[4] He became an MEP for Leinster in 1981, to replace Liam Kavanagh who became Minister for Labour following the 1981 general election.

[1] Pattison resigned as an MEP in 1983, following his appointment as Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare, in which position he served until Labour left the government in January 1987.

[2] In September 2005, he announced he would retire at the following general election, and his nephew Eoin Pattison unsuccessfully sought the nomination.

[7] Labour county councillor Michael O'Brien was selected in February 2006 to contest the seat, but was unsuccessful in the 2007 general election.

[6] Pattison died from Parkinson's disease at his home in Kilkenny on 4 February 2018, aged 81.