Constituency Profile:
A population of 4,276 in the former Roscrea Number two Rural District has been transferred out of Laois-Offaly and into Tipperary North.
The population of this constituency grew strongly during the boom, increasing by 12.4% between the 2002 and 2006 censuses, and the population taking account of the new boundary changes would be 133,651 based on the 2006 census.
Agriculture is still an important part of the local economy, but Laois and Offaly have also become commuter counties for people working in Dublin. The towns in the east of the constituency grew rapidly as house prices in the capital rocketed and the 2006 census indicates that people in the constituency are much more likely to have a very long commute than people in the State as a whole.
The census also made clear that employment in construction within the constituency was well above the national average - 14.3% compared to 11.1%. The decline of the construction sector has therefore had a serious effect on employment here.
The constituency also had higher than average numbers of workers in manufacturing in 2006, but major employers like Covidien in Tullamore have cut back staff numbers significantly, while Boston Scientific and Rationel Windows in Offaly have closed in recent years with significant job losses. Banagher Concrete and Morrison Utility Services in Portlaoise announced job losses in 2009, while SIAC Butler Steel in Portarlington also announced major job cuts in 2010.
Bord na Móna, the ESB and the Health Service Executive Midland Area remain among the largest local employers, while there are decentralised offices of the Department of Education and the Department of Finance in Tullamore, and the Department of Agriculture in Portlaoise.
Constituency Boundaries: There has been a significant revision of the constituency boundaries since 2007. (See above)
Seats: Five
2007 Quota: 11,916
2011 Candidates
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Rotimi Adebari - Independent
Rotimi Adebari is originally from Nigeria and a member of Laois County Council since 2009, Adebari became Ireland's first black Mayor in 2007.
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John Boland - Independent
John Boland, a farmer from Newtown, Horseleap, is contesting his first general election.
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John Bracken - Independent
John Bracken is running as an Independent candidate in Laois-Offaly.
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Marcella Corcoran Kennedy - Fine Gael
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy is based in Ferbane, this is Corcoran-Kennedy's first general election.
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Barry Cowen - Fianna Fáil
Barry Cowen is a member of Offaly County Council for the Tullamore area, he is a younger brother of outgoing Taoiseach, Brian Cowen.
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Michael Cox - Independent
Michael Cox, the rebel priest and bishop who ordained Sinéad O'Connor, is contesting his first general election. Cox is a minister in the Irish Orthodox and Apostolic Church.
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Liam Dumpleton - Independent
Liam Dumpleton is an Independent candidate in Laois-Offaly.
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James Fanning - Independent
James Fanning, an Offaly-based businessman, is contesting his first general election.
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Christopher Fettes - Green Party
Christopher Fettes is a founder member of the Irish Green Party. Fettes ran for the Green Party in this constituency in 2002.
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Eddie Fitzpatrick - Independent
Eddie Fitzpatrick is a former member of the Progressive Democrats, Fitzpatrick is an Offaly County Councillor for the Edenderry area.
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Ray Fitzpatrick - Socialist Party
Ray Fitzpatrick is a former Labour Party member, Fitzpatrick is a first-time candidate in a general election.
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Charles Flanagan - Fine Gael
Charles Flanagan was first elected to the Dáil in 1987, Flanagan lost his seat in 2002 but regained it in 2007.
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Sean Fleming - Fianna Fáil
Sean Fleming was first elected to the Dáil in 1997. Fleming took the third seat in this constituency in 2007 and was appointed Spokesperson of Public Sector reform in Mícheál Martin's first front bench in January 2011.
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John Foley - Independent
John Foley is an Offaly County Councillor. Foley contested the 2007 general election for Fianna Fáil, missing out on the final seat by 311 votes. His decision to run as an Independent came only after he failed to secure a nomination for Fianna Fáil.
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John Leahy - Independent
John Leahy is an Independent candidate running in Laois-Offaly.
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Fergus McDonnell - Independent
Fergus McDonnell is running as an Independent candidate in Laois-Offaly.
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John Moloney - Fianna Fáil
John Moloney was first elected in 1997, Moloney retained his seat in 2002 and 2007. He is Minister of State for Disability and Mental Health.
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John Moran - Fine Gael
John Moran was a member of Laois County Council, Moran is contesting his first general election.
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Liam Quinn - Fine Gael
Liam Quinn is a Councillor for Edenderry, this is Quinn's first general election. He is a former Vice President of Young Fine Gael.
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Brian Stanley - Sinn Féin
Brian Stanley is a member of Laois County Council for the Portlaoise area. Stanley is contesting his third general election. He is a former Mayor of Portlaoise.
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John Whelan - Labour Party
John Whelan is a former newspaper editor, Whelan is contesting his first general election. He joined the Labour Party in 2009 and his selection as the sole candidate for this election in this constituency was a cause of local controversy within the Labour Party.
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Sitting TDs: Brian Cowen (FF), John Moloney (FF), Seán Fleming (FF), Olwyn Enright (FG), Charlie Flanagan (FG)
TDs not seeking re-election: Brian Cowen (FF), Olwyn Enright (FG)
General Election 2007:
Fine Gael entered the 2007 campaign intent on regaining the seat it had lost here in 2002, when long-term sitting TD Charlie Flanagan had lost out in a shock result. With Fianna Fáil looking likely to hold its three seats, the pressure was firmly on outgoing Progressive Democrat TD and former IFA leader Tom Parlon.
The real talking point of the 2007 result, however, was the extraordinary performance by Fianna Fáil, led by then Minister of Finance, Brian Cowen. The party increased its vote share by more than five points to 56.4% and Mr Cowen was elected on the first count, polling 19,102 first preferences and exceeding the quota by 7,186 votes. This guaranteed the election of three Fianna Fáil TDs but after Laois-based TD Sean Fleming, who had taken 11.3% of the vote, was elected on the ninth count, there was an internal struggle for the final seat.
A large part of Mr Cowen’s surplus had gone to fellow Offaly man, John Foley, putting him neck and neck with the party’s third outgoing TD John Moloney. The Laois man was able to stay just ahead of Mr Foley and took the final seat by about 300 votes.
Fine Gael increased its vote share from 23% in 2002 to 27.4% in 2007 and this was enough to get Birr-based sitting TD, Olwyn Enright, and Laois-based Charlie Flanagan into the 30th Dáil.
Mr Flanagan did slightly better on the first preferences – taking 12.7% to Ms Enright’s 11.6% - but Ms Enright attracted more transfers and took the second seat while Mr Flanagan took the fourth. Mr Flanagan was eventually elected with votes from Tom Parlon, who was excluded on count nine, having seen his first preference vote fall from 14.4% in 2002 to just 5.9% in 2007.
Brian Stanley of Sinn Féin improved the party vote to 5.1%. Surprisingly, his votes when transferred broke fairly evenly between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Labour ran two candidates, Jim O’Brien from Laois and David Whelan from Offaly, but managed just 2.5% between them.
2002 Turnout: 56.8%
2007 Turnout: 69.6%
Oireachtas Constituency Information
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