Son of Des, brother of Mary, John Hanafin could be the next in the family to be elected to Dáil Eireann. From Tipperary to Kildare Street, that’s the aim of the prospective Fianna Fáil candidate for Dublin South East, John Hanafin. A native of Thurles, John was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2002.

John is no stranger to the Dublin 4 area, having lived in the area since the 1970s and worked with the First Active Building Society for 17 years. His time was well spent, he feels, giving him a chance to understand the needs of the area and develop a real liking for his surroundings.

He is hopeful of getting the FF nomination for Dublin South East given the very positive reaction on the doorstep. His political life is now based in Dublin which is why he is selling his house in Tipperary and hopes to find suitable accommodation in the constituency soon.

The name Hanafin might be a strong political name in the minds of the electorate but John has no intention of resting on the family laurels. He intends to work twice as hard to prove he is more than just a well-known name.

Qualified in a number of areas including marketing and public administration, John is also studying for the bar at King’s Inn, Dublin and it is in the area of law and economics that he sees himself progressing within the party.

Describing himself as a pragmatic politician, the Senator feels the way forward politically is to balance elements of both left and right wing policies.

A pragmatist, he may be, but that doesn’t mean John Hanafin isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers when needs be. He is particularly keen to challenge what he sees as a duopoly between Vodafone and O2 in the mobile phone market and feels we pay too much for our mobile charges compared to the rest of Europe.

Health is another area in need of reform and represents the single most contentious issue facing the present government. To counter the criticism, John offers some solutions based on his business experience.

Private enterprise, he feels, has a role to play in improving primary health care in this country. Tax relief in the form of Sections 23 and 48 has been successfully used by business to build hotels, holiday homes, apartments and car parks for instance, now he thinks we have reached saturation point in this area, so why not encourage the private sector to invest in the health service instead, using the tax system so they, as well as the whole community can benefit.

It may be two years to the next general election but for John Hanafin, the man from the home of the GAA in Thurles, the game has already begun.