1. James Joseph McDaid was born on 3 October 1949 and is an Irish former Fianna Fail politician who served as Minister of State for Transport from 2002 to 2004 and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation from 1997 to 2004.
19 Facts About Jim McDaid
1. 2.
Jim McDaid served as a Teachta Dala for the Donegal North-East constituency from 1989 to 2010.
3.
Jim McDaid has had a concurrent career as a medical doctor and continues to work as a general practitioner in Letterkenny.
4.
Jim McDaid was educated in St Eunan's College in Letterkenny between 1962 and 1967.
5.
Jim McDaid went on to attend University College Galway, and was conferred with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 1974.
6.
Between 1974 and 1979, Jim McDaid worked at Letterkenny General Hospital, and in 1979 he went into partnership as a general practitioner in Letterkenny.
7.
Jim McDaid served as a medical officer for the Donegal county football team.
8.
Jim McDaid was elected to Dail Eireann on his first attempt at the 1989 general election.
9.
Jim McDaid ousted sitting Fianna Fail TD Hugh Conaghan, and, according to The Irish Times, was selected by the party to run against their own man due to Conaghan's opposition to the then Leader of Fianna Fail Charles Haughey.
10.
Jim McDaid was re-elected at each subsequent general election until his resignation from the Dail in 2010.
11.
Jim McDaid joined the government in 1997, when he was appointed Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation.
12.
Jim McDaid was an unsuccessful candidate for the North-West constituency at the 2004 European Parliament election and was later sacked from his position as Minister of State and returned to the backbenches .
13.
However, on 27 July 2006, following the announcement that Independent Fianna Fail TD Niall Blaney had joined the Fianna Fail party, Jim McDaid reversed this decision, and announced that he would be seeking nomination as a candidate to contest the 2007 general election.
14.
Jim McDaid told the Irish Independent on 1 June 2007 that he had received no help from Fianna Fail headquarters during the general election campaign and that the party had treated him as a virtual independent.
15.
Jim McDaid warned that, consequently, the party should not take his support in the 30th Dail for granted.
16.
Jim McDaid said he would not do so "unless it is the express wish of Dail Eireann".
17.
Jim McDaid resigned from his Dail seat on 2 November 2010.
18.
Jim McDaid is divorced from his first wife Marguerite, with whom he had three sons and a daughter.
19.
Jim McDaid acknowledged that these descriptions were accurate, and stated that he was genuinely sorry for his actions.