Shane Ross (66) served as a member of the Seanad from 1981 to 2011. He was a member of Wicklow County Council between 1991 and 1999. A former stockbroker and Irish Times stock exchange correspondent, he is also a former business editor of the Sunday Independent. He stood as an Independent after he turned down an offer from Fine Gael to stand on the party ticket. He unsuccessfully contested the 1992 general election in the Wicklow constituency. He was the longest-serving member of Seanad Éireann (representing the University of Dublin constituency), until he was elected to Dáil Éireann for the Dublin South constituency at the 2011 general election. He has been a very vocal member of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee. He is married to former RTÉ broadcaster Ruth Buchanan and they have two children.