First elected to the Dáil in 2002 when he won the only Fine Gael seat in the constituency, Pat Breen (58) has successfully retained that hard fought seat since. During his tenure in the 2007 to 2011 he was deputy spokesman on foreign affairs with responsibility for human rights and overseas development aid. In the last Dáil he was promoted to chairman of the Oireachtas joint committee on foreign affairs. The committee has frequently debated the refugee/migrant crisis and he has argued that there is a "balancing act" but Ireland could take more migrants. Based in Ballynacally, Co Clare, and with constituency offices in Ennis and Kilrush, he was educated at Lisheen National School, St Flannan's College in Ennis and Limerick Technical College. A farmer and former architectural technician he served as a county councillor on Clare County Council from 1999 to 2003. He is married to Anne McInerney and they have two sons.