Fine Gael TD for Mayo Michael Ring has announced that he is not running in the next general election after 45 years as an elected representative, being first elected in 1979.
Ring, aged 70, served as a Councillor for 15 years, before serving as a TD for a further 30 years. During this time he held a number of Ministerial portfolios, including Minister for Rural and Community Development, Minister for Regional Economic Development, and more.
“After much consideration and reflection with my family and supporters, I have decided that I will not be seeking a nomination to contest the next General Election,” he said in a statement, describing his time in politics as “the privilege of my life.”
“Our party boasts strong leadership in Taoiseach Simon Harris, and a dynamic team of ministers,” he continued.
“We have enjoyed great success in recent elections, and I am confident in our prospects moving forward…Representing you has been an honour and I am proud of what we have accomplished together.”
Now with Michael Ring withdrawing from the race, there are at least 14 Fine Gael TDs no longer running in the next general election.
These including former Taosieach and ex-Fine Gael party leader Leo Varadkar, former Fine Gael Deputy Leader Simon Coveney, Ciarán Cannon, John Paul Phelan, Michael Creed, Charlie Flanagan, Brendan Griffin, Joe McHugh, Fergus O’Dowd, David Stanton, Richard Bruton, Paul Kehoe, Josepha Madigan, and now Michael Ring.
Fine Gael currently has a total of 34 Dáil seats, meaning that to date at least 41% of their current TDs will not be seeking re-election.
On the Fianna Fáil front, Sean Haughey TD – son of the former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil party leader Charlie Haughey – announced earlier this year that he is retiring from politics. Fianna Fáil TD Eamon Ó Cuiv, the grandson of Eamon de Valera, has also announced that he will not be running in the next election.
While they’re not retiring from politics, Fianna Fáil Finance Minister Michael McGrath has gone to Brussels to become a European Commissioner, and Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen was elected as an MEP, meaning neither man will be contesting the next general election.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will no longer be contesting the General Election and will be stepping away from electoral politics.
Sinn Féin TD Kathleen Funchion has left the Dáil to become an MEP, and so will not be contesting the next general election, nor will Sinn Féin’s Imelda Munster.
For the Labour Party, former party leader Brendan Howlin, and Labour TD Sean Sherlock will not be standing for election again, while Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin was elected to the European Parliament, meaning he will not be running either.
On the part of the Social Democrats, party co-founders Roisín Shortall and Catherine Murphy will not be seeking re-election at the next election.
Meanwhile, People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith will not be standing again.
A number of Independent TDs will not be running either, including Marc MacSharry, Denis Naughten, and Michael McNamara (who was elected to the European Parliament).
This adds up to a total of 30 TDs not running again out of the total 160 – 18% of the current crop.