Joseph Carey, Fine Gael Politician, Not Seeking Re-election

Joseph Carey, a Fine Gael politician is not seeking re-election, becoming the 16th Fine Gael TD making an announcement of his departure.

Joseph Carey is the 16th public representative who made a decision to leave the party after getting medical advice from his doctor. His sick leave began in March 2023.

(Also read: UUP Leader Doug Beattie Resigns Amid ‘Irreconcilable Differences’)

The 49-year-old was elected in the General Elections of 2020, however, now has planned to quit. He said, “In the past year, I suffered a life-altering medical situation that I will be dealing with for the rest of my time on Earth”.

Joseph Carey specified that his decision remains unchanged as he has to follow the medical advice of his doctor who knows best about his health.

Mr Carey had to take these final steps and announce his resignation as a public representative as he wanted to prioritise his health, his wife and his family. He told the media that it was a hard decision to retire from the job that he loved.

He was thankful that he had been able to serve as a public representative for the past 25 years with all the support of the authorities and the common public. It covered his 17 years as a TD and his eight years as a county council member.

Mr Carey expressed his gratitude to his constituents who decided to elect him for one of the most notable positions in politics and considered him as a right fit to serve the Irish public for years.

Joseph Carey’s ‘thank you’ letter to everyone

In his letter, he made sure that he thanked all his party members who helped him during his campaign days and gave strong assistance throughout his political career.

Joseph Carey specifically mentioned names of people who were with him through thick and thin. The names included Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Ger O’Halloran, Paul Bugler, John Stanton, and Lorraine O’Meara. He considered them as “extraordinary people” without whose support he would not have been where he is now, he said.

Moreover, his appreciation for Fine Gael members remained consistent throughout his note of thanks as he wanted to be grateful for their never-ending patience and hard work. The local councillors, the past and the present members were supportive of his decision, he stated.

He paid special tribute to his sister and brother, and all his friends and extended family members who were with him through his troubled days of illness.

Another important decision has been made that Joseph Carey’s sister, Leonara, would step in as a candidate for the party’s nomination as a replacement of her brother. The nomination would take place at the Clare constituency Fine Gael general election convention going to be conducted on 6 September.

The former Fine Gael politician, Mr Carey entered politics in 1999 and was elected to Clare County Council when he was just 23 years old.

He was successful in retaining his seat in the 2011, 2016 and 2020 elections after getting elected to Dáíl in 2007 when he was as young as 31 years old.

The Taoiseach, Simon Harris, cited in a post on X, “Joe is putting his health first and he has all of our support in Fine Gael on that journey”. Harris was content that he had left Clare constituency at a point where it was already ready and equipped with all the necessary strength to face the challenges of the future.

Some of the other TDs who did not seek re-election are Michael Ring, Michael Creed, Paul Kehoe, Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and John Paul Phelan.

Out of 160 TDs elected in the year 2020, 27 decided not to pursue re-election decisions or simply left politics due to their own reasons.