Former tánaiste and minister for agriculture Simon Coveney has today (Wednesday, July 10) confirmed that he will not stand in the next general election.
The 52-year-old Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central was first elected to the Dáil in 1998 in a byelection following the death of his father, Hugh Coveney.
He was later elected to the European Parliament in 2004, and returned to the Dáil in the 2007 general election.
Simon Coveney has been appointed to several ministerial portfolios during his time in office, including agriculture, food and the marine from 2011 to 2016, foreign affairs and most recently enterprise.
In April, Coveney announced that he would not be making himself “available to serve in cabinet”.
He was succeeded as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment by Longford-Westmeath TD Peter Burke.
In a social media post, Coveney said that he has written to Fine Gael members in his constituency to thank them for their support over the past 26 years.
“I will forever be grateful for the faith people in Cork South Central have put in me. Now is the right time for renewal in Fine Gael and for me to change direction,” he said.
In the letter, Coveney, who holds a degree in agriculture and land management, states that he has tried “to do what’s right” for Cork and the country during his political career.
“However, I have come to the view some time ago that it’s time for me to step out of politics at the next election,” he said.
He added that he hopes his constituents will respect his decision “to seek new horizons outside of Dáil Éireann”.
He said that he believes the future is bright and that the Fine Gael party is “strong and ambitious”.
“Our new leader [Simon Harris] has brought an energy that is reinvigorating the organisation at every level,” he added.