John Deasy is to leave politics.
The Waterford Fine Gael TD and the Government's special envoy to the US made the announcement today.
His critics say he's not working for Waterford and a vote of no confidence was unanimously passed at a constituency meeting in Dungarvan recently.
Deasy was first elected to Dáil Eireann in 2002 taking over from his father Austin and began his fourth term as a TD in 2016.
Speaking to Beat news, Party-colleague and Carlow Kilkenny Junior Minister John Paul Phelan says he isn't surprised by the departure:
"Sorry in one sense that he's leaving, because he is a very capable man. Politics is very different now, than it was 20 or 30 years ago, when people came in and became their career for life. That won't be the case in the future, because the nature of the job is different now.
John Fitzpatrick is Fine Gael constituency secretary in Waterford.
He says the party had not been officially notified by Deputy Deasy of this decision:
"We had prior notice of it. There was always a chance he was going to announce it at some stage. From a constituency point of view, we wish John all the best."
