By Jonathan McCambridge, PA
Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced he will not be contesting the next general election.
He said the time has come for him to “explore new options and opportunities”.
Mr Varadkar, 45, announced he would resign as taoiseach and Fine Gael leader in March, saying he felt he was no longer the right person to lead his party.
He then described his decision as both “personal and political”.
He was succeeded as party leader and taoiseach by Simon Harris.
He made the announcement that he would not be seeking re-election at a meeting of the Fine Gael Dublin West Constituency Organisation on Tuesday evening.
He said: “I have been an elected representative for more than 20 years and have been elected on five occasions, first to represent the Castleknock/Blanchardstown area on Fingal County Council and subsequently to represent Dublin West in Dail Eireann in four consecutive elections.
“It has been the privilege of my life and I am so grateful to have had the chance to serve my community and my country as a councillor and a TD.
“I have decided that the time has come for me to explore new options and opportunities.
“I have never seen myself as a career politician and I am keen to see how I can make my contribution to society in other ways.”
He said: “I shall, of course, complete my term in Dáil and will continue to be a full time TD until it is dissolved.
“I am making this decision at a time when the Fine Gael party is in good shape.”
The convention to select a candidate or candidates to run for Fine Gael in Dublin West is scheduled for mid-September.
Mr Varadkar’s announcement comes just weeks after former tanaiste Simon Coveney said he would not stand in the next general election.
The next general election in Ireland would take place next year if the coalition government runs its full term, however there has been speculation that a poll could be called before then after Fine Gael and Fianna Fail performed well in recent European and local government elections.
