Finian McGrath facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Finian McGrath
Minister of State
2016–2020	Disability Issues
Teachta Dála
In office February 2016 – February 2020
Constituency	Dublin Bay North
In office May 2002 – February 2016
Constituency	Dublin North-Central
Personal details
Born	(1953-04-09) 9 April 1953 (age 72) Tuam, County Galway, Ireland
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Anne Russell ​ ​ (m. 1982; her death 2009)​
Children	2
Alma mater	University College Dublin

Finian McGrath, born on April 9, 1953, is an Irish former independent politician. He served as the Minister of State for Disability Issues from 2016 to 2020. Before that, he was a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish Parliament, from 2002 to 2020.

About Finian McGrath

Early Life and Education

Finian McGrath was born in Tuam, a town in County Galway, Ireland, in 1953. He went to University College Dublin for his education. Before he became a politician, he worked as a principal at Scoil Plás Mhuire for Boys, a primary school in Dublin.

Family and Charity Work

Finian McGrath had two daughters with his wife, Anne. Sadly, Anne passed away in November 2009.

Beyond his political work, Finian McGrath also took part in a special charity event called You're a Star in 2005. He came in second place in this competition. Later that year, in December 2005, he released a charity music single. This single included the Christmas song "Angels We Have Heard on High" and the classic "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown". All the money raised from selling this single was given to Down syndrome Ireland, a charity that supports people with Down syndrome.

Political Journey

Starting in Politics

Finian McGrath first tried to become a TD for the Dublin North-Central area in the general elections of 1992 and 1997, but he was not successful.

His first election win was in 1999 when he was elected to Dublin City Council. He received a lot of votes in the Clontarf area.

Becoming a TD

In the 2002 general election, Finian McGrath was elected to Dáil Éireann for the first time. Dáil Éireann is the main house of the Irish Parliament. He ran as a candidate for the Independent Health Alliance in the Dublin North-Central area.

Once in the Dáil, he joined a group called the "technical group." This group was formed to make sure that independent TDs, who don't belong to a big political party, still had time to speak in Parliament. In 2003, because he was a TD, he gave up his seat on the Dublin City Council.

Re-election and Government Support

Finian McGrath was re-elected to the Dáil in the 2007 general election. Many people thought he might lose his seat, but he received strong support from voters.

As an independent TD, he decided to support the new government that was formed in June 2007. He made a public agreement with the Taoiseach (Ireland's Prime Minister), Bertie Ahern, and shared the details of this agreement in the Dáil. This was seen as a good thing because it was open and transparent.

However, in October 2008, after the 2009 Budget was announced, Finian McGrath stopped supporting the government. He did this because he disagreed with some of the budget changes, such as removing automatic medical cards for people over 70, cutting education funding, and increasing the number of students per teacher.

Later Years in the Dáil

After another TD, Pearse Doherty, was elected, Finian McGrath rejoined the Technical group. This group included TDs from Sinn Féin and another independent TD, Maureen O'Sullivan. He was re-elected again in the 2011 general election and became the chairperson of the Technical group.

In 2012, Finian McGrath stepped down as the chairperson of the technical group due to a disagreement with another TD, Mick Wallace.

Joining the Independent Alliance

In 2016, Finian McGrath joined a new group called the Independent Alliance. He ran in the 2016 general election under this group's banner. The area he represented changed to Dublin Bay North because his old constituency was removed.

He was re-elected to the Dáil and took part in discussions to form a new government. On May 6, 2016, he supported Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny to become Taoiseach. After Kenny became Taoiseach, Finian McGrath was appointed as the Minister of State for Disability Issues. He attended cabinet meetings, which meant he was a "Super Junior Minister." He kept this position when Leo Varadkar became Taoiseach after Enda Kenny.

Retirement from Dáil Éireann

In January 2020, before the 2020 general election, Finian McGrath announced that he would not seek re-election. He said he wanted to return to other forms of political activism to support people with disabilities. He continued to serve as a junior minister until a new government was formed in June 2020.

In 2024, Finian McGrath announced he would run as an independent candidate in the European Parliament election for the Dublin area, but he did not end up running.

Political Views

Finian McGrath describes himself as someone who follows the ideas of Tone and Connolly, who were important figures in Irish history. He holds left-wing political views.

His main policy interests include health, education, and disability issues. He has also spoken out against the Iraq War and the use of Shannon Airport by the U.S. military as a stopover. He also worked on local environmental issues.

Finian McGrath has expressed support for Fidel Castro's socialist government in Cuba. When asked about human rights in Cuba, he stated that "Cuba has a different kind of democracy to Ireland."