Former Fine Gael minister Richard Bruton has confirmed he will not be contesting the next general election.
After more than four decades in the Dáil Mr Bruton said it is the “right time”, with new constituencies being formed, “to give others the chance to take on the role”.
Mr Bruton told his local constituency organisation in Dublin Bay North about his decision at a meeting on Tuesday evening.
In a statement, he thanked voters “for the trust you have shown in me to serve as your local TD for the past 41 years.”
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He said: “It has been a privilege to get the chance to represent you on the Council, in the Dáil, and in cabinet. I will continue to work hard for you up to the end of this Dáil term.”
Mr Bruton also said: “I have been so lucky to be given the chance to hold office under four different Taoisigh, and to be part of some major changes in Irish society. Ireland has made huge strides in that time.
“As I announce my departure from politics, I would encourage anyone with an interest in public life to consider putting their name forward for election. There are many important reforms which only politics can deliver.”
Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, paid tribute to Mr Bruton saying he has had an “immense impact” on Irish politics.
He hailed Mr Bruton’s time as minister for jobs, enterprise and innovation after the last economic crash saying: “He introduced the first Action Plan for Jobs in 2011, when our country was dealing with the devastating impact of high unemployment and emigration.
“It surpassed all targets. 750,000 jobs have been created since then and we are now at record employment. This is Richard’s legacy.”
Mr Varadkar also credited Mr Bruton as being “pivotal” in getting the National Broadband Plan off the ground and for publishing Ireland’s first Climate Action Plan during his time as minister for communications, climate action and the environment.
He said that Mr Bruton’s tenure as minister for education saw the end of the so-called ‘baptism barrier’ “making school admissions fairer for all children, regardless of their religion”.
Dublin Bay North remains a five-seat constituency after the Electoral Commission’s recent boundary review.
It gained some territory from Dublin Fingal but also lost some to neighbouring Dublin North-West.
Mr Varadkar said: “Fine Gael is confident that we will retain our seat in this five seat constituency in which we polled over the quota in 2020.”
Mr Bruton (70) was first elected to the Dáil in 1982.
He was minister for enterprise and employment during the Rainbow coalition led by his brother, former taoiseach John Bruton, in the mid-1990s.
Mr Bruton was unsuccessful in a bid to become Fine Gael leader in 2002 and was among those who lost out to Enda Kenny on that occasion.
He was at the centre of a failed heave against Mr Kenny in 2010 and was sacked as the party’s finance spokesman and deputy leader.
However, Mr Kenny subsequently appointed him as minister for jobs, enterprise and innovation when the coalition between Fine Gael and Labour took power the following year.
He later served as minister for education and later minister for communications, climate action and the environment in the Fine Gael-led minority government of 2016 to 2020.
Mr Bruton was not among those selected by party leader Leo Varadkar for a return to Cabinet after the 2020 general election but was elected as chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party.
He is among a growing number of Fine Gael politicians who have confirmed they will not seek re-election including Carlow-Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan, Kerry TD Brendan Griffin, Cork East TD David Stanton and Cork North-West TD Michael Creed.
A number of other long-serving Fine Gael TDs are expected to seek a return to the Dáil, however. Former Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan (66) has previously publicly said he will run and Fine Gael sources believe Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd (74) also intends to seek re-election.
Kildare North TD Bernard Durkan (78) confirmed that he intends to run again telling the Irish Times: “I’ve always said that I will run for as long as the people elected me. I said that many years ago and I continue to hold that view.”
He added: “As long as you can make a contribution for the people who elect you the obvious thing to do is to continue to do so.”
