James McDaid
| Jim McDaid | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Teachta Dála | |
|
In office June 1989 – November 2010 |
|
| Constituency | Donegal North-East |
| Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation | |
|
In office 1997–2002 |
|
| Taoiseach | Bertie Ahern |
| Preceded by | Enda Kenny |
| Succeeded by | John O'Donoghue |
|
Minister of State at the Department of Transport |
|
|
In office 2002–2004 |
|
| Taoiseach | Bertie Ahern |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | Ivor Callely |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
3 October 1949 Termon, County Donegal, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Alma mater | University College, Galway |
James McDaid (born 3 October 1949) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal North-East constituency from June 1989 until he resigned in November 2010. He also served as Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation between 1997 and 2002 and as Minister of State for Transport between 2002 and 2004.
McDaid has had a concurrent career as a medical doctor and continues to work as a general practitioner in Letterkenny.
McDaid was born in Termon in County Donegal. He was educated in Saint Eunan's College, Letterkenny and University College, Galway (UCG). 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.
McDaid was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt at the 1989 general election and he was re-elected at each subsequent general election until his retirement in 2010. 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 Prison 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.
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