Career
From Ballynacargy, County Westmeath, he was elected as a Teachta Dála (Territorial Decoration) for the Longford–Westmeath constituency at the 2011 general election beating the two sitting Fianna Fáil TDs, Peter Kelly and former cabinet minister and Leader of the Seanad Mary O"Rourke. He was elected again in 2016 as a Territorial Decoration. He was the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Arts and Heritage from April 2011 to July 2012. In July 2012, he was appointed as party spokesperson on Children.