Mattie McGrath
|
Mattie McGrath TD |
|
|---|---|
| Teachta Dála | |
|
Assumed office February 2016 |
|
| Constituency | Tipperary |
| Teachta Dála | |
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In office May 2007 – February 2016 |
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| Constituency | Tipperary South |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
1 September 1958 Newcastle, Tipperary, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Fianna Fáil (until 2011) |
| Alma mater | University College Cork |
| Website | www |
Mattie McGrath (born 1 September 1958) is an Irish politician who is a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary constituency. He was first elected to the Dáil as a Fianna Fáil candidate representing the Tipperary South constituency at the 2007 general election. In 2011, he left Fianna Fáil and has contested elections as an independent candidate since. McGrath has an unusual way on viewing irish politics and has been for quite sometime a controversial figure of irish politics.
McGrath was educated at St. Joseph's College, Cahir; Kildalton Agricultural College, County Kilkenny and University College Cork. He was a member of South Tipperary County Council from 1999 to 2007, and served as chairperson of the council from 2004 to 2005.
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.
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