Jackie Cahill, the Fianna Fáil TD and chair of the influential Oireachtas Agricultural Committee, has announced he will not contest the general election.
The announcement on Monday night by Mr Cahill (61), a TD for Tipperary since 2016, came as a surprise as he was expected to contest the Fianna Fáil selection convention for the new constituency of Tipperary North. It is one of the last conventions to be held by Fianna Fáil and Mr Cahill was expected to win it comfortably.
In a statement, Mr Cahill apologised for the sudden nature of the resignation but pointed to the reason behind it, citing personal reasons, including “advice received”.
“After careful consideration and following advice received, I have regretfully decided not to contest the upcoming general election.
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“I sincerely regret the short notice of my decision, but personal circumstances dictated this. I would like to sincerely thank you for the help and support you have given to me over the years.”
Mr Cahill first came to prominence in farm politics and was national president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association.
He has been a high-profile chair of the Agriculture Committee since 2020, and it has been one of the most active parliamentary committees in the Dáil. In recent months, it has examined the question of the EU’s Nitrates Directive, and its impact on Irish farming in depth.
While 18 TDs have announced they will be standing down, only a handful in Fianna Fáil have announced they will not stand. They include veteran TDs Seán Haughey of Dublin Bay North and Éamon Ó Cuív of Galway West.
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