He previously sat as an Independent TD, having lost the Fine Gael parliamentary party whip in July 2013.
In Enda Kenny's front bench reshuffle in 2004 he received the Defence spokesperson portfolio.
Following Kenny's victory in a motion of confidence, Timmins was not re-appointed to the front bench.
From October 2010 to March 2011 he was party deputy spokesperson on Social Protection with special responsibility for Pension and Welfare Reform.
[2][4] On 13 September 2013 he and six other expellees formed the Reform Alliance, most of whose supporters moved on to its successor Renua Ireland.