LAST UPDATE | 14 hrs ago

TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS has praised outgoing deputy Fine Gael leader Heather Humphreys, who has announced she will not be running in the next general election. 

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has been announced as the party’s new Deputy Leader, which she described as “a great honour”. 

It is a great honour to be appointed Deputy Leader of Fine Gael and I will give my all to the role. I thank Taoiseach Simon Harris for placing his trust in me.https://t.co/CmW9Yt1U2B

— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) October 20, 2024

“I thank Taoiseach Simon Harris for placing his trust in me,” McEntee said in a statement this evening. “He is working with extraordinary energy, with integrity and with competence as Ireland’s new Taoiseach and as the new Leader of Fine Gael. As Deputy Leader, I look forward to working with Simon for our country and for our party.

“I want to pay tribute to my predecessor, colleague and friend Deputy Leader of Fine Gael, Minister Heather Humphreys. She has given over 20 years of exemplary public service to her country, to the people of Monaghan and Cavan, and to the Fine Gael Party. And she has been a friend to me and many throughout. I wish her every happiness with the next chapter of her life.”

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week earlier today, Humphreys said that her decision was down to her being “not physically able to keep going for that long”, to serve another five year Dáil term. 

She said that it had been a difficult decision and when she had told the Taoiseach of her intention in late August, he had asked her to reconsider. 

Humphreys said that she had been “tired” and following the local elections in June, she put in a big effort and was “exhausted” after the campaign.

“That has never happened to me before,” she continued. “And you know that you’re always tired after any election. That’s normal, but you recharge the batteries and you get back to yourself again. But that didn’t happen for me this time, I took time off in August to see if it would help. It didn’t. I spoke to my family, and they were concerned about me. I spoke to medical people.”

She reassured listeners that it was “not the case that [she's] dying to anything”, but she was advised to slow down.

“The problem in politics is if you slow the pace down, somebody else will pass you out. So over the summer, I started to reflect on whether I could keep going, and could I commit to another five years? And the answer was no, because when you go for election, the people put their trust in you to represent them for the next five years, and I couldn’t give that commitment. Because if you can’t give, in my opinion, if you can’t give the job 100% then I’m better not doing it,” she said.

In a statement earlier today, the Taoiseach said, “Heather Humphreys has been a trailblazer in Irish politics”, adding that she has been “a great friend and has been a loyal and dedicated Minister and Deputy Leader”.

“She has been a reforming Minister for Social Protection introducing the long-talked about auto enrolment pension system and pay related social welfare to help people who lose their jobs. Her legacy will be ensuring every child has a hot meal during the school day.”

He also praised her efforts in rural affairs, saying she has overseen “record investment in rural Ireland”. 

“There is not a county in Ireland that has not seen investment under the leadership of Heather.”

Humphreys worked in five different departments throughout her career in politics.

“Anyone who knows Heather knows her entire political career has been driven by a sense of decency, fairness and compassion. She is a proud, mischievous Monaghan woman with a loud laugh and a heart of gold.”

Harris said “health must always come first” after Humphreys cited health reasons in her announcement. 

“I have appointed Minister Helen McEntee as Deputy Leader of Fine Gael. Helen is steeped in the Fine Gael values of equality and opportunity.

“Fine Gael will fight for every vote at the next general election and will take nothing for granted.”

McEntee said she will give her all to the new role as Deputy Leader of Fine Gael. 

“The Fine Gael Party is made up of many wonderful activists and public representatives in every community in our country who are working to ensure we have an Ireland where everyone has an equal chance, where communities all around the country can thrive and flourish. I will continue to work with them to achieve that goal,” she said.

With reporting by Emma Hickey.