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SINN FÉIN TD Jonathan O’Brien has said he won’t be contesting the next general election.
The Cork North Central TD said in a statement that he felt the “time is right to pursue new personal challenges and opportunities”.
Party leader Mary Lou McDonald, meanwhile, said O’Brien had “earned a reputation as one of the strongest and most genuine voices in Irish politics” during his nine years in the Dáil.
The Cork native was first elected to the Dáil in the 2011 general election, earning the most first preference votes in that ballot in Cork North Central.
Prior to that, he served as a councillor on Cork City Council from 2000 to 2011.
In recent times, he has put in strong performances in his role as a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport when it came to matters related to the Football Association of Ireland and its recent woes.
Sinn Féin will now choose a new candidate to contest the Cork North Central seat, with a selection convention for the upcoming general election set to take place on Saturday 18 January.
O’Brien said: “I have always served in public office to the best of my ability as a proud member of Sinn Féin, as an Irish Republican and a socialist.
I believe it is crucial that the people of Cork North Central continue to be represented by a Sinn Féin TD and I will play my part in making sure that we retain this seat by remaining an active member of Sinn Féin, and assisting the party in whatever way I can into the future.
McDonald added: “Someone of Jonathan’s talent and calibre will undoubtedly be missed as a public representative, but I know that Jonathan will remain a proud and committed member of Sinn Féin and will work to retain the Sinn Féin seat in Cork North Central and contribute to the party in other ways into the future.
Jonathan has given a firm commitment that he will continue to serve the people of his constituency to the best of his ability until the next General Election and I have no doubt that he will do that over the coming period.
In the recent by-election in that constituency, Sinn Féin candidate Thomas Gould came third with Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O’Sullivan winning the seat vacated by his party colleague Billy Kelleher.
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Would’ve strolled to re-election
@gm_cmanning: then strolled into the Dail…to be irrelevant.
@SF Knee Knockers: I don’t think so. There are many Labour, FF and FG politicians who take u such roles already.
@SF Knee Knockers: how so?
@SF Knee Knockers: irrelevant? Do you read the papers or watch tv.
Johnathan is one of the best performers in the Dail, big boots left to fill.
@SF Knee Knockers: Genuinely good guy
@Liam Ó hAodha: performer? Should join a circus so.
All I know of him was during the repeal 8th committee meetings and I really liked him. His questioning was totally unbiased and didnt hold back to route out full and clear answers.
Should be involved with FAI, he’d sweep out the chancers and deadwood
One less disruptor
@Paul Dooley: disruptor of what?
@Paul Dooley: He’s been a fantastic representative. You’d know that if you actually knew anything avout the man.
@Ebeneezer Goode: Absolutely agree with you,he is another of the SF’s TDs that have impressed me in the Dail and on Oireachtas Committees, Wishing him all the best in the future including his pursuit of a law degree!
Ireland needs a change, time to bench FFFG and give SF a shot
@Martin Harte: Change means instead of FFG we get to have SFG or SFF. Any preference?
@Martin Harte: they are doing a great job in NI lol
@Patrick O Connell: Actually, they are. Since they pulled the plug over RHI, the north now has legal abortion, same sex marriage and will soon have an Irish language act. All of these are abhorrent to the DUP dinosaurs. Petition of concern bypassed to bring the north into the 21st century!
@Ebeneezer Goode: SF have allowed NI services to sink into a mire to satisfy their narrow partisan politics.
One less to defend those struggling….
Sinn Fein are a spent force, they abandoned nationalism and embraced globalism; go woke go broke.
@Mary’s Abbey: Who will be getting your ethnoreligious nationalism vote then?
@KalEll: No doubt he’s a Gemmabot, sitting in his attic wearing a tinfoil hat.
So What!!!!
@The digenous: So don’t comment. Simples!
Has he smelled the wind of change?
I bet he will slip in to a nice quango job incognito
@Paul Dooley: good for him if he does! Best of luck to him.
@Paul Dooley: with a big pension
@Paul Dooley: FFG have all those tied up….
@Paul Dooley: Is Cognito near Cork?
have your say