Mattie McGrath

For the actor, see Matt McGrath (actor).

Mattie McGrath
TD
McGrath in 2022
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencyTipperary
In office
May 2007 – February 2016
ConstituencyTipperary South
Personal details
Born
Matthew McGrath

(1958-09-01) 1 September 1958 (age 65)
Newcastle, County Tipperary, Ireland
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Fianna Fáil (until 2011)
Spouse
Margaret Sherlock
​
(m. 1987)​
Children8
Alma materUniversity College Cork
Websitemattiemcgrath.ie

Matthew McGrath (born 1 September 1958) is an Irish independent politician and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary constituency since being elected at the 2007 general election.[1][2]

McGrath was first elected as a Fianna Fáil TD but he left the party in 2011 before the general election, and has contested elections as an independent candidate since.

Education and political career[edit]

McGrath was educated at St. Joseph's College, Cahir; Kildalton Agricultural College, County Kilkenny and University College Cork.

Fianna Fáil[edit]

McGrath was a Fianna Fáil member of South Tipperary County Council from 1999 to 2007 and served as chairperson of the council from 2004 to 2005.

McGrath was first elected to the Dáil at the 2007 Irish general election as a Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary South.[1][2]

McGrath was found not guilty of the assault of a teenager in south Tipperary following a trial in 2008.[3][4] McGrath made a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman's office in relation to the handling of the investigation.[5]

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.[6][7] His comments were criticised by Road Safety Authority chairman Gay Byrne and the Automobile Association.[6][7]

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.[8] He explained he was independent minded and would not be silenced by anybody.[9] He further qualified his support for the government in September 2010.[10]

Independent[edit]

On 25 January 2011, McGrath announced that he was leaving the Fianna Fáil party and would contest the 2011 general election as an Independent candidate.[11] He denied that he was cynically resigning from the party in an attempt to save his own Dáil seat, saying that he had run out of “final straws” with Fianna Fáil. He also said that widespread unemployment, pay cuts, negative equity, the recent price hike at health insurer VHI and the recent leadership debacle had forced his hand.[12]

At the election on 25 February, McGrath secured his seat on the fifth count, having polled 14.7 per cent of the first preferences, defeating a challenge from Labour's Senator Phil Prendergast.[13][14] He is a member of the Rural Independents Technical group in the Dáil.

In 2015, McGrath was accused of plagiarising a speech he gave in the Dáil on ISIS from a resolution put forward by American Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. McGrath denied the claims.[15][16]

McGrath was re-elected in the newly formed Tipperary constituency in 2016, receiving 11,237 first preference votes (14.4%). He was again re-elected in 2020, with 9,321 first preference votes (11.4%).

Political views[edit]

Constituency office in Clonmel

McGrath is opposed to same-sex marriage, and was the only TD to speak against it in the Irish same-sex marriage referendum when it was debated in the Dáil. He said he would “probably” vote No in the referendum to allow same sex couples to marry in 2015.[17]

McGrath is an anti-abortion advocate. He supported the "No" side in the 2018 abortion referendum.[18] In November 2018 he supported amendments to the Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Bill which would require pain relief to the foetus during termination, which were subsequently defeated.[19] McGrath has met the Pope in the Vatican on numerous occasions, including one day prior to the 2018 visit by Pope Francis to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families.[20] McGrath was highly critical of former President of Ireland Mary McAleese prior to the Pope's visit saying "obviously the lady has issues" and that people are "getting sick and tired" of the former president "hogging the airwaves."[21] McAleese had been critical of the Catholic Church in the run up to the Papal visit.

McGrath opposed a minute of silence being held in the Dáil after the murder of George Floyd, saying that it was "none of our business" and calling it "showboating nonsense".[22]

Controversies[edit]

Comments on COVID-19 and criticism[edit]

McGrath has attracted criticism from various politicians and from the Auschwitz Museum for his comments on COVID-19 and perceived sensationalist remarks by drawing comparisons between life in Nazi Germany and COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland. McGrath has referred to the pandemic as a "scamdemic"[23] and has opposed public health lockdowns, declaring that "this wouldn't happen under Hitler".[24]

McGrath has said that he will not be receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.[25] When asked if he had received a COVID-19 vaccination, McGrath refused to answer, replying "My body, my choice" and comparing the vaccine regime to "1930s Nazi Germany".[26]

On 28 April 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, McGrath said in the Dáil that COVID restrictions were returning to “Nazi Hitler's time”. Taoiseach Micheál Martin called the remarks “contemptible and disgraceful” and asked McGrath to withdraw them but McGrath refused.[27] McGrath also accused the Taoiseach of making an "apartheid" decision by not allowing indoor dining, for which the Taoiseach accused him of holding a Trumpian view in denying the existence of the pandemic.[28]

In July 2021, McGrath compared the concept of digital COVID-19 certificates to Germany during Nazi times, and the practice of giving badges to concentration camp prisoners during the Holocaust, stating "Is that what we have come to now. Are we back to 1933 in Germany? We’ll be all tagged in the yellow and the mark of the beast will be on us".[29] McGrath was criticised by the Auschwitz Museum for these remarks, with the museum inviting him to read about the Holocaust and describing his remarks as "a sad symptom of moral and intellectual decline".[30] McGrath was also criticised by Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore for his comments.[31] McGrath doubled down and told the Irish Examiner reporter Aoife Moore "There are huge correlations, it’s exactly the same if you want to study it, exactly the same"; an editorial in the paper called McGrath an "Intolerable idiot".[32][33]

McGrath compared the extension of COVID emergency powers to apartheid on the 5 October 2021. He was criticised by Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney TD and Paul Murphy TD, with Murphy calling the remarks "non-acceptable".[34]

Comments on Tony Holohan[edit]

In October 2020, McGrath made comments at a media briefing, asking where Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan "had been in the last few months", during which Holohan had been caring for his wife Emer, who had terminal cancer and was receiving palliative care. McGrath's remarks were branded as "shameful" by Fine Gael's Ciarán Cannon, who demanded he withdraw and apologise for his remarks. McGrath withdrew these remarks and offered his apologies for them.[35]

Comments on refugees[edit]

In June 2022, McGrath was criticised for saying on Today with Claire Byrne that he would like a cap on the number of refugees.[36] He was criticized by Paul McAuliffe TD, who said "Mattie is trying to pretend that the Government doesn’t care about the Irish people. There are women and children in refugee tents in Poland. We are not prepared to leave people there."[36] Senator Garret Ahearn condemned "the reckless comments by Mattie McGrath" and said they were a disgrace.[36]

Far-right influences[edit]

In December 2022, McGrath was accused of spreading far-right rhetoric in the Dáil by Tánaiste Micheál Martin. Martin claimed that "far-right ideologues" were influencing groups in the Dáil and that McGrath "had a script" prepared for him that alluded to conspiracy theories such as "the Great Reset".[37][38]

2023 Dublin riot[edit]

Main article: 2023 Dublin riot

On 29 November 2023, in the aftermath of a riot the previous week, Paul Murphy criticised other TDs for laundering far-right conspiracy theories.[39] Mattie McGrath was specifically named.[39]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Mattie McGrath". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Election 2007: Fianna Fáil takes final seat". RTÉ News. 26 May 2007. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  3. ^ "McGrath found not guilty of assault". RTÉ News. 25 November 2008.
  4. ^ "Fianna Fáil TD found not guilty of assaulting teenager". Irish Independent. 25 November 2008.
  5. ^ Hurst, Greg (30 November 2008). "Profile: Mattie McGrath". The Times (UK). London.
  6. ^ a b Senan Moloney (27 October 2009). "One drink helps some drivers: TD". Irish Independent. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  7. ^ a b Jones, Sam (27 October 2009). "Irish politician claims drink relaxes nervous drivers". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  8. ^ "No Green Party bullying over Bill - Gormley". RTÉ News. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  9. ^ "McGrath views himself as independent minded". RTÉ News. 3 July 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  10. ^ "McGrath in warning to Govt over support". RTÉ News. 25 September 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  11. ^ "Mattie McGrath to run as Independent". RTÉ News. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  12. ^ Carroll, Steven (25 January 2011). "Mattie McGrath to run as independent". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  13. ^ "Mattie McGrath". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  14. ^ O'Regan, Michael (28 February 2011). "Several surprises and a few close calls before 12 candidates elected". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  15. ^ Ryan, Nicky (21 September 2015). "Did this TD plagiarise a speech on Islamic State from a US congressman?". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  16. ^ "TD Mattie McGrath denies plagiarism". RTE Radio. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  17. ^ Minihan, Mary (24 February 2015). "Mattie McGrath will 'probably' vote No in marriage referendum". The Irish Times.
  18. ^ 2018 abortion campaign
  19. ^ Conneely, Ailbhe (7 November 2018). "Anti-abortion TDs labelled 'misogynistic' at committee". RTE.ie. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  20. ^ Newstalk. "Mattie McGrath on the Papal Visit". Newstalk. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  21. ^ ""Obviously the lady has issues" - Mattie McGrath TD criticises Mary McAleese's Catholic Church comments". JOE.ie. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  22. ^ "'Showboating nonsense' - Mattie McGrath opposed Dail's minute silence for George Floyd". independent. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  23. ^ "As it happened: Special Committee on Covid-19". RTÉ.ie. 24 July 2020.
  24. ^ "'This wouldn't happen under Hitler' - Mattie McGrath opposes lockdown legislation in Dail". independent. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  25. ^ O'Shea, Joe (10 December 2020). "Cork TD says he won't take covid-19 vaccine". Cork Beo. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  26. ^ "'My body, my choice,' says Mattie McGrath on Covid vaccine". Carlow Nationalist. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  27. ^ Newstalk. "McGrath says Ireland returning to 'Nazi Hitler's time' during heated Dáil argument". Newstalk. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  28. ^ O'Halloran, Marie. "Taoiseach accuses McGrath of taking Trump, Bolsanaro view of pandemic". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  29. ^ McGee, Harry (13 July 2021). "McGrath criticised for comparing Covid certificates to Nazi Germany". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  30. ^ Moore, Aoife (13 July 2021). "Auschwitz Museum criticises Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath for 'mark of the beast' Nazi comparison". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  31. ^ Defoe, Sean. "Mattie McGrath under fire for comments comparing COVID rules to Nazi Germany". Newstalk. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  32. ^ "Irish Examiner view: Intolerable idiot". Irish Examiner. 14 July 2021.
  33. ^ Matt Cooper (16 July 2021). "Newspaper Editorial Calls Politician Intolerable Idiot" (Podcast). Today FM.
  34. ^ "TD Mattie McGrath compares pandemic emergency legislation to "apartheid"". Joe.ie. JOE. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  35. ^ "Mattie McGrath apologises for remarks about Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan". independent. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  36. ^ a b c Molony, Senan (23 June 2022). "Criticism of TD Mattie McGrath as he calls for cap on refugee numbers". Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  37. ^ McCathy, Justine (24 December 2022). "Micheál Martin: 'I suspect far right are seeking to plant their ideas ... and penetrate groups in our parliament'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  38. ^ O'Connor, Alison (23 December 2022). "Who is pushing far-right buttons of Irish political representatives?". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  39. ^ a b Dalton, Eoghan; McDermott, Stephen (29 November 2023). "TDs photographed with far-right figures are 'laundering conspiracy theories', Dáil warned". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 29 November 2023.

External links[edit]

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