2007 General Election
At the 2007 general election, Quinn increased his share of the poll by some 4% and was returned to the 30th Dáil. He was nominated for the post of Ceann Comhairle but was defeated by John O'Donoghue. Quinn became Labour Party spokesperson on Education and Science as a member of Eamon Gilmore's front bench in September 2007. Quinn's local Labour Party holds five of the ten local authority council seats since the 2009 local elections, including his nephew, Oisin Quinn, who many see as his long term successor. He played a pivotal role in the successful second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in September 2009, and continues to be an office holder with the Party of European Socialists.
Read more about this topic: Ruairi Quinn
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