Danny Healy-Rae

Danny Healy-Rae
TD
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencyKerry
Personal details
Born
Daniel Healy

(1954-07-16) 16 July 1954 (age 69)
Kilgarvan, County Kerry, Ireland
Political partyIndependent
Spouse
Mary Burke
​
(m. 1985)​
Children4
Parent
RelativesMichael Healy-Rae (brother)

Danny Healy-Rae (born 16 July 1954) is an Irish independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kerry constituency since the 2016 general election.[1][2]

He is a son of Jackie Healy-Rae and brother of fellow constituency TD Michael Healy-Rae. He has worked in plant hire and owns a pub in Kilgarvan, businesses associated with the Healy-Rae family. Prior to entering national politics, he was a member of Kerry County Council from 2004 to 2016 for the Killarney local electoral area.[3]

At the general election in February 2020, his share of he first-preference votes fell from 12.6% to 11.2%, but he was re-elected on the sixth count.[4][5] In May 2020, he called for the Leaving Certificate to go ahead with proper social distancing due to COVID-19, possibly using community centres and public libraries.[6]

Political views

Danny Healy-Rae has garnered a reputation for being one of Irish politics' outspoken figures, and has courted controversy on a number of occasions.[7]

Drink driving permits

In November 2019, Healy-Rae gained attention for proposing 'drink-drive permits’ for people in rural Ireland. He proposed that this would help ease rural isolation and keep pubs open, allowing drivers to have two or three pints of beer before being allowed to drive home on designated roads.[8][9][10]

Healy-Rae, himself a publican, also accused the Irish government of inflicting "damage and mayhem" on rural Ireland with existent drink-driving laws.[11][12]

His comments in the Dáil were met with derision and disapproval by fellow politicians and road safety groups alike.[13]

Climate crisis

Healy-Rae has publicly denied climate change on multiple occasions, stating that he "does not subscribe to climate change" and that "whatever we do on this Earth will not change the weather."[14]

He began to promote climate change denial during 2016, when he stated during an interview with Hot Press magazine that his views about the climate crisis were based on the words of the Bible, claiming that the story of Noah's Ark showed that weather events had fluctuated throughout the centuries.[15] Healy-Rae also stated in the Dáil that "God above is in charge of the weather and we here can't do anything about it" during a debate on the subject.[16]

His climate denial escalated in 2017 when he promoted falsehoods about the climate crisis being a money-making scheme and claiming that the measures put in place following the Paris Agreement were unfair. His comments wrongly conflated climate change with weather.[17]

In February 2020 he issued a public apology having previously stated "to hell with the planet" during an interview with Virgin Media News when asked about his responsibility to protect the environment as well as his constituents.[18][19]

"Vote for the people, stay with the people, and to hell with the planet and the fellas that says we must save the planet and forget about the people – I’m not one of those people, I make no apologies to anyone anywhere for that and I stay with the people as long as the people want me" [20]

COVID-19 breach

In July 2021, Healy-Rae courted controversy when his pub was at the centre of an alleged breach of COVID-19 regulations after video and images were shared on social media showing a large crowd gathered inside the pub as part of a wedding celebration.[21][22]

The footage showed a large gathering of people celebrating without wearing face masks (although these were not legally required), with Danny Healy-Rae pulling a pint at the bar during a time when the Irish government had implemented controls on the number of people able to gather indoors due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.[23][24][25]

Healy-Rae refused to comment on the Garda investigation into the incident, as did his brother, Michael, who was also present at the party.[26]

Healy-Rae and his brother, fellow Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae, have been trenchant critics of the government's COVID-19 policies, particularly for the hospitality and tourism sectors.[27]

Same-sex adoption and abortion

Healy-Rae opposes abortion and was a prominent commentator against changing legislation during the 2018 Irish abortion referendum.[28] During the referendum he was widely criticised for employing a number of shock tactics that were determined to be insensitive and for 'shock factor’.[29][30][31]

He has also repeatedly affirmed that he is against same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption, calling it unnatural for a gay couple to adopt a child.[32][33][34]

On the latter he commented, "What was I very worried about – and still am – is that two men, or two women, could adopt a little baby girl or a little baby boy and these babies would have no say in it."[35][36]

References

  1. ^ "Danny Healy-Rae". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Election 2016: Danny Healy-Rae". RTÉ News. 28 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  3. ^ "Danny Healy-Rae". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  4. ^ Michael, Neil (10 February 2020) [9 February 2020]. "Kerry results: Danny Healy-Rae retains seat on sixth count". Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Election 2020: Kerry". Irish Times. Dublin. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  6. ^ O'Mahoney, John (8 May 2020). "Michael says no but Danny wants exams to proceed". KillarneyToday.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Meet the Healy-Raes: the rural Irish populists who have never lost an electrion". The Guardian. 2 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Healy-Rae call for two pints driving rejected as 'irresponsible'". www.irishtimes.com. The Irish Times. 2 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Danny Healy-Rae calls for drink-driving permits to reduce rural isolation". www.newstalk.com. Newstalk. 14 November 2019.
  10. ^ "'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' – rural drivers should get a 'local two-pint permit', Danny Healy-Rae tells the Dail". www.independent.ie. Irish Independent. 14 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Danny Healy Rae's call for 'drink-drive permits' criticised by road safety groups". www.irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 15 November 2019.
  12. ^ "Danny Healy Rae proposes drink driving permit". www.todayfm.com. Today FM. 14 November 2019.
  13. ^ "'Irresponsible nonsense': Tanaiste dismisses Danny Healy-Rae's call for drink-driving 'permit'". www.thejournal.ie. The Journal. 14 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Danny Healy-Rae says he 'does not subscribe to climate change' and 'whatever we do on this Earth will not change the weather'". www.irishmirror.ie. Irish Mirror. 20 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Danny Healy-Rae: Noah's Ark supports climate theory". www.irishtimes.com. The Irish Times. 18 August 2016.
  16. ^ "'Only God controls the weather', Danny Healy-Rae tells climate change debate". www.irishtimes.com. The Irish Times. 4 May 2016.
  17. ^ "'IT rained for two years in 1740s' – Healy-Rae rejects climate change". www.independent.ie. Irish Independent. 19 October 2017.
  18. ^ "Danny Healy Rae apologises for climate comments". www.rte.ie. RTE. 11 February 2020.
  19. ^ "'I'm very sorry': Danny Healy-Rae withdraws 'to hell with the planet' remark". www.irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 10 February 2020.
  20. ^ "Danny Healy-Rae apologises for 'to hell with planet' comment after confrontation with Green Party candidate". www.thejournal.ie. The Journal. 10 February 2020.
  21. ^ "Gardai launch investigation into "indoor gathering" after Danny Healy Rae controversy". www.joe.ie. Joe. 5 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Gardai making inquiries about gathering at Healy-Rae pub in Kerry". www.irishtimes.com. The Irish Times. 6 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Healy-Rae on garda probe into pub Covid breach: I'm not talking about it to you'". www.irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 23 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Gardai investigating 'gathering' inside Kerry pub after Healy-Rae photo controversy". www.independent.ie. Irish Independent. 19 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Healy-Raes to 'look at circumstances' as pub video emerges". www.rte.ie. RTE. 5 August 2021.
  26. ^ "Healy-Raes decline to comment on video of alleged Covid-19 breaches in Kerry pub". www.irishtimes.com. The Irish Times. 5 August 2021.
  27. ^ "Michael Healy-Rae has 'no idea' about nature of Garda investigation into alleged Covid breach at brother Danny's pub". www.independent.ie. Irish Independent. 24 August 2021.
  28. ^ "Healy-Rae says his views on abortion will never change". www.theirishtimes.com. The Irish Times. 18 January 2018.
  29. ^ "'Shock tactic': Danny Healy-Rae criticised for aborted baby in a bucket story". www.theirishtimes.com. The Irish Times. 7 November 2018.
  30. ^ "Danny Healy-Rae criticised for 'vile comments' in the Dail about abortion". www.thejournal.ue. The Journal. 21 March 2018.
  31. ^ "Danny Healy-Rae criticised for 'hurtful' remarks about abortion in the Dail". www.extra.ie. Extra.ie. 22 March 2018.
  32. ^ "The 12 interviews of xmas: Michael Healy-Rae on courting controversy". www.hotpress.com. Hot Press. 15 December 2017.
  33. ^ "Same-sex couples shouldn't be allowed to raise children, says Danny Healy Rae". www.gcn.ie. GCN. 18 August 2016.
  34. ^ "Healy-Rae to vote against gay marriage". www.irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 14 February 2013.
  35. ^ "Danny Healy-Rae claims it's not 'natural' for gay couples to have children and he worries for their kids". www.irishmirror.ie. Irish Mirror. 18 August 2016.
  36. ^ "Don't let gay couples raise children says Healy-Rae". www.thetimes.co.uk. The Times. 18 August 2016.