Declan Bree

Declan Bree (born 1 July 1951) is an Irish independent politician who is the joint longest-serving member of Sligo Borough Council. He was a founder of the Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation in 1974, and was a member of that group until joining the Labour Party in 1991. He served in Dáil Éireann from 1992 to 1997. In May 2007, Bree resigned from the Labour Party, citing differences with their pre-electoral pact with Fine Gael, and his clashes with party leader Pat Rabbitte.

Political career

He was first elected to Sligo Corporation and Sligo County Council in 1974 and has retained his seat on both authorities at each subsequent election. He was Mayor of Sligo in 2004 and was Chairman of Sligo County Council in 1986.

He is a former Chairman of the Health Service Executive’s Regional Health Forum West, and he is also Chairman of the Western River Basin Advisory Council.

A member of Ireland's radical socialist youth organisation the Connolly Youth Movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he went on to become National Chairperson of the movement. A founder and former Chairperson and General Secretary of the Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation he has been a lifelong political activist.