Education
Dublin Business School.
Dublin Business School.
He was a Teachta Dála (Territorial Decoration) for the Dublin North–East constituency May 2007 to February 2016. In February 2008 Flanagan made a speech which was notably similar to a previous one by Labour Party Territorial Decoration Joan Burton. He initially denied that the speech was copied, but later issued a statement admitting and apologising for the plagiarism.
Later that day Flanagan represented the party in an interview on RTÉ"s Drivetime radio news programme, where he was unable to answer any questions about the party"s policies.
Flanagan stood as a Renua Ireland candidate for the new Dublin Bay North constituency at the 2016 general election, but lost his seat being eliminated at the 9th count.
He was Fine Gael deputy spokesperson on the Environment, with special responsibility for Housing, from October 2007 to March 2011. Flanagan was expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party on 2 July 2013 when he defied the party whip by voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013. On 13 September 2013 he and six other expellees formed the Reform Alliance, described as a "loose alliance" rather than a political party.
On 13 March 2015 a new political party, Renua Ireland, was launched with Flanagan as one of its three sitting TDs and many other Reform Alliance members as declared election candidates.
He was previously a member of Dublin City Council for the Artane area. Originally co-opted onto the Council to replace Richard Bruton, due to the ending of dual mandates in September 2003, he was elected to the Council in 2004.