Pat Rabbitte

Pat Rabbitte is a member of Dail Eireann for the Irish Labour Party. He was born in County Mayo in 1949. After attending university he became a Trade Union official and also became involved in the Marxist Worker's Party of Ireland. In 1989 he was elected to Dail Eireann for the party. Other party members included Eoghan Harris and Eamon Gilmore.

IN 1992, Rabbitte and five other TDs left the Worker's Party to found the Democratic Left Party. This party merged with the Irish Labour Party in 1999. Rabbitte became leader of the merged party in 2002 and held the position until August, 2007.