Jim Mitchell believed in the need for personal accountability within politics, as well as within the public and private sectors. It was the core conviction that underpinned and energised a long and distinguished political career.
His 25 years in the Dáil, as a backbencher, spokesman, minister and deputy leader of Fine Gael, were devoted to serving his constituents, his party and the State. Always a reformer and occasionally a radical, he sought to manipulate and guide political and social change, rather than resist it. A religious man, a liberal, a campaigner for social justice, he never forgot his Dublin working class roots and was incensed by the arrogance sometimes displayed by powerful professional and vested interests.
As a young man, he campaigned for the election of Sean MacBride, former leader of Clann na Poblachta. But he joined Fine Gael in 1967 and promoted its Just Society policies. Mr Mitchell became the youngest Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1976; won a Dáil seat in the following year; and went on to serve in two governments led by Dr Garret FitzGerald. Extraordinarily unselfish in the interests of Fine Gael, he agreed to move his constituency base on three occasions and postponed his retirement, before finally losing out in the last general election. That generosity of spirit was not always recognised or rewarded within Fine Gael but, across party lines, his idealism, common touch, good humour and sheer hard work brought him many friends and admirers.
Mr Mitchell's death, at 56 years of age, marks a serious loss to Irish life and is a devastating blow to his wife and family. His long illness was borne with equanimity and courage. Even while he was quite unwell, as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee investigating the DIRT scandal, he worked extremely long, punishing hours. He produced a report that was damning in its conclusions regarding the operating standards of financial institutions and State agencies and advocated wide-ranging reforms. The report marked the high point of his political career. Mr Mitchell's belief that a number of tribunals had arisen from a failure of ministerial and government accountability caused the Public Accounts Committee to recommend a series of legislative changes designed to give greater financial and investigative independence to parliament. They were accepted by the last government and are in the process of being implemented. Those reforms would be a fitting monument to a politician who believed in accountability and in reining in the powers of the Executive.