Declan Bree

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.

Bree was involved in negotiations to set up the United Left Alliance in November 2010; however, disagreements arose and he did not join then. Nevertheless, in February 2011 he joined and ran unsuccessfully at the 2011 general election in Sligo–North Leitrim. At the 2016 general election he stood again in the reconstituted Sligo-Leitrim constituency, but again was not elected. Bree stood at the 2020 general election under the Independents 4 Change banner, but was not elected.

A 2009 report, commissioned after a walk-out by officials of Sligo Borough Council, found that remarks made at that meeting by him in relation to the proposed funding of a footbridge from a private development at Swan Point to Markievicz Road were "inappropriate and bullying". Bree said that he stood by what he said.

At the 2004 Labour Party annual conference, Bree argued against the pre-electoral pact with the right-wing Fine Gael party. In autumn 2005 Bree, a strong supporter of travellers' rights, clashed with Labour leader Pat Rabbitte over the issue of Traveller accommodation in Sligo.

He first stood for election to Dáil Éireann as an independent candidate at the 1977 general election for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency, but was not elected. He also unsuccessfully stood there at the 1981, February 1982, November 1982, 1987 and 1989 general elections. After joining the Labour Party, he was finally elected to the Dáil as a Labour Teachta Dála (TD) at the 1992 general election for Sligo–Leitrim. He lost his seat at the 1997 general election. He stood again at the 2002 general election but was not elected.

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.

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.

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 his disagreement with their pre-electoral pact with Fine Gael, and his clashes with party leader Pat Rabbitte.