John Dardis was born on 25 July 1945 and is an Irish former Progressive Democrats politician who served as a senator from 1989 to 2007.
16 Facts About John Dardis
1.
2.
John Dardis is a retired farmer and former agricultural journalist.
3.
John Dardis is married to Beatrice Lane, and has one son and two daughters.
4.
John Dardis served in Seanad Eireann from 1989 until he retired in 2007, being nominated by the Taoiseach in 1989,1997 and 2002, and elected by the Agricultural Panel in 1992.
5.
John Dardis was a member of Kildare County Council for twelve years, representing the Kildare town electoral area from the 1991 local elections until he stood down from the council in 2003 on the abolition of the dual mandate under the Local Government Act 2001.
6.
John Dardis stood for election to Dail Eireann for the Kildare constituency at the 1992, but was unsuccessful.
7.
John Dardis stood for election to the European Parliament in the Leinster constituency at the 1989 and 1994 elections.
8.
In October 2005, John Dardis launched a Progressive Democrats policy document which advocated a ban on the use of drift nets to catch salmon in Irish waters, and called for "fair and appropriate" compensation for licence-holders.
9.
John Dardis said that he did not accept the basis of the scientific report on which the Cabinet had agreed the policy change.
10.
John Dardis responded that the government had to act on the scientific advice, and said that "the future of a species that has been central to Irish life has been secured by today's decision".
11.
In June 2006, John Dardis raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest in the planning system, when local council planning officials take up new jobs with development companies operating in the same area.
12.
John Dardis told the Seanad that "no less than a former county manager of a local authority has taken up a senior position with a development company", noting that the move came only three months after the manager had approved planning permission for a large and controversial development by the same company.
13.
In 2005, John Dardis took office as Chairman of the Progressive Democrats Parliamentary Party.
14.
John Dardis had been expected to stand again in Kildare South at the 2007 general election but announced his decision in March 2007.
15.
John Dardis was instead appointed as chair of the party's election campaign.
16.
John Dardis subsequently headed a committee to examine the options for the party leadership, which recommended that the role be taken on by a senator or councillor to take on the party leadership.