Jimmy Harte
{{Short description|Irish former politician (born 1958)}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| caption =
| nationality = Irish
| office = Senator
| term_start = 25 May 2011
| term_end = 23 September 2015
| constituency = Industrial and Commercial Panel
| office2 = Donegal County Councillor
| term_start2 = June 1999
| term_end2 = April 2011
| constituency2 = Letterkenny
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|2|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Lifford, County Donegal, Ireland
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Labour Party
| otherparty = Fine Gael (1994–2006)
| children = 4
| father = Paddy Harte
| alma_mater = University College Dublin
| website = {{URL|http://jimmyharte.wordpress.com/}}
}}
James Harte (born 27 February 1958) is an Irish former Labour Party politician and was a member of Seanad Éireann from April 2011 to September 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Jimmy-Harte.S.2011-05-25/|title=Jimmy Harte|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=5 November 2011|archive-date=7 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107224808/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Jimmy-Harte.S.2011-05-25|url-status=live}}
Formerly an elected representative of Fine Gael, he left after failing to win the party's nomination for the 2007 general election, and ran unsuccessfully as an independent instead. He joined the Labour Party in 2010, running unsuccessfully for that party at the 2011 general election but was subsequently elected to the Seanad.
Background
Harte was educated at St Eunan's College in Letterkenny,{{cite book|last=Collins|first=Stephen|authorlink=Stephen Collins (journalist)|title=Nealon's Guide to the 31st Dáil and 24th Seanad|year=2011|publisher=Gill & Macmillan|location=Dublin|isbn=9780717150595|page=203}} and obtained a B.A. in Psychology from University College Dublin. He set up his own insurance broker business, Harte Insurances, at the age of 24.
The son of former Fine Gael TD Paddy Harte, he was elected as a Fine Gael candidate to Letterkenny Town Council in 1994 and subsequently to Donegal County Council in 1999. In 2006 he resigned from Fine Gael after failing to secure a nomination from the party to contest the Donegal North-East constituency for the 2007 general election. He subsequently stood as an independent candidate at that election but was not elected.{{cite web|url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=5691|title=Jimmy Harte|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=29 April 2011|archive-date=15 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315002542/http://electionsireland.org///candidate.cfm?id=5691|url-status=live}}
National politics
Harte joined the Labour Party in 2010 and was that party's candidate for the 2011 general election for Donegal North-East, where he was unsuccessful in winning a seat. Harte was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann on the Industrial and Commercial Panel in April 2011. He became the Labour Party Seanad spokesperson on Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation.
In February 2012, he offered to pay for the flight of a Polish worker living in Donegal to return "home" to stop her receiving unemployment benefit and FAS training. It later transpired the article was mistranslated from Polish.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} After it became apparent the article Harte was talking about was mistranslated many people took to Twitter to question him about his opinion. In response Harte began to insult various users. He also accused some users of being xenophobic against Donegal while at the same time accusing other users of being "D4 types" in a derogatory manner. He later removed his comments, though accepted full responsibility for them.{{cite news|url=http://www.highlandradio.com/2012/02/02/senator-harte-says-sorry-for-twitter-outburst-in-wake-of-magda-story/|title=Senator Harte says sorry for Twitter outburst in wake of Magda story|work=Highland Radio|date=2 February 2012|access-date=2 February 2012|archive-date=9 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309175423/http://www.highlandradio.com/2012/02/02/senator-harte-says-sorry-for-twitter-outburst-in-wake-of-magda-story/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/labour-senator-apologises-for-twitter-comments-538286.html|title=Labour Senator apologises for Twitter comments|work=Irish Examiner|date=2 February 2012|access-date=2 February 2012|archive-date=9 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309181300/http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/labour-senator-apologises-for-twitter-comments-538286.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/labour-senator-apologises-over-twitter-insults-following-magda-controversy-344341-Feb2012/|title=Labour Senator apologises over Twitter insults following 'Magda' controversy|work=The Journal.ie|date=2 February 2012|access-date=2 February 2012|archive-date=9 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309181334/http://www.thejournal.ie/labour-senator-apologises-over-twitter-insults-following-magda-controversy-344341-Feb2012/|url-status=live}}
Health
In the early hours of 16 November 2013, Harte was found unconscious at Newmarket Square, Dublin with severe head injuries, having suffered a fall. He was taken to Beaumont Hospital and put in an induced coma, and underwent surgery for a fractured skull and brain trauma.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/labour-senator-jimmy-harte-in-critical-condition-in-hospital-29760416.html|title=Labour senator Jimmy Harte in critical condition in hospital|date=16 November 2013|newspaper=Irish Independent|access-date=17 November 2013|archive-date=17 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117065132/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/labour-senator-jimmy-harte-in-critical-condition-in-hospital-29760416.html|url-status=live}} He had attended the Ireland–Latvia soccer friendly at the Aviva Stadium some hours earlier.{{cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/labour-jimmy-harte-critical-stable-accident-1181448-Nov2013/|title=Labour Senator Jimmy Harte remains in critical but stable condition|date=18 November 2014|work=TheJournal.ie|access-date=18 November 2014|archive-date=9 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309181446/http://www.thejournal.ie/labour-jimmy-harte-critical-stable-accident-1181448-Nov2013/|url-status=live}} In late November 2013, he moved his hand.{{cite news|url=http://www.donegaldaily.com/2013/11/26/senator-harte-showing-small-signs-of-possible-recovery/|title=Senator Harte showing small signs of possible recovery|date=26 November 2013|work=Donegal Daily|access-date=26 November 2013|archive-date=25 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525233023/http://www.donegaldaily.com/2013/11/26/senator-harte-showing-small-signs-of-possible-recovery/|url-status=live}} In January 2014, Harte was transferred back to Beaumont Hospital in a critical condition.{{cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/labour-senator-jimmy-harte-1267939-Jan2014/|title=Labour senator Jimmy Harte transferred back to Dublin, remains in critical condition|date=17 January 2014|work=TheJournal.ie|access-date=17 January 2014|archive-date=9 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309181525/http://www.thejournal.ie/labour-senator-jimmy-harte-1267939-Jan2014/|url-status=live}}
Harte resigned from the Seanad on 23 September 2015,{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/labour-senator-jimmy-harte-resigns-from-upper-house-1.2363369|title=Labour Senator Jimmy Harte resigns from Upper House|work=The Irish Times|date=23 September 2015|access-date=27 September 2021|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084740/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/labour-senator-jimmy-harte-resigns-from-upper-house-1.2363369|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/2015-09-23/8/|title=Seanad Éireann debate – Vol. 242 No. 1|work=Houses of the Oireachtas|date=23 September 2015|access-date=23 August 2024}} and underwent rehabilitative care for 2 years.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/miracle-recovery-for-labours-jimmy-harte-31559627.html|title='Miracle' recovery for Labour's Jimmy Harte|work=Irish Independent|date=26 September 2015|access-date=27 September 2021|archive-date=1 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001110522/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/miracle-recovery-for-labours-jimmy-harte-31559627.html|url-status=live}} As of May 2020, he is in Larissa Lodge Nursing Home.{{cite news|first=Harry|last=Walsh|url=https://donegalnews.com/2020/05/a-song-a-day-keeps-the-blues-away/|title=A song a day keeps the blues away|work=Donegal News|date=9 May 2020|access-date=27 September 2021|archive-date=9 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609204231/https://donegalnews.com/2020/05/a-song-a-day-keeps-the-blues-away/|url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://jimmyharte.wordpress.com/}}
{{Members of the 24th Seanad}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harte, Jimmy}}
Category:Alumni of University College Dublin
Category:People with disorders of consciousness
Category:Fine Gael local councillors
Category:Independent politicians in Ireland
Category:Labour Party (Ireland) senators
Category:Members of Donegal County Council
Category:Members of the 24th Seanad
Category:People educated at St Eunan's College
Category:People with traumatic brain injuries
Category:Politicians from County Donegal
Category:Industrial and Commercial Panel senators
Category:Independent local councillors in the Republic of Ireland