Mattie McGrath
Encyclopedia
Mattie McGrath is an Irish
politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Tipperary South
constituency. He was elected as a Fianna Fáil
TD at the 2007 general election.
and University College Cork. He was a member of South Tipperary County Council
from 1999–2007, and served as chairperson of the council in 2004–05.
McGrath was found not guilty of assault of a teenager in south Tipperary following a trial in 2008. McGrath made a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman's office in relation to the handling of the investigation.
In October 2009, McGrath criticised the proposal by Noel Dempsey
to lower the legal level of alcohol in drivers, claiming that for some people a small amount of alcohol made them less nervous behind the wheel, though he said he didn't condone drunk driving.
His comments were criticised by Road Safety Authority
chairman Gay Byrne
and the Automobile Association
.
In June 2010, McGrath accused Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley
of the Green Party
of bullying Fianna Fáil over the bill to ban stag hunting, which was passed in the Dáil on 29 June 2010. Gormley said the bill was a part of the renewed programme for government and that it was a relatively minor piece of legislation, which should not have taken up so much Dáil time. McGrath voted against the bill and lost the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party whip
as a result. He explained he was independent minded and would not be silenced by anybody. He further qualified his support for the government in September 2010.
On 25 January 2011, McGrath announced that he was leaving the Fianna Fáil party and would contest the 2011 general election as an independent
candidate. He denied that he was cynically resigning from the party in an attempt to save his own Dáil seat, saying that he had run out of “final straws” with Fianna Fáil. He also said that widespread unemployment, pay cuts, negative equity, the recent price hike at health insurer VHI
and the recent leadership debacle had forced his hand.
At the election on 25 February, McGrath secured his seat on the fifth count, having polled 14.7 per cent of the first preferences, defeating a challenge from Labour's Senator Phil Prendergast
. He is currently a member of the Dáil Technical Group
.
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. He is currently 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 Tipperary South
Tipperary South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Tipperary South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
constituency. He was elected as a 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...
TD at the 2007 general election.
Political career
McGrath was educated at St. Joseph's College, Cahir; Kildalton Agricultural College, County KilkennyCounty Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
and University College Cork. He was a member of South Tipperary County Council
South Tipperary County Council
South Tipperary County Council is the local authority which is responsible for the county of South Tipperary in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment...
from 1999–2007, and served as chairperson of the council in 2004–05.
McGrath was found not guilty of assault of a teenager in south Tipperary following a trial in 2008. McGrath made a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman's office in relation to the handling of the investigation.
In October 2009, McGrath criticised the proposal by 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...
to lower the legal level of alcohol in drivers, claiming that for some people a small amount of alcohol made them less nervous behind the wheel, though he said he didn't condone drunk driving.
His comments were criticised by Road Safety Authority
Road Safety Authority
The Road Safety Authority, RSA, is an authority to which the Irish Government has devolved control of much of the work of the Department of Transport, and was established in September 2006, charged with the task of improving safety on Irish roads and established under the Road Safety Authority Act...
chairman Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
and the Automobile Association
The Automobile Association (Ireland)
The Automobile Association has been operating in Ireland since 1910. Today, AA Ireland is Ireland’s leading motoring organisation and provider of rescue services. It is also one of Ireland’s leading personal lines insurance intermediary and a major provider of travel, technical and information...
.
In June 2010, McGrath accused Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
of 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 bullying Fianna Fáil over the bill to ban stag hunting, which was passed in the Dáil on 29 June 2010. Gormley said the bill was a part of the renewed programme for government and that it was a relatively minor piece of legislation, which should not have taken up so much Dáil time. McGrath voted against the bill and lost the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
as a result. He explained he was independent minded and would not be silenced by anybody. He further qualified his support for the government in September 2010.
On 25 January 2011, McGrath announced that he was leaving the Fianna Fáil party and would contest the 2011 general election 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...
candidate. He denied that he was cynically resigning from the party in an attempt to save his own Dáil seat, saying that he had run out of “final straws” with Fianna Fáil. He also said that widespread unemployment, pay cuts, negative equity, the recent price hike at health insurer VHI
Vhi Healthcare
The Voluntary Health Insurance Board — which trades under the brand name Vhi Healthcare, and is still commonly referred to in Ireland as "The VHI" - is the largest health insurance company in the Republic of Ireland. It is a statutory corporation whose members are appointed by the Minister for...
and the recent leadership debacle had forced his hand.
At the election on 25 February, McGrath secured his seat on the fifth count, having polled 14.7 per cent of the first preferences, defeating a challenge from Labour's Senator Phil Prendergast
Phil Prendergast
Phil Prendergast is an Irish Labour Party politician. She is an S&D Member of the European Parliament for the South constituency. She was a member of Seanad Éireann on the Labour Panel from 2007 to 2011....
. He is currently a member of the Dáil Technical Group
Technical Group
In Irish politics, a technical group is a parliamentary group of Teachtaí Dála who associate to increase their speaking rights in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas.-Origin and policy:...
.