West Tyrone Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Pat Doherty MP,MLA

Pat Doherty was born in Glasgow of Irish emigrant parents, both originally from Donegal. He moved back to live in Donegal in April 1968 and is married to Mary. They have five children.

Pat was elected as Assembly member for West Tyrone in the 1998 elections and was Chair of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee in the Assembly until Peter Mandelson collapsed the institutions. Pat was elected MP for West Tyrone in the 2001 Westminster Election and successfully defended this seat in the 2005 Westminister election.

He re-elected to the Assembly in November 2003 and March 2007 and is in charge of the party's Agriculture and Rural Development department. He sits on the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee in the Assembly.

In 1989, Pat has also stood as a candidate in Donegal North East and in the Connacht/Ulster constituency in the EU elections of 1989 and 1994.

In 1987 Pat was instrumental in launching the party's current peace strategy with the publication of the discussion document "Scenario for Peace". This was followed in 1992 with the document "Towards a Lasting Peace in Ireland".

Since this time he has played a major role in promoting and support the strategy of the peace process.

Pat has been Sinn Féin Vice-President since 1988 and headed the Sinn Féin delegation to the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, organised by the Dublin government following the IRA cessation of August 1994.

He is a leading member of our negotiations team and has been centrally involved in our dialogue with the Dublin government.

Pat has travelled extensively for the party and has met with senior politicians in both Washington D.C. and Brussels seeking support for the Irish peace process.