Jim McDaid
Encyclopedia
James "Jim" McDaid is a former Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician and medical doctor. He served as a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Donegal North East
constituency from June 1989 until he resigned in November 2010.
in County Donegal
. He was educated in St Eunan's College, Letterkenny
and University College, Galway
(UCG). While at UCG he played on the university soccer team that won three national titles, with McDaid captaining the side on two of those occasions. Between 1974 and 1979 he worked at Letterkenny General Hospital
, and in 1979 he went into partnership as a general practitioner in Letterkenny. He was also involved as medical officer to the Donegal
county Gaelic football
team.
In April 2005 McDaid was arrested when found driving drunk in the wrong direction on a dual carriageway
outside Dublin. Oncoming vehicles were forced to swerve to avoid his car, which was eventually force to stop when a haulier was forced to block his path. Tests showed a blood alcohol level
of 267mg, more than three times over the legal limit of 80 mg. He was subsequently convicted of dangerous driving while intoxicated and drunken driving
, banned from driving for 2 years and fined €750. However he was returned his licence after only a year. The case attracted media attention and McDaid was described as 'a disgrace' and 'an idiot'. He acknowledged that these descriptions were accurate, and stated that he was genuinely sorry for his actions.
Three years earlier, as junior Transport Minister in November 2002, he had spearheaded the Government's anti-drink driving campaign, warning that 'some drivers still choose to ignore our drink driving laws, and as a result innocent lives are destroyed'.
He currently lives with his partner, Siobhán O'Donnell, a former barmaid, and the couple's son, Neal.
on his first attempt at the 1989 general election
and he was re-elected at each subsequent general election until his retirement in 2010. He remained on the backbenches until 1991 when he was nominated by Taoiseach
Charles Haughey
to the position of Minister for Defence
. On the morning of his appointment, however, a photograph emerged taken outside Dublin's Four Courts
on the day a judge ruled that the Maze Prison
escaper, James Pius Clarke, should not be extradited
to the United Kingdom
. McDaid was seen in the background, smiling broadly. While McDaid stated that his presence at the hearing was due to personal connections – Clarke's mother was a constituent and a patient in his general practice in Letterkenny – the opposition Fine Gael
party objected to his appointment and ministers from Fianna Fáil's coalition partners, the Progressive Democrats
, indicated their unwillingness to remain in office should McDaid be appointed. McDaid handed back his portfolio that evening and returned to the backbenches. Following Bertie Ahern
's election as leader of Fianna Fáil
in 1994, McDaid was appointed to the front bench
as spokesperson on Equality and Law Reform.
McDaid joined the government in 1997 when he became Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
. During his tenure he earned the nickname the "Minister for Fun", however, he presided over much more weighty issues such as investigations into controversial events such as drugs allegations in sport and sex abuse by swimming coaches. Following the 2002 general election
McDaid failed to retain his Cabinet post, but he did become a Minister of State
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the North–West constituency at the 2004 European Parliament election
and was later sacked from his position as Minister of State and returned to the backbenches once again.
In April 2006, McDaid announced that he would be retiring from public life in favour of returning to his medical practice and would not be standing in the next general election and that politics "no longer held any challenge for him". However, on 27 July 2006, following the announcement that Independent Fianna Fáil
TD Niall Blaney
had joined the Fianna Fáil party, McDaid reversed this decision, and announced that he would be seeking nomination as a candidate to contest the 2007 general election.
Following the absorption of Independent Fianna Fáil and its sole TD, Niall Blaney into Fianna Fáil, there were then three outgoing Fianna Fáil
TDs in this very competitive three-seater constituency. Under the Single transferable vote
proportional representation
electoral system used in Ireland, it was considered virtually impossible for all three to be elected. Fianna Fáil's Cecilia Keaveney
lost her seat to the Fine Gael
candidate Joe McHugh
, with McDaid and Blaney being the two successful Fianna Fáil candidates.
McDaid told the Irish Independent
on 1 June 2007 that he had received no help from Fianna Fáil headquarters during the general election campaign and that the party had treated him as a virtual independent. He warned that, consequently, the party should not take his support in the 30th Dáil for granted. This threat was followed through in November 2008 when he abstained from a vote on the Cervical cancer
vaccination programme, resulting in his expulsion from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
In April 2010, he said he would not be voluntarily giving up his ministerial pension of €22,487, despite most other TDs and Senators having done so. He said he would not do so "unless it is the express wish of Dáil Éireann". The next month it was revealed that he missed more than four out of every five Dáil votes in 2009 -- by far the worst record of any TD.
McDaid resigned from his Dáil seat on 2 November 2010. In his resignation letter, he called for a general election before December 2010 and also accused the Government of taking political soft options and not tackling the real issues.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
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...
politician and medical doctor. He served as a 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 Donegal North East
Donegal North East (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Donegal North–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
constituency from June 1989 until he resigned in November 2010.
Early life
McDaid was born in TermonTermon
Termon is a village in the north of Donegal, in the north of Ireland.It is situated eight miles from Letterkenny, Donegal's main town and seven from Creeslough...
in County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He was educated in St Eunan's College, Letterkenny
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
and University College, Galway
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
(UCG). While at UCG he played on the university soccer team that won three national titles, with McDaid captaining the side on two of those occasions. Between 1974 and 1979 he worked at Letterkenny General Hospital
Letterkenny General Hospital
Letterkenny General Hospital is an acute hospital serving 147,000 inhabitants of County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. The hospital currently employs over 1700 people, with more than 565 of these being nursing staff . It contains around 360 beds at present.- History :The General Hospital...
, and in 1979 he went into partnership as a general practitioner in Letterkenny. He was also involved as medical officer to the Donegal
Donegal GAA
The Donegal County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Donegal GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Donegal. The county board is also responsible for the Donegal inter-county teams.Gaelic football is strongest in the...
county Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team.
Personal life
McDaid's private life has long been a source of interest in the Irish media. The breakdown of his marriage, and the subsequent publication of a book by his ex-wife, revealed the details of their troubled marriage and separation.In April 2005 McDaid was arrested when found driving drunk in the wrong direction on a dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
outside Dublin. Oncoming vehicles were forced to swerve to avoid his car, which was eventually force to stop when a haulier was forced to block his path. Tests showed a blood alcohol level
Blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content , also called blood alcohol concentration, blood ethanol concentration, or blood alcohol level is most commonly used as a metric of alcohol intoxication for legal or medical purposes....
of 267mg, more than three times over the legal limit of 80 mg. He was subsequently convicted of dangerous driving while intoxicated and drunken driving
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
, banned from driving for 2 years and fined €750. However he was returned his licence after only a year. The case attracted media attention and McDaid was described as 'a disgrace' and 'an idiot'. He acknowledged that these descriptions were accurate, and stated that he was genuinely sorry for his actions.
Three years earlier, as junior Transport Minister in November 2002, he had spearheaded the Government's anti-drink driving campaign, warning that 'some drivers still choose to ignore our drink driving laws, and as a result innocent lives are destroyed'.
He currently lives with his partner, Siobhán O'Donnell, a former barmaid, and the couple's son, Neal.
Political career
McDaid was elected to Dáil ÉireannDáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
on his first attempt at the 1989 general election
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
and he was re-elected at each subsequent general election until his retirement in 2010. He remained on the backbenches until 1991 when he was nominated by Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
to the position of Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
. On the morning of his appointment, however, a photograph emerged taken outside Dublin's Four Courts
Four Courts
The Four Courts in Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's main courts building. The Four Courts are the location of the Supreme Court, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court. The building until 2010 also formerly was the location for the Central Criminal Court.-Gandon's Building:Work based on...
on the day a judge ruled that the Maze Prison
Maze (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
escaper, James Pius Clarke, should not be extradited
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. McDaid was seen in the background, smiling broadly. While McDaid stated that his presence at the hearing was due to personal connections – Clarke's mother was a constituent and a patient in his general practice in Letterkenny – the opposition Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
party objected to his appointment and ministers from Fianna Fáil's coalition partners, the 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...
, indicated their unwillingness to remain in office should McDaid be appointed. McDaid handed back his portfolio that evening and returned to the backbenches. Following Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
's election as leader of 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...
in 1994, McDaid was appointed to the front bench
Opposition Front Bench (Ireland)
Fine Gael is the largest political party in the Oireachtas. The Fine Gael leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly correspond to those of Government ministers. -Fine Gael Front Bench:...
as spokesperson on Equality and Law Reform.
McDaid joined the government in 1997 when he became Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Ireland)
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is the senior minister at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in the Government of Ireland.The current minister is Jimmy Deenihan, TD. He is assisted by:...
. During his tenure he earned the nickname the "Minister for Fun", however, he presided over much more weighty issues such as investigations into controversial events such as drugs allegations in sport and sex abuse by swimming coaches. Following 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...
McDaid failed to retain his Cabinet post, but he did become a Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the North–West constituency at the 2004 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2004 (Ireland)
The 2004 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 2004 European Parliament election. The voting was held on Friday, 11 June 2004. The election coincided with the 2004 local elections...
and was later sacked from his position as Minister of State and returned to the backbenches once again.
In April 2006, McDaid announced that he would be retiring from public life in favour of returning to his medical practice and would not be standing in the next general election and that politics "no longer held any challenge for him". However, on 27 July 2006, following the announcement that Independent Fianna Fáil
Independent Fianna Fáil
Independent Fianna Fáil was a splinter republican party created by Neil Blaney after his expulsion from Fianna Fáil following the Irish Arms Crisis . It ceased to exist on 26 July 2006...
TD Niall Blaney
Niall Blaney
Niall Blaney is a former Irish politician. A member of Independent Fianna Fáil until he joined Fianna Fáil in 2006, he served as a Teachta Dála for Donegal North East from 2002 to 2011....
had joined the Fianna Fáil party, McDaid reversed this decision, and announced that he would be seeking nomination as a candidate to contest the 2007 general election.
Following the absorption of Independent Fianna Fáil and its sole TD, Niall Blaney into Fianna Fáil, there were then three outgoing 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...
TDs in this very competitive three-seater constituency. Under the Single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
electoral system used in Ireland, it was considered virtually impossible for all three to be elected. Fianna Fáil's Cecilia Keaveney
Cecilia Keaveney
Cecilia Keaveney is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She was a Teachta Dála and also a Senator from 1996 to 2011.-Early life:...
lost her seat to the Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
candidate Joe McHugh
Joe McHugh
Joe McHugh is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Donegal North East constituency since May 2007.-Background and personal life:...
, with McDaid and Blaney being the two successful Fianna Fáil candidates.
McDaid told the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
on 1 June 2007 that he had received no help from Fianna Fáil headquarters during the general election campaign and that the party had treated him as a virtual independent. He warned that, consequently, the party should not take his support in the 30th Dáil for granted. This threat was followed through in November 2008 when he abstained from a vote on the Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
vaccination programme, resulting in his expulsion from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
In April 2010, he said he would not be voluntarily giving up his ministerial pension of €22,487, despite most other TDs and Senators having done so. He said he would not do so "unless it is the express wish of Dáil Éireann". The next month it was revealed that he missed more than four out of every five Dáil votes in 2009 -- by far the worst record of any TD.
McDaid resigned from his Dáil seat on 2 November 2010. In his resignation letter, he called for a general election before December 2010 and also accused the Government of taking political soft options and not tackling the real issues.
Sources
- http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=281925&issue_id=3046Profile from Irish IndependentIrish IndependentThe Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
], 23 September 2000.