Michael McGrath's ability as a commanding and effective finance spokesman has been acknowledged in the Dáil by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan when he described him as a young man with a good future. A constituency colleague of Fianna Fáil party leader Micheal Martin and potential successor, he has a strong constituency organisation based in Carrigaline and is very popular with the party membership. A member of the banking inquiry he was forensic in his attention to detail, a characteristic he has displayed at question time and in debates. A sure-footed media performer, he has acknowledged the Government's economic achievements while being cutting and incisive in his criticisms. In the last Dáil he introduced a number of private member's Bills and repeatedly raised issues such as the standard variable rate mortgage interest that is twice as high in Ireland as the EU average. He is married to Sarah O'Brien and they have seven children.