The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, is to retire from the Dail at the next general election, he has announced.
Mr Andrews (64), who has been a Fianna Fail TD for Dun Laoghaire since 1965, was due to make his announcement at a Fianna Fail women's function in his constituency last night on his return from talks in Downing Street. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was also due to attend the function.
Mr Andrews's son, Mr Barry Andrews, is a candidate in the forthcoming local elections and is expected to seek a Fianna Fail nomination to replace his father in the Dail at the next general election.
Mr Andrews, a senior counsel, was government chief whip and parliamentary secretary to Mr Jack Lynch, then taoiseach, from 1970 to 1973. Mr Lynch appointed him minister of state at the Department of Foreign Affairs in July 1977, but Mr Andrews was consigned to the backbenches when Mr Charles Haughey became taoiseach in 1979.
Mr Albert Reynolds revived his ministerial career in 1992, appointing him minister for foreign affairs.
But he was moved to Defence and Marine in 1993 to make way for Mr Dick Spring during the Fianna Fail/Labour coalition.
Keen to be reappointed to Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews was instead asked, in June 1997, to be minister for defence and the marine with responsibility for European affairs. This was an attempt by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to involve him in foreign policy while appointing Mr Ray Burke to the post he wanted, that of minister for foreign affairs.
Following opposition to the separation of European Affairs from Foreign Affairs, the plan was dropped and Mr Andrews was appointed minister for the marine. But within five months the job Mr Andrews wanted became available following the resignation of Mr Burke.
Mr Andrews served in that post throughout negotiations leading up to the signing of the Belfast Agreement. His unorthodox decision last year to go against normal departmental procedures to make a number of diplomatic appointments caused public controversy and anger within the department.