Jim Daly (politician)

Jim Daly (born 20 December 1972) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People from 2017 to 2020 and Chair of the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs from 2016 to 2017. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork South-West constituency from 2011 to 2020.[1][2]

Jim Daly
Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People
In office 20 June 2017 – 27 June 2020
Taoiseach	Leo Varadkar
Preceded by	Helen McEntee
Succeeded by	Mary Butler
Chair of the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs
In office 4 April 2016 – 8 July 2017
Preceded by	Jerry Buttimer
Succeeded by	Alan Farrell
Teachta Dála
In office February 2011 – February 2020
Constituency	Cork South-West
Personal details
Born	James Daly (1972-12-20) 20 December 1972 Drinagh, County Cork, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fine Gael
Spouse(s)	Virge Daly (m. 2001)
Children	5
Alma mater	NUI Maynooth Mary Immaculate College
Website	jimdaly.ie

Prior to being elected to the Dáil, he was a member of Cork County Council for the Skibbereen local electoral area from 2004 to 2011.[1] He ran unsuccessfully for the Seanad in 2007.[3]

A native of Drinagh, County Cork, Daly is from a family of 11 children. He attended secondary school at Maria Immaculata, Dunmanway.

He studied at NUI Maynooth, and Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, becoming a primary school teacher[4] and he was later Principal of Gaelscoil Dr Uí Shúilleabháin in Skibbereen.[5]

After appearing on Tonight with Vincent Browne in 2012, Daly was diagnosed with skin cancer by a doctor watching at home.[6]

He appeared on Claire Byrne Live on 22 January 2018, where he suggested a government issued ID should be a requirement for logging into social media websites.

On 20 September 2019, he announced that he would not contest the next general election.[7]