Former brewery executive who became star of DIRT tax avoidance inquiry

A former brewery executive, Mr Jim Mitchell was first elected to the Dail in 1977 for the then constituency of Dublin Ballyfermot. Following constituency boundary changes he was subsequently elected for Dublin West and now represents Dublin Central.

He has served as Minister for Justice (1981-82), Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (1982-84) and Minister for Communications (1984-87). His briefs as frontbench spokesman have included social welfare, environment, labour and communications, justice, and the public service.

He is a member of the Irish Council of the European Movement and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He was first elected to Dublin Corporation in 1974 and in 1976, at the age of 29, became the youngest Lord Mayor in that office's 800-year history.

He was chairman of the Dail Committee of Public Accounts from 1993 to 1994 and chairman of the Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs from 1994 to 1997.

Mr Mitchell is possibly best known for his role as chairman of the inquiry by the Dail committee of Public Accounts committee into the widespread practice of avoiding DIRT by the use of bank accounts designated for non-residents of the State.

He was diagnosed as suffering from a rare form of cancer known as carcinoid, and underwent surgery to remove tumours in January 1977.

As he prepared for the Dirt inquiry in 1999 he was told the carcinoid had returned and that it appeared there were tumours on his liver. He underwent a liver transplant in September last year.

Mr Mitchell has been a constant critic of John Bruton, famously describing him as having a "charismatic deficit".