In the 1989 election to the European Parliament he was defeated in the Munster constituency, trailing far behind his Labour colleague, Eileen Desmond, who narrowly missed a seat. However, polling for the 1989 general election was held on the same day, and he was finally elected to the Dáil, taking his seat in the 26th Dáil on his third attempt.
In the 1989 European Parliament election, he lost in the Munster constituency, trailing behind Eileen Desmond by a significant margin. However, polling for the 1989 general election occurred on the same day, and he was eventually elected to the Dáil, securing his seat in the 26th Dáil after three attempts.