John Dardis
Encyclopedia
John Dardis is a former Irish
Progressive Democrats
politician who server as a senator
from 1989 to 2007. He is a retired farmer and former agricultural journalist.
, County Kildare
and at University College Dublin
, where he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science. He is married to Beatrice Lane and has one son, two daughters. He lives in Newbridge.
from 1989 until he retired in 2007, being nominated by the Taoiseach in 1989, 1997 and 2002, and elected by the Agricultural Panel in 1992 (this was facilitated by an electoral pact with Democratic Left
). He was also a member of Kildare County Council
for twelve years, representing the Kildare
town electoral area from the 1991 local elections
until he stood down from the council in 2003 on the abolition of the dual mandate
under the Local Government Act 2001
.
He stood for election to Dáil Éireann
for the Kildare
constituency at the 1992
, but was unsuccessful. After the division of the constituency, he stood again in the Kildare South constituency at the 1997 general election
and again in 2002
, but was defeated on both occasions. He also stood for election to the European Parliament
in the Leinster constituency
at the 1989
and 1994 elections
.
in Irish waters, and called for "fair and appropriate" compensation for licence-holders. The policy was agreed at the party's conference in Galway
.
The PDs' policy contradicted that of the coalition government
(with Fianna Fáil
) of which they were part, and came days before a report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources recommended similar measures. The party was accused of "political opportunism" by the Green Party
of only taking an interest in the issue in advance of a Government policy shift, and Tommy Broughan
of the Labour Party
said "“The PDs had seven years to do something about this and they did nothing. Now they are taking a sudden interest in the issue on the eve of our report coming out." In a letter to The Irish Times
, Dardis – who is a keen angler, – replied that the party had opposed drift-netting since 1999.
The governmented then established an Independent Salmon Group to review policy, and the group's report in October 2006 recommended radical measures to halt "the catastrophic decline of Irish salmon stocks", including both a ban drift nets and on angling for salmon in major rivers including the Liffey
, Boyne
, Barrow
, Nore
and Suir
.
In November 2006, the government imposed a ban on drift-netting with effect from January 2007, accompanied by a €30m hardship fund. The decision was publicly criticised by the junior minister responsible, Pat the Cope Gallagher, whose Donegal South West
was one of the most-important drift-netting area. He said that he did not accept the basis of the scientific report on which the Cabinet had agreed the policy change. The decision was supported by angling groups, but opposed by sea-fishermen, some 400 of whom marched on the Dáil. The drift-netters' anger was directed at the Cabinet Minister, Noel Dempsey
, with one poster in the village of Passage East
in County Waterford
reading "'Noel Dempsey should be hanged, not Saddam - Fianna Fail Out".
Dardis responded that the government had to act on the scientific advice, and said that "the future of a species that has been central to Irish life has been secured by today's decision".
In the election, the PDs lost six of their eight seats in the Dáil, including that of the party leader Michael McDowell
. Dardis subsequently headed a committee to examine the options for the party leadership, which recommended that the role be taken on by a senator or councillor to take on the party leadership (the party rules then required that the position must be held by a TD
). A meeting of the party's General council on 16 February 2008 changed the rules to allow any senator, councillor or any party member with the support of 20 other members to stand for the party's leadership.
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,...
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...
politician who server as a senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
from 1989 to 2007. He is a retired farmer and former agricultural journalist.
Early and personal life
Dardis was educated at the Dominican College in NewbridgeNewbridge, County Kildare
The earliest known mention of Newbridge was by traveller and bookseller John Dunton in 1698, though he does not refer to any settlement other than at Ballymany....
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
and at University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, where he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science. He is married to Beatrice Lane and has one son, two daughters. He lives in Newbridge.
Political career
Dardis served in Seanad ÉireannSeanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
from 1989 until he retired in 2007, being nominated by the Taoiseach in 1989, 1997 and 2002, and elected by the Agricultural Panel in 1992 (this was facilitated by an electoral pact with Democratic Left
Democratic Left (Ireland)
Democratic Left was a democratic socialist political party active in Ireland between 1992 and 1999. It came into being after a split in the Workers' Party and, after just seven years in existence, it merged into the Irish Labour Party.-Origins:...
). He was also a member of Kildare County Council
Kildare County Council
Kildare County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Kildare in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The council is governed by the Local Government...
for twelve years, representing the Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
town electoral area from the 1991 local elections
Irish local elections, 1991
The 1991 Irish local elections were held in all the counties, cities and towns of Ireland on Thursday, 27 June 1991.-County councils:- Counties :- County boroughs :- Town councils :- See also :*Local government in the Republic of Ireland...
until he stood down from the council in 2003 on 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...
under the Local Government Act 2001
Local Government Act 2001
The Local Government Act, 2001 was enacted by the Oireachtas of the Republic of Ireland on 21 July 2001. Most of the provisions of the Act came into operation on 1 January 2002....
.
He stood for election to 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...
for the Kildare
Kildare (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Kildare was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1923 to 1937 and from 1948 to 1997...
constituency at the 1992
Irish general election, 1992
The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993...
, but was unsuccessful. After the division of the constituency, he stood again in the Kildare South constituency at the 1997 general election
Irish 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....
and again in 2002
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...
, but was defeated on both occasions. He also stood for election to 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 Leinster constituency
Leinster (European Parliament constituency)
-1999 election:Alan Gillis lost his seat to his party running mate Avril Doyle.-1994 election:Alan Gillis replaced his party colleague Patrick Cooney who had stepped down...
at the 1989
European Parliament election, 1989 (Ireland)
The 1989 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1989 European Parliament election. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.-Results:-Voting details:-See also:...
and 1994 elections
European Parliament election, 1994 (Ireland)
The 1994 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1994 European Parliament election. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.-Results:-Voting details:-See also:...
.
Salmon drift-nets
In October 2005, Dardis launched a Progressive Democrats (PD) policy document which advocated a ban on the use of drift nets to catch salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
in Irish waters, and called for "fair and appropriate" compensation for licence-holders. The policy was agreed at the party's conference in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
.
The PDs' policy contradicted that of the coalition government
Government of the 29th Dáil
The 29th Dáil was elected at the 2002 general election on 17 May 2002 and first met on 6 June when President Mary McAleese appointed Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach, on the nomination of Dáil Éireann...
(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...
) of which they were part, and came days before a report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources recommended similar measures. The party was accused of "political opportunism" by the Green Party
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...
of only taking an interest in the issue in advance of a Government policy shift, and Tommy Broughan
Tommy Broughan
Thomas P. "Tommy" Broughan is an Irish politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North–East constituency since November 1992. He sits as an independent TD after losing the Labour Party whip on 1 December 2011....
of 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...
said "“The PDs had seven years to do something about this and they did nothing. Now they are taking a sudden interest in the issue on the eve of our report coming out." In a letter to The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
, Dardis – who is a keen angler, – replied that the party had opposed drift-netting since 1999.
The governmented then established an Independent Salmon Group to review policy, and the group's report in October 2006 recommended radical measures to halt "the catastrophic decline of Irish salmon stocks", including both a ban drift nets and on angling for salmon in major rivers including the Liffey
River Liffey
The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...
, Boyne
River Boyne
The River Boyne is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newbury Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through County Meath to reach the Irish Sea between Mornington, County Meath and Baltray, County Louth. Salmon...
, Barrow
River Barrow
The Barrow is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest and most prominent of the three rivers...
, Nore
River Nore
The River Nore is a long river located in south-east of Ireland. Along with the River Suir and River Barrow, it is one of the constituent rivers of the group known as the Three Sisters. The river drains approximately of Leinster. The river rises in the Devil's Bit Mountain, North Tipperary...
and Suir
River Suir
The River Suir is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Waterford after a distance of .Popular with anglers, it holds plentiful reserves of brown trout...
.
In November 2006, the government imposed a ban on drift-netting with effect from January 2007, accompanied by a €30m hardship fund. The decision was publicly criticised by the junior minister responsible, Pat the Cope Gallagher, whose Donegal South West
Donegal South West (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Donegal South–West is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
was one of the most-important drift-netting area. He said that he did not accept the basis of the scientific report on which the Cabinet had agreed the policy change. The decision was supported by angling groups, but opposed by sea-fishermen, some 400 of whom marched on the Dáil. The drift-netters' anger was directed at the Cabinet Minister, Noel Dempsey
Noel Dempsey
Noel Dempsey is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Meath and Meath West constituencies from 1987 to 2011...
, with one poster in the village of Passage East
Passage East
Passage East is a fishing village in County Waterford, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Waterford Harbour. It is 12 km from Waterford 10 km from Dunmore East and 21 km from Tramore.-History:...
in County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
reading "'Noel Dempsey should be hanged, not Saddam - Fianna Fail Out".
Dardis responded that the government had to act on the scientific advice, and said that "the future of a species that has been central to Irish life has been secured by today's decision".
Conflicts of interest in planning
In June 2006, Dardis raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest in the planning system, when local authority planning officials take up new jobs with development companies operating in the same area. He told the Seanad that “no less than a former county manager of a local authority has taken up a senior position with a development company”, noting that the move came only three months after the manager had approved planning permission for a large and controversial development by the same company.2007 election
In 2005, Dardis took office as Chairman of the Progressive Democrats Parliamentary Party. He had been expected to stand again in Kikdare South at the 2007 general election, but announced his decision in March 2007. Noting that it would be hard for the party to a win a seat in the three-seat constituency, he said "We had hoped that the most recent electoral boundary changes would result in a fourth seat for Kildare South but this did not happen". He was instead appointed as chair of the party's election campaign.In the election, the PDs lost six of their eight seats in the Dáil, including that of the party leader Michael McDowell
Michael McDowell
Michael McDowell is a Senior Counsel in the Bar Council of Ireland and a former politician. A grandson of Irish revolutionary Eoin MacNeill, McDowell was a founding member of the Progressive Democrats political party in the mid-1980s...
. Dardis subsequently headed a committee to examine the options for the party leadership, which recommended that the role be taken on by a senator or councillor to take on the party leadership (the party rules then required that the position must be held by a 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...
). A meeting of the party's General council on 16 February 2008 changed the rules to allow any senator, councillor or any party member with the support of 20 other members to stand for the party's leadership.