Olivia Mitchell TD

I have been your Fine Gael TD in Dublin South since 1997 and have served as party spokesperson in key portfolios – Local Government; Health & Children; Transport; Arts, Sports & Tourism and spokesperson on Competition & Consumer Protection.

As a Dublin TD I am focused on issues that affect constituents’ lives: transport links, education, health and disability services, the availability of and access to affordable housing and property tax. The protection and development of jobs and businesses in Dublin South’s commercial areas and the wider Dublin area has always been and continues to be a priority of mine.

I am currently a member of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee and I was recently appointed as a member of the Irish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. I have spoken at the plenary sessions in Strasbourg on tackling human rights issues in Europe and participate in the Committee on Migration

Political Career:

I was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1997 and re-elected in 2002, 2007 and 2011. I received the highest vote of any female candidate in the 2011 General Election.

– Member of the Fine Gael Front Bench: 2001-2010. Served as party spokesperson on Local Development, the National Drugs Strategy and Dublin Traffic: 1997-2001 Housing & Local Government: 2001 Health & Children: 2002-2004 Transport: 2004?2007 Arts, Sport and Tourism: 2007-2010 Competition & Consumer Protection: 2010

– Dublin/Dun Laoghaire County Council Member: 1983-2003 and served as Chairperson from 1995-1996

– Served on the following bodies at various times as a county councillor: Eastern Health Board, Dublin Regional Authority, Dublin Transport Initiative Advisory Committee, Dublin Healthy Cities Project, Joint Dublin county councils’ taxi advisory committee.

– Member of the Irish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. I attend four plenary meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly each year in Strasbourg, which focus particularly on European human rights issues. I sit on the Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons Committee and am an alternate member of the Political Affairs and Democracy Committee both working within the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.

– I am currently a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs.

– Member of AWEPA (Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa) and currently Vice President of the AWEPA executive committee.

– Chairperson of Oireachtas All-Party Interest Group on Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights and Development. This group is also a member group of the European Parliamentary Forum (EPF) on Population and Development.

– Former Dublin Representative on the World Health Organisation Multi-City Action Plan? Programme which sought to develop sustainable cities.

– Member of Fine Gael delegation at the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. Established to encourage dialogue among parliamentarians on the Northern Irish conflict: 1994-1996

I graduated with a B.A. in Economics & Politics and a HDip in Education from Trinity College Dublin. I taught Business Studies at St.Tiernan’s Community School and Economics at Mount Anville Convent before I entered politics.

I am married with three grown-up children, and I live in the Dundrum area.

Dublin South constituency changes to Dublin Rathdown:

I currently represent the constituency of Dublin South. From the next General Election the constituency will change to Dublin Rathdown comprising of a smaller area, including: Clonskeagh, Windy Arbour, Dundrum, Milltown, Churchtown, Nutgrove, Ballinteer, Rathfarnham (DLR areas), Stepaside, Glencullen, Sandyford, Leopardstown, Kilgobbin, Ballyogan, Kiltiernan, Stillorgan, Kilmacud and Mount Merrion.