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Marc MacSharry

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Marc MacSharry
MacSharry in 2014
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2016 – November 2024
ConstituencySligo–Leitrim
Senator
In office
12 September 2002 – 26 February 2016
ConstituencyIndustrial and Commercial Panel
Personal details
Born (1973-07-12) 12 July 1973 (age 51)
Dublin, Ireland
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Fianna Fáil (until 2022)
Spouse
Marie Murphy
​
​
(m. 2003; sep. 2016)​
Children3
Parent
EducationCastleknock College

Marc MacSharry (born 12 July 1973) is an Irish former politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Sligo–Leitrim from 2016 to 2024. From 2002 to 2016, he was a Fianna Fáil Senator on the Industrial and Commercial Panel.[1] He resigned from Fianna Fáil's parliamentary party in September 2021, alleging double standards.[2][3][4] He resigned his Fianna Fáil membership in November 2022,[5] amid claims he had bullied colleagues.[6]

Early life

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MacSharry was born in Dublin in 1973 to Ray MacSharry, the former Tánaiste and European Commissioner, and his wife Elaine Neilan (died 2008).[7] He was educated in Sligo and at Castleknock College, Dublin and is currently an M.Phil. research masters candidate at the University of Ulster.[8][9][10]

Prior and in parallel to his political career, MacSharry worked in the financial services sector with Irish Permanent Building Society and Irish Permanent Finance (now Irish Life and Permanent) between 1992 and 1995, and as a chief executive officer of Sligo Chamber of Commerce & Industry between 2000 and 2005.[11] He marketed and exported meat products throughout the world with Celtic Foods Ltd from 1995 to 2000 and provided consultancy to other meat export firms from 2000 to 2002.[11] He ran his own estate agency and property solutions provider from 2006 to 2017.[12]

Political career

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Seanad Éireann (2002–2016)

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Following his election to the Seanad in 2002, he was appointed Seanad spokesperson on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.[13] He was re-elected in 2007 and was appointed Seanad spokesperson on Finance.[14]

On 31 January 2011, prior to that year's general election, MacSharry was appointed to the Fianna Fáil frontbench by the new party leader Micheál Martin, as spokesperson on Tourism and Arts. MacSharry was a candidate at the 2011 general election in the Sligo–North Leitrim constituency, but was not elected.[14] He was re-elected to the Seanad in April 2011 and was appointed Fianna Fáil Seanad spokesperson on Health.

Following the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the consequent mortgage arrears crisis which ensued in Ireland, MacSharry co-founded the prevention of family home repossessions group, advocating for the protection of the family home.[15]

MacSharry introduced the Family Home Bill 2011 in July 2011 in the Seanad, which would effectively have prevented the granting of an order for the repossession of a primary family residence except in very exceptional circumstances where borrowers were in difficulty due exclusively to willful neglect. The bill was narrowly defeated in the Seanad.[16]

In 2012, collaborating with Seanad colleague and professor of oncology at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin, John Crown, MacSharry introduced the Access to Cancer Treatment Bill to the Seanad which sought to simplify the approval process to ensure early access for patients to avail of expensive breakthrough cancer drugs.[17][18] The bill was defeated by one vote.[17][18]

MacSharry authored a Fianna Fáil policy paper in February 2013 entitled, Actions Speak Louder than Words, which promoted the case for and approach to be taken for a reduction in loss of life through suicide by 30 percent.[19] To progress proposals to increase funding for suicide prevention and mental health measures, he introduced the Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill in 2014 to the Seanad which was defeated.[20]

Dáil Éireann (2016–present)

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In the 2016 general election, MacSharry was elected on his second attempt, topping the poll in the newly reformed Sligo–Leitrim constituency with 8,856 votes (14.2%), to take a seat in the constituency his father Ray had served in.

In 2018, the Dáil was suspended for ten minutes because of an allegedly anti-semitic remark made by MacSharry. While discussing the reduction of hours in a Garda station in Donegal town, MacSharry alleged that the government was like Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, and shouted "Goebbels" at the government's benches. Minister for Justice Charles Flanagan and Minister for Health Simon Harris called on MacSharry to withdraw the remark, with Harris calling the comment "anti-semitic" and "an attack on the Jewish Community", but MacSharry's Fianna Fáil colleague, Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail, did not call on MacSharry to withdraw the remark.[21]

In 2020, MacSharry was re-elected in the same constituency, albeit with a reduced share of 7,004 votes (11.5%), being elected on the final count over his Fianna Fáil running mate Eamon Scanlon.

MacSharry caused controversy in 2020 when he accused public servants of "laziness" and said they were "using the COVID-19 crisis as an excuse to "lie on the couch and watch box sets". The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants called on MacSharry to withdraw the remark, calling it "ill-informed and ill-considered" and requesting an apology from MacSharry, but MacSharry refused to, saying "Of course, such comments aren't popular, but it needs to be said."[22][23]

MacSharry criticised Fáilte Ireland and his Fianna Fáil colleague at the time Stephen Donnelly on the public health guidelines they had issued regarding the opening of pubs and restaurants across Ireland, comparing them to the East German intelligence agency the Stasi.[24][25]

In January 2021, MacSharry attracted further controversy for his comments made during a Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting, in which he said that "if the Ku Klux Klan were selling a COVID-19 vaccine, Ireland should buy it".[26][27]

During his time in Fianna Fáil, MacSharry was very critical of Micheál Martin, calling on him to resign as leader of Fianna Fáil multiple times. He first called on Martin to resign in June 2021 after it had emerged Fianna Fáil had used covertly polled voters while pretending to be independent pollsters.[28] In July 2021, MacSharry again called on Martin to resign after Fianna Fáil's poor performance in the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election, in which Fianna Fáil's candidate Deidre Conroy received under 5 percent of the vote.[29] It was revealed that month that MacSharry was seeking out TDs in his party to put forward a motion of no confidence in Martin.[30]

MacSharry published a paper, Now More Than Ever in July 2021 on the impact of COVID-19 related restrictions on the mental health of society suggesting no further lockdowns should be considered.[31]

On 15 September 2021, MacSharry resigned from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party in order to vote against Simon Coveney of Fine Gael in a motion of no confidence resulting from the Katherine Zappone controversy.[4]

On 2 November 2022, MacSharry was prevented from rejoining Fianna Fáil following a row over the handling of a bullying complaint against him.[5]

On 18 October 2023, MacSharry announced that he would not contest the next general election.[32]

Personal life

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MacSharry was married to Marie Murphy from 2003 to 2016, when they separated. MacSharry has three children and lives in Strandhill, County Sligo.[33]

MacSharry was an amateur actor appearing in several stage productions, winning the All-Ireland One-Act Drama Championship in 1997 and performing at a world drama festival in Monte Carlo with the Carlow Little Theatre Festival in August of that year.[34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Marc MacSharry". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  2. ^ McQuinn, Cormac; Horgan-Jones, Jack. "Marc MacSharry quits Fianna Fáil parliamentary party". The Irish Times.
  3. ^ "'You're expected to be happy just to be on Fianna Fáil bus,' says Marc MacSharry". Irish Independent. 18 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Marc MacSharry resigns from FF parliamentary party ahead of Coveney vote". Irish Examiner. 15 September 2021. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Marc MacSharry resigns from Fianna Fáil". RTÉ News. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  6. ^ ""Taoiseach 'strongly rejects' claims he used bullying complaint against Marc MacSharry to delay his return to party"". Irish Independent. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Death of Mrs. Elaine MacSharry". independent. 23 January 2008.
  8. ^ "Marc MacSharry, class '91, Teachta Dála". KnockUnion.ie.
  9. ^ "Marc Mac Sharry". Ulster University.
  10. ^ Collins, Stephen (2011). Nealon's Guide to the 31st Dáil and 24th Seanad. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 204. ISBN 9780717150595.
  11. ^ a b "Marc MacSharry | Report of the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis".
  12. ^ "Marc Mac Sharry Properties | Estate Agents Sligo | Properties In Sligo". www.propertysteps.ie.
  13. ^ "Profile: Sen Marc Mac Sharry". The Anglo-Celt. 11 February 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Marc MacSharry". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  15. ^ "Lenihan backing for Sligo groups proposals to save family homes". independent. 31 March 2010.
  16. ^ "Family Home Bill 2011: Second Stage – Seanad Éireann (24th Seanad)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 27 July 2011.
  17. ^ a b "Professor John Crown". St Vincent's Private Hospital.
  18. ^ a b "Access to Cancer Treatment Bill 2012: Second Stage – Seanad Éireann (24th Seanad)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 11 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Radical Reform Can Reduce Suicide Rates by 30%". www.fiannafail.ie.
  20. ^ "Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage – Seanad Éireann (24th Seanad)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 2 July 2014.
  21. ^ O'Halloran, Marie. "Dáil suspended following row over 'anti-Semitic' Nazi remark". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  22. ^ Finn, Christina (30 July 2020). "'It's not popular, but needs to be said': MacSharry defends saying some civil servants using lockdown to watch box sets". The Journal. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  23. ^ Bray, Jennifer; Bowers, Shauna; Hutton, Brian. "'Huge anger' as public servants and Fianna Fáil react to Marc MacSharry 'box sets' remark". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  24. ^ McConnell, Daniel; Loughlin, Elaine; Glennon, Nicole (4 September 2020). "Donnelly under fire from publicans and backbenchers over 'crazy' new food recording rules". The Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  25. ^ Wall, Eva (3 September 2020). "Fianna Fail TD Marc MacSharry urges Government to alter new 'Stasi-like' guidelines for pubs". Extra.ie. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  26. ^ Molony, Senan (27 January 2021). "Fianna Fáil TD apologises for saying Ireland should buy Covid vaccine from the Ku Klux Klan if necessary". The Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  27. ^ "TD apologises for saying Ireland should buy vaccines from Ku Klux Klan". Breakingnews.ie. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  28. ^ "Fianna Fáil TD calls for Micheál Martin to resign over fake polling controversy". independent. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  29. ^ Murphy, Eoghan. "MacSharry says Martin should step down as Fianna Fáil leader this summer". Newstalk. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  30. ^ "Marc MacSharry actively seeking rebel TDs in bid to drive out Micheál Martin". independent. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry issues research paper calling for no further lockdowns to protect public's mental health". independent. 13 July 2021.
  32. ^ Leahy, Pat. "Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry to retire from politics at next election". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  33. ^ O'Halloran, Marie. "Sligo TD references D-Day landings in criticism of seafront bollards". The Irish Times.
  34. ^ "Mac is Back on cue and on stage!". Irish Independent. 6 March 2002.
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