Leo Varadkar, Nora Owen, Kevin Rafter - Jan 12th 2010

Guest profiles for Tonight with Vincent Browne, Jan 12th 2010

Leo Varadkar was elected to the Dail in 2007 and appointed as Fine Gael Front Bench Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment. He took the second seat in the three-seat Dublin West constituency, gaining a seat for Fine Gael at the expense of the Socialist Party. It was the first time he contested a General Election.  Fine Gael’s vote in the Dublin West constituency increased by 8 per cent to 20 per cent, the party’s highest share of the vote since 1989.

According to www.kildarestreet.com, Varadkar’s  contribution in debates and written questions is 'above average'. During his fist week in the Dail, Varadkar attracted attention for attacking Bertie’s financial debacle saying: 

"Sadly this dark affair will darken the Taoiseach's record in the same way as Tony Blair's involvement in Iraq or Bill Clinton's personal scandals darkened theirs."

Bertie replied: "When you hear a new deputy who isn't a wet day in the place not alone castigating me, but castigating Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, I wish him well. I'd say he'd get an early exit."

Nora Owen is a former Fine Gael TD (between 1981 and 1987 and 1989 and 2002). She served as Minister for Justice between 1994 and 1997. She is also a qualified industrial chemist

Owen was instrumental in the establishment of the Criminal Assets Bureau, in the wake of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.

In 2002 Owen was the first high-profile Fine Gael TD to lose her seat in Dublin North in the Party's disastrous general election.

Since leaving the Dáil, Owen travelled to places such as Cambodia, Macedonia Sierra Leon and Afghanistan to monitor elections.

Of her time in politics Owen has said; "It's seductive, I loved it. If I had my time over, I'd do it all again but find the time to stop and smell the roses."

Kevin Rafter is a writer, broadcaster and academic. He has just published a new book; ‘Fine Gael: Party at the Crossroads.’

He is head of the department of film and media at the National Film School at IADT, Dun Laoghaire. He spent over a decade working as a political reporter based in Leinster House including as Assistant Editor/Political Editor at the Sunday Tribune (2005-08). Prior to this appointment he had two spells with RTE News & Current Affairs (2001-2005 & 1995-99) as a radio presenter on the This Week programme and as a correspondent with Prime Time. Since 2009, he has contributed columns and book reviews to the Sunday Times.