Jackie Healy-Rae
Encyclopedia
Jackie Healy-Rae is a former Irish
politician who served as an Independent
Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Kerry South constituency from 1997 to 2011.
, County Kerry
, he was the first of six children born to Danny and Mary Healy, and he grew up on the family farm. Although known as Healy, the Rae part of his surname derives from the local townland where he was born - Reacaisleach. Healy-Rae was educated at the local national school in Kilgarvan. He emigrated to the United States
in 1953 , but quickly returned in Ireland. He played for the local hurling
and football
teams in Kilgarvan , where he won two senior county hurling titles with the club in 1956 and 1958. Healy-Rae also was a musician with the Kilgarvan Dance Band (a saxophone player). By the 1960s he was well established in the plant hire business in south Kerry and, in 1969, he became a publican when he purchased an old premises that had been closed for some time in Kilgarvan. The family pub is now run by Healy-Rae's son, Danny.
Healy-Rae was married to Julie Healy, but separated in 1977. His sons Danny Healy-Rae and Michael Healy-Rae are members of Kerry County Council
for the Killarney
and Killorglin
electoral areas respectively. His eldest daughter Joan (Larkin) teaches in a Catholic school in New York
. Another daughter Rosemary is a barrister-at-law. She holds a Government appointed paid position on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal since 2007. She was re-appointed, for 3 further years, by Justice Minister Dermot Ahern
on the 11 of
November 2010
A son Denis runs his own business while another son John Healy (he does not use Rae) is a full time official with and former President of the Garda Representative Association (GRA).
by-election campaigns, most notably the election of John O'Leary to the Dáil in 1966. O'Leary went on to retain that seat for thirty one years. Healy-Rae later lent his services to several other Fianna Fáil election campaigns in County Limerick
, County Cork
and County Galway
. In 1973 Healy-Rae was first co-opted to Kerry County Council as a Fianna Fáil member, following the death of the sitting councillor Michael Doherty. He was elected to the council in his own right in 1974 and re-elected in every subsequent election, Healy-Rae served on the council for 30 years until he had to resign his seat because of the abolition of the dual mandate
in 2003.
During the 1970s and 1980s Healy-Rae served 3 times as Fianna Fáil's director of elections in Kerry South. In this capacity he was given the task of delivering two of the three seats for the Fianna Fáil party.
. When the party refused to nominate him as a candidate in Kerry South, he decided to run as an Independent candidate. This move surprised the party, with many commentators giving him little chance of getting elected. However, Healy-Rae took a seat and denied Fianna Fáil the chance of taking a second seat in the constituency. After the election, the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats
prospective government was still short of an overall majority. Healy-Rae was one of three Independent TDs (the others were Tom Gildea and Mildred Fox
) who supported the government throughout its five year term. In return for this support he secured funding for projects in his constituency and chairmanship of the Environment committee. Healy-Rae's policy approach could be defined as populist
, primarily driven by his rural background and constituency, and he frequently demands upgrades to public services such as schools and roads in his constituency as the price of his support for the government.
Healy-Rae contested the 2002 general election
and although his seat looked in doubt at some stages of the campaign and he received only the fourth-highest number of first-preference votes, he was narrowly re-elected, winning the third seat.
Healy-Rae sat through fewer than half the meetings of an Oireachtas committee tasked with dealing with social welfare he received €20,000 a year to chair. He got up and left during 25pc of the meetings of the committee leaving the vice-chairman, Charlie O'Connor
, to oversee the meetings and absented himself entirely from a further 25pc of meetings, despite a convention that chairmen appointed by the Government should fully chair all meetings.
deal with Fianna Fáil
promising to support the government in return for investment in the South Kerry constituency. The details of this deal were not made public. Healy-Rae has been criticized for not making the details of the deal public (in contrast to Finian McGrath
who made the details public by entering his deal into the Dail record) and for supporting the government over highly controversial cutbacks. He was confronted publicly by members of the Kerry Public Sector Workers Alliance about his continual support for cutbacks and for the Irish Bank Bailout. Healy-Rae said he was powerless as he had only one vote and that they "should talk to the Green
s that are making the big changes".
On 26 June 2008 Healy-Rae announced that he intended to retire at the next general election. His son Michael Healy-Rae
was selected as a candidate by the Healy-Rae organisation on 28 October 2010, and was elected at the 2011 general election.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
politician who served as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Kerry South constituency from 1997 to 2011.
Early and private life
Born John Patrick Healy just outside KilgarvanKilgarvan
-History:Kilgarvan was the site of the Battle of Callan in 1261 which reduced Norman power in Ireland for almost 300 years. The battle site is located in the townland of Callan ....
, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, he was the first of six children born to Danny and Mary Healy, and he grew up on the family farm. Although known as Healy, the Rae part of his surname derives from the local townland where he was born - Reacaisleach. Healy-Rae was educated at the local national school in Kilgarvan. He emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1953 , but quickly returned in Ireland. He played for the local hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
teams in Kilgarvan , where he won two senior county hurling titles with the club in 1956 and 1958. Healy-Rae also was a musician with the Kilgarvan Dance Band (a saxophone player). By the 1960s he was well established in the plant hire business in south Kerry and, in 1969, he became a publican when he purchased an old premises that had been closed for some time in Kilgarvan. The family pub is now run by Healy-Rae's son, Danny.
Healy-Rae was married to Julie Healy, but separated in 1977. His sons Danny Healy-Rae and Michael Healy-Rae are members of Kerry County Council
Kerry County Council
Kerry County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Kerry in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The head of the council has the title of Mayor...
for the Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
and Killorglin
Killorglin
Killorglin is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is located on the river Laune, which has a rowing club and a new boathouse. The population of Killorglin is 4,150 although this expands considerably during Puck Fair due to visitors and returning emigrants.Killorglin is a major activity centre...
electoral areas respectively. His eldest daughter Joan (Larkin) teaches in a Catholic school in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Another daughter Rosemary is a barrister-at-law. She holds a Government appointed paid position on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal since 2007. She was re-appointed, for 3 further years, by Justice Minister Dermot Ahern
Dermot Ahern
Dermot Christopher Ahern is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency from 1987 to 2011...
on the 11 of
November 2010
A son Denis runs his own business while another son John Healy (he does not use Rae) is a full time official with and former President of the Garda Representative Association (GRA).
Early involvement
Healy-Rae first became involved in politics in the 1960s. He headed several Fianna FáilFianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
by-election campaigns, most notably the election of John O'Leary to the Dáil in 1966. O'Leary went on to retain that seat for thirty one years. Healy-Rae later lent his services to several other Fianna Fáil election campaigns in County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
and County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
. In 1973 Healy-Rae was first co-opted to Kerry County Council as a Fianna Fáil member, following the death of the sitting councillor Michael Doherty. He was elected to the council in his own right in 1974 and re-elected in every subsequent election, Healy-Rae served on the council for 30 years until he had to resign his seat because of the abolition of the dual mandate
Dual mandate
A dual mandate is the practice in which elected officials served in more than one elected or other public position simultaneously. This practice is known as double jobbing in Britain and distinguished from double dipping in the United States For example, suppose a...
in 2003.
During the 1970s and 1980s Healy-Rae served 3 times as Fianna Fáil's director of elections in Kerry South. In this capacity he was given the task of delivering two of the three seats for the Fianna Fáil party.
Election to Dáil Éireann
Healy-Rae broke from Fianna Fáil in controversial circumstances prior to the 1997 general electionIrish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
. When the party refused to nominate him as a candidate in Kerry South, he decided to run as an Independent candidate. This move surprised the party, with many commentators giving him little chance of getting elected. However, Healy-Rae took a seat and denied Fianna Fáil the chance of taking a second seat in the constituency. After the election, the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
prospective government was still short of an overall majority. Healy-Rae was one of three Independent TDs (the others were Tom Gildea and Mildred Fox
Mildred Fox
Mildred Fox is a former Irish Independent politician. She was a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency from 1995–2007....
) who supported the government throughout its five year term. In return for this support he secured funding for projects in his constituency and chairmanship of the Environment committee. Healy-Rae's policy approach could be defined as populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
, primarily driven by his rural background and constituency, and he frequently demands upgrades to public services such as schools and roads in his constituency as the price of his support for the government.
Healy-Rae contested the 2002 general election
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
and although his seat looked in doubt at some stages of the campaign and he received only the fourth-highest number of first-preference votes, he was narrowly re-elected, winning the third seat.
Healy-Rae sat through fewer than half the meetings of an Oireachtas committee tasked with dealing with social welfare he received €20,000 a year to chair. He got up and left during 25pc of the meetings of the committee leaving the vice-chairman, Charlie O'Connor
Charlie O'Connor
Charles "Charlie" O'Connor is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South West constituency from 2002 to 2011. Mr. O'Connor is also a member of the AWEPA Governing Council....
, to oversee the meetings and absented himself entirely from a further 25pc of meetings, despite a convention that chairmen appointed by the Government should fully chair all meetings.
External support for Fianna Fáil
He was again re-elected to the Dáil in the 2007 general election and signed a confidence and supplyConfidence and supply
In a parliamentary democracy confidence and supply are required for a government to hold power. A confidence and supply agreement is an agreement that a minor party or independent member of parliament will support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation votes by voting in favour...
deal with Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
promising to support the government in return for investment in the South Kerry constituency. The details of this deal were not made public. Healy-Rae has been criticized for not making the details of the deal public (in contrast to Finian McGrath
Finian McGrath
Finian McGrath is an Irish independent politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North Central constituency since 2002.-Early and personal life:...
who made the details public by entering his deal into the Dail record) and for supporting the government over highly controversial cutbacks. He was confronted publicly by members of the Kerry Public Sector Workers Alliance about his continual support for cutbacks and for the Irish Bank Bailout. Healy-Rae said he was powerless as he had only one vote and that they "should talk to the Green
Green Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
s that are making the big changes".
On 26 June 2008 Healy-Rae announced that he intended to retire at the next general election. His son Michael Healy-Rae
Michael Healy-Rae
Michael Healy-Rae is an independent politician in Ireland. He was elected at the general election in February 2011 to the 31st Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for Kerry South....
was selected as a candidate by the Healy-Rae organisation on 28 October 2010, and was elected at the 2011 general election.