John Lyons TD
John was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt in the 2011 General Election, having previously worked in the education sector for over a decade and as a Labour Party councillor for Ballymun, Finglas, Glasnevin and Santry since 2008.
John has lived in Ballymun and worked at a community level in Dublin North West- as a volunteer, a teacher and as a local councillor - for most of his life. He is a firm believer in the vital role of education in determining a young person's future and quality of life. The education system, as it currently stands, does not provide a level playing pitch for all. Those with the most resources in our society seem to benefit most while those with little or none tend to leave school early. John firmly believes that in order to create a more equal society, we must have an education system which allows all participants to benefit to the maximum, regardless of their status in society.
John is a member of the parliamentary Committee on Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education and on the Subcommittee for Social Protection. John’s particular focus since taking his seat in Dáil Éireann has been the area of youth employment, educational reform and marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples.
He is currently a member of the steering committee for Project Futsal, an initiative funded with European Union Regional Development Funds and set up between the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the Welsh Football Trust. The project aims to up-skill those in long-term unemployment and to integrate disability football into mainstream football clubs. One of the initial project hubs is located in Ballymun, and links the FAI course with Local Employment Services, DCU in the Community and Whitehall College of Further Education. The project, with a further hub in Ireland and one in Wales, is being extended to 12 hubs over the course of 2012.
John has also previously been involved as a member of Young Social Innovators (YSI) education support team. YSI is a social awareness programme for 15-18 year olds throughout Ireland. As part of this, young people are encouraged to identify issues of social concern to them and take action.
John is also the Deputy Whip of the Labour Party in Dáil Éireann.
Dáil Visitor Guide
Local Newsletters
John in the Dáil
John raising the issue of the social and physical regeneration of Ballymun, January 2012
John speaking on DEIS schools - recorded 11th January 2012
In this video clip, recorded on July 21st 2011, John speaks on Dáil reform
Here, recorded on June 22nd 2011, John speaks about the importance of the Finance Bill for civil partnerships.
Recorded on June 16th 2011, John speaks about the water and sewerage services. You can see more videos of John speaking in the Dáil in the video box below.
John's Videos
