Candidate hopes to follow in father's footsteps
A Donegal politician hopes to continue a 36-year unbroken family tradition of serving local constituents in the Dáil.
Councillor Jimmy Harte, who has announced he is running as an independent General Election candidate in Donegal North East, is the son of Paddy Harte who was elected as a Fine Gael TD 11 consecutive times between 1961 and 1997.
Mr Harte, 48, has been a Fine Gael councillor on Letterkenny Town Council and Donegal Co Council since 1996, is campaigning with the slogan: ’Be Smart, Vote Harte’.
Fine Gael chose a one-candidate strategy in constituency and selected Senator Joe McHugh at its convention in March.
However Mr Harte feels he can take a seat as he is currently the only candidate representing the large Letterkenny urban area.
“I know I can get the votes. The votes are there. I know a lot of people through business, politics and sport and I’m confident that they will support me,” he said.
Independent Fianna Fáil merged with the mainstream Fianna Fáil party last month after 35 years in exile and sitting TD Niall Blaney will now contest the General Election for the senior Government partner.
Immediately afterwards, former Government Minister Jim McDaid, who had announced his retirement, also said he intended to regain his seat.
Sitting TD and Oireachtas Committee chairperson Cecelia Keaveney is also running again.
As well as a strong Sinn Féin party campaign, the possibility of Raphoe publican Frank McBrearty Jnr deciding to run as an anti-corruption candidate will further increase competition within the constituency.
“I haven’s decide yet. I will make a decision very soon,” Mr McBrearty said today.
Mr Harte claimed that the Government has constantly displayed a complacent attitude towards Donegal since the late 1990s.
“The effects of this apathy are visible in significant social and economic issues, and I intend to tackle these issues and concerns,” he said.
“High levels of unemployment, poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, increasing crime and an untapped tourism network are just some of the issues that have continued since the last General Election.
“The growth of this constituency has been stunted because nobody is truly fighting the case any more.”
Paddy Harte, a former parliamentary secretary to Posts and Telegraphs Minister Conor Cruise O’Brien in the 1970s, lost out to Harry Blaney in the 1997 geneal election.
He played a major role in the establishment of the Messines Peace Park in Belgium in 1998 to commemorate all the Irishmen, both Catholic and Protestant who died in the First World War.
