# Derek Keating > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Derek_Keating > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Derek_Keating.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Keating > Source revision: 1346911381 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Derek Keating** (16 May 1955 – 6 May 2023) was an Irish [Fine Gael](/source/Fine_Gael) politician who served as a [Teachta Dála](/source/Teachta_D%C3%A1la) (TD) for the [Dublin Mid-West](/source/Dublin_Mid-West) constituency from 2011 to 2016.[1][2] He had also served as a local councillor for Lucan in the [South Dublin County Council](/source/South_Dublin_County_Council). ## Background and early career Born on 16 May 1955[3] and raised in [Ballyfermot](/source/Ballyfermot), Keating spent his early married life in [Palmerstown](/source/Palmerstown), before moving to [Lucan](/source/Lucan,_Dublin). A former [FÁS](/source/F%C3%81S) Community Employment Scheme supervisor at St Mary's Parish Centre, Lucan, Keating was a member of [Fianna Fáil](/source/Fianna_F%C3%A1il) during the 1980s, but later joined the [Progressive Democrats](/source/Progressive_Democrats) (PDs). He was a director of elections for Progressive Democrats candidate [Tom Morrissey](/source/Tom_Morrissey_(politician)) in the [Castleknock](/source/Castleknock) [local electoral area](/source/Local_electoral_area) at the [1991 local elections](/source/1991_Irish_local_elections). In 1998, following the constituency boundary revision which created the new constituency of Dublin Mid-West, he left the PDs, and in 1999 stood as an [Independent](/source/Independent_politician_(Ireland)) candidate to [South Dublin County Council](/source/South_Dublin_County_Council) for the Lucan electoral area. He was elected by just four votes over Fine Gael incumbent Peter Brady. Keating was re-elected in 2004, receiving 3,680 votes.[4] After failing as an Independent candidate for Dublin Mid-West at the [2007 general election](/source/2007_Irish_general_election), he joined Fine Gael in 2008, and was re-elected as a Fine Gael candidate at the [2009 local elections](/source/2009_Irish_local_elections).[2] He was involved in controversy after taunting the Garda Representative Association's general secretary by issuing the statement: "Mr PJ Stone should put on a uniform and go and do real work and stop rabble-rousing."[5] ## TD (2011-2016) Keating became a TD for [Dublin Mid-West](/source/Dublin_Mid-West) in February 2011,[6][7] serving until 2016 alongside [Leo Varadkar](/source/Leo_Varadkar), in which Varadkar described Keating as a "hard-working public representative".[8][9] Keating was re-elected for Fine Gael in 2011 following vote shares in his favor at 26.88 percent in the 2009 elections, which was the strongest votes in the country.[3] During Budget debates in December 2012, Keating hit out at what he saw as a "Culture of Dependence" in Ireland, saying: "increased dependency on the State encourages a new lifestyle of welfare economy ... a woman will have a lone parent allowance, children’s allowance, rent subsidy, school grants, a medical card, fuel allowance and special payments from the community welfare officer which come under section 13 of the Social Welfare Act for exceptional payments".[10] Later in December 2012, Keating returned €7,571 of expenses to the Government, following a sample audit of expenses.[11] Keating was accused in May 2013, in a newspaper article by a school principal in Lucan, of falsely claiming credit for getting an extension to the school. His parliamentary aide, Tommy Morris, was then investigated by the [Garda Síochána](/source/Garda_S%C3%ADoch%C3%A1na) for taking about 3,000 copies of the *Lucan Gazette* (which carried the article) from local shops and dumping them. Keating said Morris acted without his knowledge or consent. Fine Gael also condemned the action.[12] In July 2013, a protest held outside his home by a [anti-abortion](/source/Anti-abortion_movements) group led to him leaving as he felt threatened by their behaviour.[13] The protestors had shouted at him to open the door and banged on his front door and windows.[13] He called Gardaí and provided names of people he had recognised. Gardaí said that they had been called but that no arrests were made.[13] After losing his seat at the [2016 general election](/source/2016_Irish_general_election),[2] Keating attempted to get re-elected to [South Dublin County Council](/source/South_Dublin_County_Council) in the [2019 local elections](/source/2019_South_Dublin_County_Council_election), but did not succeed.[3][9] ## Personal life Keating was married to Anne, a former deputy school principal, for more than four decades till his death; they had two daughters.[3] Keating was diagnosed with dementia late in his life; he was reported to be "still doing [5K runs](/source/5K_run)" in late 2022, but his health deteriorated quickly in the following months.[3] He died on 6 May 2023, at the age of 67.[14] ## References 1. ["Derek Keating"](https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Derek-Keating.D.2011-03-09/). *Oireachtas Members Database*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180708044855/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Derek-Keating.D.2011-03-09/) 8 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 1. ["Derek Keating"](http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=846). *ElectionsIreland.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110312182547/http://electionsireland.org//candidate.cfm?ID=846) 12 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 1. ["Derek Keating obituary: A phenomenal local vote getter who could be everywhere at once"](https://www.irishtimes.com/obituaries/2023/05/13/derek-keating-obituary-a-phenomenal-local-vote-getter-who-could-be-everywhere-at-once/). *[The Irish Times](/source/The_Irish_Times)*. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023. 1. ["Flyer for Derek Keating -Independent (Now Fine Gael) -2004 Local Elections Lucan"](https://irishelectionliterature.com/2011/01/09/flyer-for-derek-keating-independent-now-fine-gael-2004-local-elections-lucan/). *Irish Election Literature*. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2023-05-12. 1. O'Keeffe, Alan (30 April 2012). ["Garda fury after TD's 'get a real job' taunt to their leader"](https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/garda-fury-after-tds-get-a-real-job-taunt-to-their-leader/28006821.html). *Evening Herald*. Retrieved 30 April 2012. 1. Hosford, Paul (2023-05-07). ["Former Fine Gael TD Derek Keating dies aged 67"](https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41133751.html). *Irish Examiner*. Retrieved 2023-05-13. 1. FUSIO & Office, Fine Gael Press (1969-12-31). ["Derek Keating TD"](https://www.finegael.ie/derek-keating-td/). *Fine Gael*. Retrieved 2023-05-13. 1. ["Former Dublin Fine Gael TD Derek Keating dies aged 67"](https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/former-dublin-fine-gael-td-derek-keating-dies-aged-67-1472385.html). *BreakingNews.ie*. Retrieved 2023-05-13. 1. ["Taoiseach Leads Tributes To Former Fine Gael TD Derek Keating"](https://extra.ie/2023/05/08/news/irish-news/taoiseach-tributes-derek-keating). *Extra.ie*. 2023-05-08. Retrieved 2023-05-13. 1. ["TD warns of 'welfare economy lifestyle'"](http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1213/1224327805179.html). *[The Irish Times](/source/The_Irish_Times)*. 13 December 2012. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121221185026/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1213/1224327805179.html) 21 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 December 2012. 1. ["Random audit results in return of €16,000 in political expenses"](http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/random-audit-results-in-return-of-16000-in-political-expenses-578725.html). *[Irish Examiner](/source/Irish_Examiner)*. 22 December 2012. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140426234256/http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/random-audit-results-in-return-of-16000-in-political-expenses-578725.html) 26 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 December 2012. 1. ["Garda inquiry launched after removal of newspapers"](http://www.gazettegroup.com/category/news/news-lucan/). *Lucan News*. 8 May 2013. [Archived](https://archive.today/20130616100541/http://www.gazettegroup.com/category/news/news-lucan/) 16 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 May 2013. 1. O'Regan, Mark (9 July 2013). ["Pro-life protest forces FG TD to flee his home"](http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/prolife-protest-forces-fg-td-to-flee-his-home-29405008.html). [Irish Independent](/source/Irish_Independent). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192104/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/prolife-protest-forces-fg-td-to-flee-his-home-29405008.html) 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 September 2021. 1. ["Former Dublin Mid-West TD Derek Keating dies aged 67"](https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2023/05/07/former-dublin-mid-west-td-derek-keating-dies-aged-67/). The Irish Times. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Derek Keating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Keating) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Keating?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.