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17th July 2024
09:39am BST
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced he will not be standing in the next general election.
He is the 14th Fine Gael member to announce their departure, including former Tánaiste Simon Coveney and former ministers Josepha Madigan, Richard Bruton.
The 45-year-old said he was not seeking nomination as the "time has come" for him to "explore new options and opportunities".
Leo Varadkar announced he will not stand in the next general election. He becomes the 14th Fine Gael party member to announce their departure pic.twitter.com/VrZ0AYEajS
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) July 16, 2024
Varadkar told party members on Tuesday evening: “I have decided that I will not be seeking a nomination to contest the next General Election. I am doing so now as I want to give potential nominees sufficient time to prepare for the Selection Convention in September.
"I was also very keen to make this announcement in person and to thank all of you who have supported me and canvassed for me since I first ran for election back in 1999.
"I have been an elected representative for more than 20 years and have been elected on five occasions, first to represent the Castleknock/Blanchardstown area on Fingal County Council and subsequently to represent Dublin West in Dáil Éireann in four consecutive elections.
"It has been the privilege of my life and I am so grateful to have had the chance to serve my community and my country as a councillor and a TD."
Mr Varadkar first became Taoiseach in 2017 and returned to the role in 2022 in a rotating seat with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin.
He formally stepped down from the job in April, with Simon Harris elected Taoiseach the following day.
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