FIANNA FÁIL TD Jackie Cahill has announced that he will not contest the next general election.

In a statement last night, Cahill said he has decided on “personal grounds following health advice not to put my name forward in the upcoming General Election”.

“This is obviously a very difficult decision,” said Cahill, “and one that I have made following discussions with those closest to me.”

He noted that contesting the general election “is not just a commitment for the upcoming six-week campaign”.

“It is also a five-year commitment to meet the growing demands, both personally and professionally, that being a TD now entails,” said Cahill.

He added: “Being an effective TD requires a great deal of time and energy, and unfortunately, I do not believe that I can continue to make this commitment to the electorate for another five years.”

Cahill said it has been the “honour of my lifetime to serve the people of Tipperary in Dáil Éireann since 2016” and that he is “immensely proud of our party’s historic role in shaping our country”.

Prior to becoming a TD, Cahill served on Tipperary County Council from 2014.

Since 2020, he has served as the chair of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee and was previously the national president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association.

He said he has been a lifelong supporter of Fianna Fáil and that it has “been a privilege to be a Fianna Fáil TD”.

Cahill added that he was “deeply grateful” to his friends and family for their support throughout his political career, and to the Fianna Fáil members “who backed me over the years”.

He said Fianna Fáil will now recommence with the candidate selection process and will be in contact with members in the North Tipperary and in North West Kilkenny “in the very near future in relation to this”.

“I will continue to work hard as your TD until the end of this Dáil term, and I will do all that I can to ensure that we return a Fianna Fáil TD to Dáil Éireann to represent North Tipperary / North West Kilkenny for the next five years and support them in their role,” added Cahill.

It was announced yesterday that the general election will be held within this calendar year.