Jim McDaid
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Dr. Jim McDaid (Irish: Séamus MacDaibhéead; born October 3, 1949) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and a doctor of medicine. He is currently a Teachta Dála (TD) for Donegal North East.
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[edit] Early life
James (Jim) McDaid was born in October 1949 in Termon, County Donegal. He was educated in St. Eunan's College, Letterkenny and University College, Galway. 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.
[edit] Political career
McDaid was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt at the 1989 general election. 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 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.
As a result of this appointment McDaid joined the government in 1997 when he became Minister for Tourism, Sport & 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 failed to be elected to the European Parliament in 2004 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. However, on July 27, 2006, following the announcement that Niall Blaney TD had joined the Fianna Fáil party, McDaid reversed this decision, and announced that he would be seeking nomination as a candidate once again.
[edit] Personal life
McDaid's private life has long been a source if 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 carriagewayoutside 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 EUR 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'.
During the late 1990s McDaid was involved in a relationship with the RTÉ newsreader Anne Doyle; however, he currently lives with his partner, Siobhan O'Donnell, a former barmaid, and the couple's son.
[edit] Political future
Having previously publicly indicated that politics "no longer holds any challenge for him" and that he was to resign from politics at the dissolution of the 29th Dáil, McDaid announced on July 27, 2006 that he will seek a nomination to contest the next general election. [1] Following the absorption of Independent Fianna Fáil and its sole TD, Niall Blaney into Fianna Fáil, there are now three Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála's in this very competitive three-seater constituency. Under the Single Transferable Vote proportional representation electoral system used in Ireland, it would be virtually impossible for all three to be elected, opening up opportunities for the Fine Gael candidate Senator Joe McHugh and the Sinn Féin candidate Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.
[edit] References
- Profile from Irish Independent, September 23, 2000.
- 'Madcap chase as McDaid arrested for drink driving', Irish Independent, April 28, 2005.
[edit] Political Career
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hugh Conaghan |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Donegal North East 1989– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Minister for Tourism & Trade Enda Kenny |
Minister for Tourism, Sport & Recreation 1997–2002 |
Succeeded by Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism John O'Donoghue |
| Preceded by Newly Created Office |
Minister of State at the Department of Transport 2002–2004 |
Succeeded by Ivor Callely |
