Neale Richmond

Neale Richmond (born 15 March 1983) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Rathdown constituency since the 2020 general election. He previously served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2016 to 2020.[1]

Neale Richmond

TD
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2020
ConstituencyDublin Rathdown
Senator
In office
4 April 2016 – 10 February 2020
ConstituencyLabour Panel
Personal details
Born (1983-03-15) 15 March 1983
Ballinteer, Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFine Gael
Spouse(s)Babs Richmond (m. 2015)
Children1
EducationWesley College
Alma materUniversity College Dublin

Education

A native of Ballinteer, Richmond was educated at Taney Parish Primary School and Wesley College, before graduating from University College Dublin with a BA in History and an MA in Political Science. He lives in Stepaside with his wife and family. He is a member of the Church of Ireland.[2]

Political career

He was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2016 for the Labour Panel.[3] He was elected to Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council in 2009 to represent the Glencullen–Sandyford local electoral area.[4] Richmond was re-elected to the Council in 2014 on the first count.[5] Following his re-election to the Council, he was appointed by the Taoiseach as one of Ireland's nine delegates to the European Committee of the Regions.

Following the 2020 general election, Richmond was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD for the Dublin Rathdown constituency, taking the second seat in the three-seat constituency behind Catherine Martin and ahead of party colleague Josepha Madigan.

He was appointed Chair of the Seanad Select Committee on the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union on 23 February 2017.[6]

He has previously worked as an advisor in the European Parliament and Dáil Éireann, as well as a Projects Manager in the not-for-profit sector.

Political views

Richmond is a strong advocate of the European Union and Ireland's interests in it. He is an outspoken critic of Brexit. He was a columnist at Slugger O'Toole.[7]

He stated his initial disinterest in, but ultimate support for, the same-sex marriage issue.[8] Richmond supported the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.[9]

He has been strongly critical of Sinn Féin and the Provisional IRA.[10] He is in favour of the possibility of Ireland rejoining the British Commonwealth in the context of a United Ireland.[11]

Richmond wears the Irish branch of the Royal British Legion's "shamrock remembrance poppy"[12] to commemorate 200,000 Irish soldiers who fought and 35,000 Irish soldiers who died in World War One.[13][14] Richmond stated that he considers that the Easter lily "has become offensive".[15]

References
  1. "Neale Richmond". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  2. "In defence of grants: Protestant perspectives on schooling". The Irish Times. 23 October 2013.
  3. "Seanad Vote Counting Resumes". RTÉ News. 28 April 2016.
  4. "Neale Richmond". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  5. "Local Elections: 23 May 2014 Glencullen Sandyford". ElectionsIreland.org.
  6. "Richmond to Chair Seanad Brexit Committee". Fine Gael Party. November 2018.
  7. "Author Archive - Neale Richmond". Slugger O'Toole.
  8. Richmond, Neale. "Opinion: Same-sex marriage will be decided by the silent (possibly disinterested) majority". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  9. Richmond, Neale. "A quick message for "the lads" with one week to go to polling day". Twitter. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  10. Richmond, Neale. "The Floating Voter: Fine Gael Senator admits he'd rather quit the party than serve with Sinn Fein". Irish Independent. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  11. "I'd be for Ireland rejoining the commonwealth as is". Neale Richmond. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  12. Brophy, Daragh. "Leo Varadkar was wearing a 'shamrock poppy' in the Dáil today". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  13. Leo Varadkar wears controversial shamrock poppy to honor Ireland's WWI dead
  14. "Irish PM wears 'shamrock poppy'". BBC News. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  15. Richmond, Neale (3 November 2017). "I thought it was an apt response". Retrieved 3 November 2017.
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