Minister of State for Disability Issues and member of the Independent Alliance Finian McGrath has revealed that he will not contest the upcoming general election, Extra.ie reports.
Following Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s announcement on Tuesday that the general election will be held on Saturday, February 8, the Dublin Bay North TD released a statement outlining his decision to take a step back from parliamentary politics.
Mr McGrath, who was first elected to the Dail in 2002, stated: ‘I have given this matter careful consideration and believe this is the correct decision for my family and me.
‘I am far from retiring and will remain involved in political activism, supporting disability issues. I hope to spend time encouraging some of the 13% of Ireland’s population who have some form of disability to get involved in politics at a local or national level’.Thanking his late wife Anne, his two daughters Caoimhe and Cliodhna and his other family members for their support throughout his parliamentary career, Mr McGrath concluded:
‘Above all, it was a privilege to serve my constituents in Dublin Bay North and I would like to humbly send a heartfelt thank you to every person who voted for me at any time during my political career. Supporting Leo Varadkar’s Fine Gael Government as a member of the Independent Alliance, Mr McGrath was named the first Minister of State for Disability Issues after the 2016 general election.
