il ▁É ire ann ▁as ▁a ▁F ian na ▁F á il ▁Te ach ta ▁D á la ▁( TD ) ▁for ▁the ▁Dublin ▁County ▁West ▁constitu ency . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁Dublin ▁County ▁Council . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁general ▁election ▁he ▁lost ▁his ▁D á il ▁seat ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁now ▁the ▁constitu ency ▁of ▁Dublin ▁West , ▁reg ained ▁it ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁but ▁lost ▁it ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁general ▁election . ▁Law lor ▁reg ained ▁his ▁D á il ▁seat ▁again ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁general ▁election , ▁and ▁was ▁appointed ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁O ire acht as ▁J oint ▁Committee ▁on ▁Com mer cial ▁State - Sp ons ored ▁Bod ies . ▁He ▁res igned ▁the ▁position ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁position ▁as ▁a ▁non - exec utive ▁director ▁of ▁Food ▁Indust ries , ▁a ▁company ▁that ▁wished ▁to ▁ac quire ▁the ▁Irish ▁Sug ar ▁Company . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁he ▁lost ▁his ▁seat ▁on ▁Dublin ▁City ▁Council , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁general ▁election ▁he ▁nearly ▁lost ▁his ▁D á il ▁seat ▁to ▁Tom ás ▁Mac ▁Gi ol la ▁of ▁the ▁Work ers ' ▁Party . ▁It ▁is ▁widely ▁believed ▁that ▁Mac ▁Gi ol la ▁was ▁che ated ▁by ▁F ian na ▁F á il ▁in ▁the