He was first elected as a Senator in 2002, for the Labour Panel, and was re-elected in 2007 and 2011.[2] He was a member of Waterford City Council formerly Waterford Corporation from 1979 to 2002, and was Mayor of Waterford in 1995–1996. He was an unsuccessful Dáil candidate for the Waterford constituency at the 1992, 1997 and 2002 general elections.[2]