Career
He first stood as a candidate for Dáil Éireann at a by-election in March 1965 for the Cork Mid constituency following the death of the Labour Party Territorial Decoration Dan Desmond. Creed was re-elected at seven further general elections, switching in 1981 to the new Cork North–West constituency when Cork Mid was abolished in boundary changes. Creed served on three of the European Parliament"s committees: Agriculture, Public Health and the Environment, Regional Policy and Transport.
He was also Chairman of Cork County Council from 1978 to 1979.
In Garret Fitzgerald"s first coalition government, he was Minister of State at the Department of Health from June to November 1981, and then at the Department of the Environment from November 1981 until the government was defeated in a budget vote in January 1982. Fianna Fáil was returned to power at the resulting February 1982 general election, but that government too was short-lived.
When Fitzgerald formed a new coalition government after another general election in November 1982, Creed was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Education, and held that post until a reshuffle in February 1986.