Local Independent Deputy, Denis Naughten, has confirmed that he will not contest the next General Election, due to take place in 2025.
A statement issued by Deputy Naughten on Monday afternoon cited “personal and professional reasons” as the reason for his decision to step away from national politics.
“I have decided, for both personal and professional reasons, after giving 26 years of my life to national politics that now is the time to step back and explore new opportunities.
“I want to thank the people of counties Longford, Leitrim, Galway and Roscommon most sincerely for their support over the last quarter of a century. It has truly been an honour to represent the people from those counties in Dáil Éireann over that time.
“I want to particularly thank the many people who canvassed for me over the years, some of whom had previously canvassed for my later father Liam. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the staff who have worked with me over the years, in particular Deirdre Concannon, Jill Mellor and my family - their support was always welcome when times were very difficult and challenging.
“I entered politics at a young age, in difficult circumstances, and it was always my intention to turn my hand to something outside politics. The time has now come for that to happen and to provide an opportunity for others to represent the people of this area in Dáil Éireann
“I provided support to the Government as an Independent Deputy at a time when political stability was required, representing my country at international level as Minister, furthering our collective national ambition towards a lower carbon society by imaginative and progressive policies on behalf of all our people.
“Since my initial election, I have fought tirelessly for the improvement and delivery of our health services at both local and national level. Whilst protecting our local services was a condition of my support for the Government, the establishment of an all-party Committee on Health which produced the first Sláintecare report, and which was the genesis of our current pathway, I believe will ultimately prove to be a key turning point in the delivery of a proper and responsive healthcare system in Ireland.
“My achievement in ensuring the delivery of fibre optic broadband to every home in Ireland, something that I had worked on for over 15 years, is something that I regard as a significant step in improving access to the people of all local communities in Ireland that I was honoured to represent and serve,” Deputy Naughten stated.
A native of Drum, Deputy Naughten was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the 1997 general election, aged just 24 having previously been elected to Seanad Éireann in a by-election in January 199, following the tragic death of his father Liam at the age of just 52.
Deputy Naughten remained a member of Fine Gael until his departure from the party in 2011, voting against the Government’s decision to downgrade the hospital services in Roscommon.
Deputy Naughten held a number of pivotal positions on the Fine Gael front bench including Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Transport, Agriculture and Food and Immigration and Integration.
The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, paid tribute to Deputy Naughten for the “enormous contribution he has made to politics nationally and to his native county”.
In a statement, Mr Varadkar acknowledged that the National Broadband Plan would not be a reality today were it not for Deputy Naughten’s work on it during his time as Minister for Communications.
“He also played a crucial role in ensuring that Athlone was designated a growth centre in Project Ireland 2040, helping to secure more jobs and investment for the town as well as the development of TU Shannon,” the Taoiseach concluded.Local Independent Deputy, Denis Naughten, has confirmed that he will not contest the next General Election, due to take place in 2025.
A statement issued by Deputy Naughten on Monday afternoon cited “personal and professional reasons” as the reason for his decision to step away from national politics.
“I have decided, for both personal and professional reasons, after giving 26 years of my life to national politics that now is the time to step back and explore new opportunities.
“I want to thank the people of counties Longford, Leitrim, Galway and Roscommon most sincerely for their support over the last quarter of a century. It has truly been an honour to represent the people from those counties in Dáil Éireann over that time.
“I want to particularly thank the many people who canvassed for me over the years, some of whom had previously canvassed for my later father Liam. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the staff who have worked with me over the years, in particular Deirdre Concannon, Jill Mellor and my family - their support was always welcome when times were very difficult and challenging.
“I entered politics at a young age, in difficult circumstances, and it was always my intention to turn my hand to something outside politics. The time has now come for that to happen and to provide an opportunity for others to represent the people of this area in Dáil Éireann.
“I provided support to the Government as an Independent Deputy at a time when political stability was required, representing my country at international level as Minister, furthering our collective national ambition towards a lower carbon society by imaginative and progressive policies on behalf of all our people.
“Since my initial election, I have fought tirelessly for the improvement and delivery of our health services at both local and national level. Whilst protecting our local services was a condition of my support for the Government, the establishment of an all-party Committee on Health which produced the first Sláintecare report, and which was the genesis of our current pathway, I believe will ultimately prove to be a key turning point in the delivery of a proper and responsive healthcare system in Ireland.
“My achievement in ensuring the delivery of fibre optic broadband to every home in Ireland, something that I had worked on for over 15 years, is something that I regard as a significant step in improving access to the people of all local communities in Ireland that I was honoured to represent and serve,” Deputy Naughten stated.
A native of Drum, Deputy Naughten was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the 1997 general election, aged just 24 having previously been elected to Seanad Éireann in a by-election in January 199, following the tragic death of his father Liam at the age of just 52.
Deputy Naughten remained a member of Fine Gael until his departure from the party in 2011, voting against the Government’s decision to downgrade the hospital services in Roscommon.
Deputy Naughten held a number of pivotal positions on the Fine Gael front bench including Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Transport, Agriculture and Food and Immigration and Integration.
The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, paid tribute to Deputy Naughten for the “enormous contribution he has made to politics nationally and to his native county”.
In a statement, Mr Varadkar acknowledged that the National Broadband Plan would not be a reality today were it not for Deputy Naughten’s work on it during his time as Minister for Communications.
“He also played a crucial role in ensuring that Athlone was designated a growth centre in Project Ireland 2040, helping to secure more jobs and investment for the town as well as the development of TU Shannon,” the Taoiseach concluded.
