Jim Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Jim Mitchell was an Irish
Fine Gael
politician who served in the cabinets of Taoiseach
Garret FitzGerald
from 1981–82 and 1982–87. He was deputy leader of the Fine Gael party from 2001 until 2002.
, leader of the radical republican Clann na Poblachta
at the 1957 general election
. He joined Fine Gael
in 1967, becoming that party's unsuccessful candidate in a by-election in 1970. He sought a party nomination to run at the 1973 general election
. However he agreed not to contest the seat to allow Declan Costello
, a senior figure in his party and son of former Taoiseach
John A. Costello
, to be elected. Costello went on to serve as Attorney General of Ireland
in the 1973–1977 National Coalition of Fine Gael
and the Labour Party.
Mitchell was elected to Dublin Corporation
in 1974. In 1976, aged 29, he became the youngest ever Lord Mayor of Dublin
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Dáil Éireann
at the 1973 general election
in Dublin South West
and lost again in the 1976 by-election in the same constituency, to Labour Party
's Brendan Halligan
.
Outside politics he worked for Guinness
at the St. James's Gate Brewery
.
he was elected to the 21st Dáil for the new constituency of Dublin Ballyfermot
. With the party's loss of power in 1977, the new leader, Garret FitzGerald
appointed Mitchell to the Party's Front Bench
as spokesman on Labour. At the 1981 general election
Mitchell was elected for the Dublin West constituency and Fine Gael dramatically increased its number of seats, form a coalition government with the Labour Party
. On his appointment as Taoiseach
, Garret FitzGerald caused some surprise by excluding some of the older conservative ex-ministers from his cabinet. Instead young liberals like Mitchell were appointed, with Mitchell receiving the high profile post of Minister for Justice. The Fine Gael–Labour government collapsed in January 1982, but regained power in December of that year. Mitchell again was included in a FitzGerald cabinet, as Minister for Transport
. He also served as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs
(later titled Minister for Communications
) from 1982–87.
Mitchell, who was seen as being on the social liberal wing of Fine Gael was however out of favour with John Bruton
when he became Fine Gael leader in 1990. When Bruton formed the Rainbow Coalition
in December 1994, Mitchell was not appointed to any cabinet post.
Mitchell contested and won Dáil elections in 1977, 1981, (February and November) 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1997. He also ran unsuccessfully for the European Parliament
in the 1994 and 1999 elections. He also was director of elections for Austin Currie
, the Fine Gael candidate, in the 1990 presidential election
. In 2001, Bruton was deposed as Fine Gael leader, and replaced by Michael Noonan
. Mitchell served as his deputy from 2001 to 2002.
Public Accounts Committee. Under Mitchell's chairmanship the committee began to look at allegations of corruption and widescale tax evasion in the banking sector, particularly regarding Deposit Interest Retention Tax
. It was established that there was a culture of encouraging tax evasion
within Irish banks, which had allowed wealthy customers to set up non-resident (off-shore, international) bank accounts into which money was transferred, enabling the account holder to avoid paying DIRT. The scandal resulted Allied Irish Banks
being forced to reach a settlement of €90 million with the Revenue Commissioners in respect of Deposit Interest Retention Tax evasion in 2000 in addition to thousands of tax-evaders being prosecuted including the former Minister for Justice Pádraig Flynn
. Mitchell received much praise for his role in exposing the scandal.
seat at the 2002 general election
. That election witnessed a large scale collapse in the Fine Gael vote, with the party dropping from 54 to 31 seats in Dáil Éireann. Although Mitchell suffered from the swing against Fine Gael in Dublin, he was not aided by the fact that Inchicore
, which was considered his base in the constituency had been moved to Dublin South Central
. Jim had chosen not to run in that constituency as his brother Gay
was a sitting TD
running for re-election for that constituency.
Mitchell had earlier had a liver transplant in an attempt to beat a rare form of cancer which had cost the lives of a number of his siblings. Though the operation was successful, the cancer returned. Though he appeared to be making a recovery, Mitchell ultimately died of the disease in December 2002.
His former constituency colleague and rival, former Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern
, described Jim Mitchell as having made an "outstanding contribution to Irish politics." His brother Gay Mitchell
was elected a Fine Gael
MEP
in 2004 and stood down from the Dail under dual mandate rules in 2007.
As Minister for Transport, Mitchell granted the aviation license to a fledgling airline called Ryanair
on 29 November 1985. This was granted despite strong opposition by Ireland's national carrier Aer Lingus
. The issue of the license broke Aer Lingus' stranglehold on flights to London from the Republic of Ireland.
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...
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...
politician who served in the cabinets of 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...
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He...
from 1981–82 and 1982–87. He was deputy leader of the Fine Gael party from 2001 until 2002.
Early life
Mitchell began his political involvement when he supported Seán MacBrideSeán MacBride
Seán MacBride was an Irish government minister and prominent international politician as well as a Chief of Staff of the IRA....
, leader of the radical republican Clann na Poblachta
Clann na Poblachta
Clann na Poblachta , abbreviated CnaP, was an Irish republican and social democratic political party founded by former Irish Republican Army Chief of Staff Seán MacBride in 1946.-Foundation:...
at the 1957 general election
Irish general election, 1957
The Irish general election of 1957 was held on 5 March 1957, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 4 February. The newly elected members of the 16th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 20 March when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place...
. He joined 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...
in 1967, becoming that party's unsuccessful candidate in a by-election in 1970. He sought a party nomination to run at the 1973 general election
Irish general election, 1973
The Irish general election of 1973 was held on 28 February 1973. The newly elected 144 members of the 20th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 4 March when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
. However he agreed not to contest the seat to allow Declan Costello
Declan Costello
Declan Costello was an Irish jurist and Fine Gael party politician, who served as a Teachta Dála for twenty years, as Attorney General for four years and as a High Court judge for another twenty years before his retirement....
, a senior figure in his party and son of former 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...
John A. Costello
John A. Costello
John Aloysius Costello , a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney General of Ireland from 1926–1932 and Taoiseach from 1948–1951 and 1954–1957....
, to be elected. Costello went on to serve as Attorney General of Ireland
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...
in the 1973–1977 National Coalition of 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...
and the Labour Party.
Mitchell was elected to Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation , known by generations of Dubliners simply as The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between 1661 and 1 January 2002...
in 1974. In 1976, aged 29, he became the youngest ever Lord Mayor of Dublin
Lord Mayor of Dublin
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Dáil Éireann
Dáil 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...
at the 1973 general election
Irish general election, 1973
The Irish general election of 1973 was held on 28 February 1973. The newly elected 144 members of the 20th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 4 March when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
in Dublin South West
Dublin South West (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South–West is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
and lost again in the 1976 by-election in the same constituency, to Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
's Brendan Halligan
Brendan Halligan
Brendan Halligan is an Irish economist and a former Labour Party politician.Brendan Halligan was born in Dublin in 1936. Educated at St James’s Christian Brothers School and Kevin Street College of Technology, Dublin, his early career was as an economist. He worked with the Irish Sugar Company...
.
Outside politics he worked for Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
at the St. James's Gate Brewery
St. James's Gate Brewery
St. James's Gate Brewery is a brewery founded in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland by Arthur Guinness. The company is now a part of Diageo, a company formed via the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan in 1997. The main product produced at the brewery is Guinness Draft.Leased for 9,000 years in 1759 by...
.
Political Career
At the 1977 general electionIrish general election, 1977
The Irish general election of 1977 was held on 16 June 1977 and is regarded as a pivotal point in twentieth century Irish politics. The general election took place in 42 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 148 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann. The number of...
he was elected to the 21st Dáil for the new constituency of Dublin Ballyfermot
Dublin Ballyfermot (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin Ballyfermot was a short-lived parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1977 to 1981...
. With the party's loss of power in 1977, the new leader, Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He...
appointed Mitchell to the Party's Front Bench
Frontbencher
In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then known as being on the frontbench and are described as...
as spokesman on Labour. At the 1981 general election
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
Mitchell was elected for the Dublin West constituency and Fine Gael dramatically increased its number of seats, form a coalition government with the Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
. On his appointment as 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...
, Garret FitzGerald caused some surprise by excluding some of the older conservative ex-ministers from his cabinet. Instead young liberals like Mitchell were appointed, with Mitchell receiving the high profile post of Minister for Justice. The Fine Gael–Labour government collapsed in January 1982, but regained power in December of that year. Mitchell again was included in a FitzGerald cabinet, as Minister for Transport
Minister for Transport (Ireland)
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...
. He also served as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (Ireland)
The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs was a senior post in the government of the Irish Free State and the Republic of Ireland from 1924 to 1984, when the post and the department was abolished....
(later titled Minister for Communications
Minister for Communications (Ireland)
The Minister for Communications was the minister in the Government of Ireland created by the to replace the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. In 1991 the ministers functions were passed to the retitled Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications and the department ceased to exist .-Minister...
) from 1982–87.
Mitchell, who was seen as being on the social liberal wing of Fine Gael was however out of favour with John Bruton
John Bruton
John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. A minister under two taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Bruton held a number of the top posts in Irish government, including Minister for Finance , and Minister for Industry, Trade,...
when he became Fine Gael leader in 1990. When Bruton formed the Rainbow Coalition
Government of the 27th Dáil
The 27th Dáil was elected at the 1992 general election on 25 November 1992 but did not meet until 4 January 1993, however the 23rd Government of Ireland was not appointed until the 12 January. The 27th Dáil lasted a total of 1,654 days.-23rd Government of Ireland :...
in December 1994, Mitchell was not appointed to any cabinet post.
Mitchell contested and won Dáil elections in 1977, 1981, (February and November) 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1997. He also ran unsuccessfully for the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in the 1994 and 1999 elections. He also was director of elections for Austin Currie
Austin Currie
Austin Currie is a former politician who was elected to the parliaments of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland....
, the Fine Gael candidate, in the 1990 presidential election
Irish presidential election, 1990
-Aftermath:While the role of the presidency in day to day politics is a very limited one the Robinson presidency is regarded by many observers as a watershed in Irish society symbolising the shift away from the conservative ultracatholic male-dominated Ireland which existed up until the end of the...
. In 2001, Bruton was deposed as Fine Gael leader, and replaced by Michael Noonan
Michael Noonan
Michael Noonan is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been the Minister for Finance since March 2011. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Limerick East and later Limerick City constituencies since 1981....
. Mitchell served as his deputy from 2001 to 2002.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee
Mitchell also chaired the key OireachtasOireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
Public Accounts Committee. Under Mitchell's chairmanship the committee began to look at allegations of corruption and widescale tax evasion in the banking sector, particularly regarding Deposit Interest Retention Tax
Deposit Interest Retention Tax
Deposit Interest Retention Tax is a form of tax on interest earned on bank accounts in Republic of Ireland that was first introduced in the 1980s. In Ireland, income from any source is reckonable for taxation purposes...
. It was established that there was a culture of encouraging tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
within Irish banks, which had allowed wealthy customers to set up non-resident (off-shore, international) bank accounts into which money was transferred, enabling the account holder to avoid paying DIRT. The scandal resulted Allied Irish Banks
Allied Irish Banks
Allied Irish Banks p.l.c. is a major commercial bank based in Ireland.AIB is one of the so called "big four" commercial banks in the state. The bank has one of the largest branch networks in Ireland; only Bank of Ireland fully rivals it. AIB offers a full range of personal and corporate banking...
being forced to reach a settlement of €90 million with the Revenue Commissioners in respect of Deposit Interest Retention Tax evasion in 2000 in addition to thousands of tax-evaders being prosecuted including the former Minister for Justice Pádraig Flynn
Padraig Flynn
Pádraig "Pee" Flynn is a former Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála in 1977. He was returned at each subsequent election until 1993...
. Mitchell received much praise for his role in exposing the scandal.
Loss of seat and death
Though regarded in politics as one of Fine Gael's "survivors", who held onto his seat amid major boundary changes, constituency changes and by attracting working class votes in a party whose appeal was primarily middle class, Mitchell lost his Dublin CentralDublin Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
seat at 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...
. That election witnessed a large scale collapse in the Fine Gael vote, with the party dropping from 54 to 31 seats in Dáil Éireann. Although Mitchell suffered from the swing against Fine Gael in Dublin, he was not aided by the fact that Inchicore
Inchicore
-Location and access:Located five kilometres due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the River Liffey, west of Kilmainham, north of Drimnagh and east of Ballyfermot. The majority of Inchicore is in the Dublin 8 postal district...
, which was considered his base in the constituency had been moved to Dublin South Central
Dublin South Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
. Jim had chosen not to run in that constituency as his brother Gay
Gay Mitchell
Gabriel "Gay" Mitchell is an Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency since 2004. He is a member of Fine Gael, part of the European People's Party, and a former Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency from 1981–2007. He was defeated by...
was a sitting TD
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...
running for re-election for that constituency.
Mitchell had earlier had a liver transplant in an attempt to beat a rare form of cancer which had cost the lives of a number of his siblings. Though the operation was successful, the cancer returned. Though he appeared to be making a recovery, Mitchell ultimately died of the disease in December 2002.
His former constituency colleague and rival, former 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...
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....
, described Jim Mitchell as having made an "outstanding contribution to Irish politics." His brother Gay Mitchell
Gay Mitchell
Gabriel "Gay" Mitchell is an Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency since 2004. He is a member of Fine Gael, part of the European People's Party, and a former Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency from 1981–2007. He was defeated by...
was elected a 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...
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
in 2004 and stood down from the Dail under dual mandate rules in 2007.
As Minister for Transport, Mitchell granted the aviation license to a fledgling airline called Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
on 29 November 1985. This was granted despite strong opposition by Ireland's national carrier Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
. The issue of the license broke Aer Lingus' stranglehold on flights to London from the Republic of Ireland.