LAST UPDATE | 7 minutes ago
NINE FINE GAEL TDs have now announced that they will not be contesting the next general election, a quarter of the 33 Fine Gael TDs who were elected in 2020.
Wexford representative Paul Kehoe, who was first elected to the Dáil in 2002, became the latest in a string of party members to make such an announcement last night.
The latest exit once again raises questions about the party’s future ahead of the next election, and how the departures reflects on Leo Varadkar’s leadership.
Some of those leaving Fine Gael told The Journal last year that they disagreed that the numbers leaving is a reflection on the party leader, while Varadkar has said there are multiple reasons why someone may choose not to run for re-election, and that it is “normal” within any political party.
Here’s a list of all of the TDs who have said they won’t be running again so far:
In May 2022, Joe McHugh became the first Fine Gael TD to announce that he would not be contesting the next general election.
The Donegal representative said he made the decision to stand down in order to spend more time with his family.
“The reason for this is a simple one. I have three children and, as they grow older, I want to be around more and available to them,” he said.
“Politics is a 24/7 job that demands absolute commitment. I have given politics everything I could throughout my career and it has been my greatest honour to serve as a TD representing the people of Donegal in Dáil Éireann.”
Kerry TD Brendan Griffin confirmed in January 2023 that he would not be standing in the next election.
Griffin, who was elected in 2011, said that family reasons had played a part in his decision to step away from politics.
“The reason for my decision is very straightforward, I want to be around my children for the remaining years of their childhood,” he told Radio Kerry.
He also said that he never envisaged having a long career in politics, adding: “I wanted to give it everything I could while I could, and the minute I felt that I couldn’t give it 100% commitment, I would step back.”
In April last year, Carlow-Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan announced that he would not be standing at the next general election.
The 45-year-old, who was first elected in 2011, cited his health as the main reason for standing down. He had a heart attack during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Once I regained consciousness that day, a doctor asked about my work, lifestyle and the need to remove stress from my life and change how I lived. When I told him my job we both laughed,” he told KCLR radio.
“In reality that prognosis has not changed. As a result I have decided not to seek the Fine Gael nomination to contest the next General Election.”
Cork North West TD and former Agriculture Minister Michael Creed also announced that he would not be contesting the next election in April 2023.
The 60-year-old was first elected to the Dáil in 1989 and held his seat until 2002, when he lost out to his Fine Gael running mate Gerard Murphy. He was re-elected in 2007.
In a statement announcing that he would not be seeking re-election, he said: “Politics by its nature requires renewal and it’s time for me to move on.”
He also told The Journal at the Fine Gael think-in last year that he hasn’t really thought about his retirement, stating that he is focused on the job “until the curtain drops”.
“I just felt it was the right time for me personally, but everybody has their own different circumstances that impact on their own decision making, but I’m quite happy with my own decision.”
Fine Gael TD for Cork East David Stanton announced that he would not seek re-election in May last year after more than 25 years in office.
Stanton said that it had been “the utmost privilege of mine” to represent his constituents since he was first elected to the Dáil in 1997 and that he would continue to work for them in the same manner until the next election.
Speaking to The Journal at the Fine Gael think-in last September, Stanton said: “You have to be realistic, you can’t keep going this way into you 70s.”
In September last year, Dublin Bay North TD Richard Bruton declared his intention to retire at the next election.
The 70-year-old’s career in politics has spanned 41 years, having first been elected to the Dáil in 1982.
Announcing his decision to stand down, Bruton thanked voters and those who had helped him throughout his career, adding: “This is the right time, as new constituencies are forming, to give others the chance to take on the role.”
That same month, former Minister for Justice and Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan announced that he would stand down at the next general election.
First elected to the Dáil in 1987, the Laois-Offaly TD said it was the right time to step away from politics.
“It is now 36 years since I was first elected to Dail Eireann. Between my father Oliver J and myself that’s 80 years of public service and 23 General Elections. In my view now it’s time to pass the baton to a younger generation,” he said.
In November last year, Fergus O’Dowd announced that he would be retiring at the next general election.
O’Dowd, who served in the Louth and East Meath constituency, has been a public representative for 50 years.
The 75-year-old said that it had been “an honour and a privilege” to represent the people of his constituency for that length of time, and that he intends to continue to be a “strong and forceful advocate for improved care and supports for older people”.
Wexford TD Paul Kehoe became the last member of Fine Gael to announce that he would not contest the next election yesterday.
The 51-year-old told supporters at the Wexford Fine Gael Constituency AGM that while it had been a difficult decision to make, he felt that “now is the right time for me and my family”.
Speaking of the number of Fine Gael TDs deciding not to stand in the next election, Minister for Public Expeniture Paschal Donohoe said he believes “it’s a reflection of the fact that we have had a large group of TDs who’ve been in politics for some time, who contested many, many, many elections”.
“They’re all reaching a point, as everybody can do in their career, regarding what else they want to do with their own personal lives and career,” he said.
Donohoe said Fine Gael “is a party that is united under the leadership of Leo Varadkar”.
