G. V. Wright

{{Infobox officeholder

| nationality = Irish

| office = Leader of the Seanad

| taoiseach = Albert Reynolds

| term_start = 23 January 1992

| term_end = 20 December 1994

| predecessor = Seán Fallon

| successor = Maurice Manning

| office1 = Teachta Dála

| term_start1 = June 1997

| term_end1 = May 2007

| term_start2 = February 1987

| term_end2 = June 1989

| constituency2 = Dublin North

| office3 = Seanad Éireann

| term_start3 = 1 November 1989

| term_end3 = 6 June 1997

| term_start4 = 13 May 1982

| term_end4 = 23 February 1983

| constituency4 = Nominated by the Taoiseach

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|8|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Dublin, Ireland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Fianna Fáil

| spouse =

|}}

Thomas Wright, usually referred to by the nickname G.V., (born 3 August 1947) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North constituency.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/G-V-Wright.S.1982-05-13/|title=G. V. Wright|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=27 July 2010|archive-date=8 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108184359/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/G-V-Wright.S.1982-05-13|url-status=live}}

Wright was born in Dublin in 1947. He was educated at Chanel College, Coolock in Dublin before becoming a food retailer. In his youth, Wright played Gaelic football for the Dublin county team and was an international basketball player and coach. He first held public office in 1982, when he was nominated by the Taoiseach to Seanad Éireann. He remained there until 1983; however, he also entered local politics in 1985 as a member of Dublin County Council. He remained there until 2004. The Mahon Tribunal named him in its final report as one of a number of politicians who had received corrupt payments from property developers.{{Cite web |last=O'Connell |first=Hugh |date=27 March 2012|title=GV Wright and Don Lydon resign from Fianna Fáil |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/gv-wright-and-don-lydon-resign-from-fianna-fail-398097-Mar2012/ |access-date=31 May 2024|website=TheJournal.ie |language=en}}

Wright was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1987 general election. He lost his seat at the 1989 general election but was again nominated to the Seanad where he served as Leader of Seanad Éireann (1991–1994) and Leader of Fianna Fáil in Seanad Éireann (1994–1997). During this time Wright failed again to obtain re-election to the Dáil. He finally succeeded at the 1997 general election and held his seat in another election in 2002.{{cite web|url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=3619|title=G. V. Wright|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=27 July 2010|archive-date=21 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221202840/http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=3619|url-status=live}}

In September 2003, as Wright drove home from Leinster House, he hit a female pedestrian at North Strand in Dublin causing multiple fractures to her leg. Tests confirmed that Wright's blood alcohol content was above the legal limit. As a result, he was fined and banned from driving for two years. In a statement, he said: "I wish to unreservedly apologise to the person whom I injured and her family for this serious lapse of personal responsibility on my part and wish her a complete and expeditious recovery."{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/statement-from-the-office-of-g-v-wright-1.378667|title=Statement from the office of G V Wright|newspaper=The Irish Times |date=26 September 2003|access-date=31 May 2024}}

He retired from politics at the 2007 general election.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0116/wrightg.html|title=Fianna Fáil TD Wright to stand down|work=RTÉ News|date=16 January 2006|access-date=16 January 2006|archive-date=3 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070503084504/http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0116/wrightg.html|url-status=live}}

In March 2012, the final report of the Mahon Tribunal found that Wright received a £5,000 "corrupt" payment from Christopher Jones in November 1992 in relation to the Ballycullen/Beechill rezoning projects.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/mahon-tribunal/in-brief-the-16-key-findings-in-the-mahon-tribunal-report-3058680.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324120933/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/mahon-tribunal/in-brief-the-16-key-findings-in-the-mahon-tribunal-report-3058680.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 March 2012 |title=In brief: The 16 key findings in the Mahon Tribunal Report |work=Irish Independent |date=22 March 2012 |access-date=22 March 2012 }} On 27 March 2012, Wright resigned from Fianna Fáil before he could be expelled.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0327/mahon.html |title=Micheál Martin accepts Mahon findings against FF members |work=RTÉ News |date=27 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329211939/http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0327/mahon.html |archive-date=29 March 2012 }}