Politicised by his experiences as a teacher in Sheriff Street, Aodhán was first elected to Dublin City Council for the North Inner City Ward in'04. Re-elected with a huge vote in the Clontarf Ward in '09, Aodhán is a consistant advocate of the most vulnerable in society with a track record of strong representation and practical solution-driven politics. In the 2011 General Election, Aodhán was one of 17 new Labour TDs elected to serve in Dáil Éireann.