Finian McGrath TD |
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Minister of State for Disability Issues | |
Assumed office 6 May 2016 |
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Taoiseach | Enda Kenny |
Preceded by | New office |
Teachta Dála | |
Assumed office February 2016 |
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Constituency | Dublin Bay North |
Teachta Dála | |
In office May 2002 – February 2016 |
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Constituency | Dublin North–Central |
Personal details | |
Born |
Tuam, Galway, Ireland |
9 April 1953
Nationality | Irish |
Political party | Independent |
Spouse(s) | Anne Russell (died 2009) |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater | University College Dublin |
Website | www |
Finian McGrath (born 9 April 1953) is an Irish independent politician and Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin Bay North. He was originally elected to the Dáil at the 2002 general election. He has served as Minister of State for Disability Issues since May 2016.
Originally from Tuam, Galway, he was a primary school principal at St. Mary's Christian Brothers School in Dublin before entering politics. He had two daughters with his wife Anne, who died in November 2009. McGrath was a contestant on the You're a Star charity special in summer 2005, where he came in second. He released a charity single in December 2005 which featured the Christmas song "Angels We Have Heard on High" and the classic "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown". All proceeds from the sales of this single were donated to Down syndrome Ireland.
He was an unsuccessful candidate in the Dublin North–Central constituency at the 1992 and 1997 general elections. He was elected to Dublin City Council in 1999 with the second-highest vote in the Clontarf electoral area. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2002 general election where he stood as an Independent Health Alliance candidate in the Dublin North–Central constituency. He joined the technical group, established to ensure Dáil speaking time for independent TDs. In March 2003, due to being a dual mandate TD, he gave up his Dublin City Council seat to Ger Drogan, who later was replaced by Fintan Cassidy, who failed to get elected in the subsequent 2004 local elections.