the annual Labour Youth Tom Johnson Summer School.
County Council[edit]
Nulty was elected toFingal County Councilfor Labour at the2009 local electionsin theMulhuddartlocal electoral area.[8]
Dáil[edit]
He was Labour's unsuccessful second candidate forDublin Westat the2011 general election,where running-mateJoan Burtontopped the poll,[8][9]but was elected as aTeachta Dála(TD) forDublin Westata by-election in October 2011.It was the first time since 1982 that a government party candidate had won a by-election.[10][11]
He was on the Labour Party's left wing, and opposed both theLisbon Treaty[12]andLabour's coalition dealwithFine Gaelafter the election.[9]He also rejected the idea of a transfer pact with the Fine Gael candidate despite the parties' coalition.[13]While in opposition he called on his former colleagues to legislate for the X case as had been promised by Labour for many years.[14]Nulty voted against theVATincrease in the2012 budgetand lost the Labour Partywhipas a result.[15]
He was described as a "Labour rebel candidate" by theIrish Independent,[9]whileThe Irish Timesquoted the label "anti-government Government candidate" discussing his opposition to cuts in services atBlanchardstownHospital.[16]
On 21 June 2013, he resigned from the Labour Party.[17]
Resignation as TD[edit]
He resigned from the Dáil on 24 March 2014 as a result of having sent inappropriate Facebook messages to a 17-year-old female, and to two other adult women.[18]At first he denied that he was the sender of the messages, and claimed that his phone had been hacked, but subsequently admitted his behaviour when confronted with evidence that the messages had been sent fromLeinster House.[19][20]Nulty apologised for his behaviour and said the "message was sent while under the influence of alcohol".[3]In September 2015 he was awarded a teaching scholarship by the University of Limerick to undertake a PhD in Politics and Public Administration. He now works full time for that university as a researcher and tutor.
References[edit]
- ^"Patrick Nulty".Oireachtas Members Database.12 March 2014.Retrieved23 March2014.
- ^"Nulty exits coalition in Budget row".Belfast Telegraph.Belfast. 6 December 2011.Retrieved6 December2011.
- ^ab"Nulty resigns over 'inappropriate' Facebook messages".RTÉ News.23 March 2014.
- ^http:// sundayworld /news/news/nulty-erases-his-memory-span[permanent dead link]
- ^abcNulty, Patrick."About".Blog.Archived fromthe originalon 24 August 2011.Retrieved28 October2011.
- ^"'I don't come from a political dynasty'".Irish Examiner.Cork. 14 October 2011.Retrieved28 October2011.
- ^"Trinity College Dublin – Labour Youth".
- ^ab"Patrick Nulty".ElectionsIreland.org.Retrieved28 October2011.
- ^abcDrennan, John; McConnell, Daniel (23 October 2011)."Fianna Fáil gives up the fight for Lenihan's former seat".Irish Independent.Retrieved28 October2011.
- ^"Nulty elected in Dublin West".Irish Examiner.29 October 2011.Retrieved29 October2011.
- ^O'Halloran, Marie (29 October 2011)."Labour wins Dublin byelection".The Irish Times.Retrieved29 October2011.
- ^"By-election race shows plenty of Western promise for Labour".Sunday Business Post.9 October 2011.Retrieved28 October2011.
- ^Connolly, Niamh (9 October 2011)."Labour candidate to reject FG vote transfer".Sunday Business Post.Retrieved28 October2011.
- ^"No legislation 20 years after the X Case".RTÉ News.17 February 2012.
- ^O'Halloran, Marie; O'Regan, Michael (6 December 2011)."Labour TD votes against Vat measure".The Irish Times.
- ^McGee, Harry (18 October 2011)."Dublin West may halt a 29-year trend".The Irish Times.Retrieved28 October2011.
- ^"Patrick Nulty resigns from Labour Party".RTÉ News.21 June 2013.
- ^"Irish MP Patrick Nulty quits over 'inappropriate' Facebook messages".BBC News.23 March 2014.
- ^"Nulty resigns over 'inappropriate' Facebook messages".The Irish Times.22 March 2014.
- ^"TD sent inappropriate Facebook messages to girl (17)".Sunday World.22 March 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 2 April 2015.Retrieved25 March2015.