By Tara Maher
Simon Coveney has announced this morning that he will not run in the next general election.
In a letter penned to Fine Gael members in his constituency, he thanked them for their support.
"“Being elected for 26 years has been the privilege of my life. I will forever be grateful for the faith people in CorkSouthCentral have put in me."
“Now is the right time for renewal in FG & for me to change direction. I know I took many by surprise in April when I announced that I would not be available to serve in cabinet after the FG leadership change. I hope that decision made Simon Harris’s challenge of creating renewal within the party a little easier."
"It was the right decision and we’ve seen the benefits of new leadership and fresh faces in cabinet in the elections in June. All my political career I have tried to do what’s right for Cork, for the country that I love and for our party that I’ve given my working life to since the age of 25."
"It’s a career that’s taken me to every corner of the world, from the Oval Office to refugee camps in Gaza, from Belfast to Brussels, from Kiev to the Kremlin, from Turners Cross to Crosshaven and so much more.”
"I hope you can respect my decision to seek new horizons in life outside Dáil Éireann.”
Taoiseach Simon Harris said he wanted to thank Mr Coveney and “wish his family the very best”.
"Simon Coveney is not just a colleague, he is a friend. He has served his constituency, his party and his country with distinction. Most particularly his contribution to protecting our national interest during Brexit is an outstanding legacy,” he said.
We wish Simon all the best!
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