John Paul Phelan, the Fine Gael TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, has announced he will not be standing in the next general election due to ill health, reports RTE.
He suffered a heart attack in 2020 and has yet to fully recover from the therapy program.
Mr Phelan said in a statement that at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, “nearly all came to an end for me”, he said, reports RTE.
He said his doctor advised him to “remove stress,” from his life.
Mr Phelan said: “Very few people get a second chance. I’ve gotten one. I’ve been one of the lucky few. My mandate to be a voice for the people of Carlow and Kilkenny is one which I will continue to serve. I will work as hard as ever for the remainder of this Dáil term, serving all of my constituents, all of the time. There is unfinished business and I will continue to deliver for this constituency,” reports RTE.
Mr Phelan previously served as Secretary of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government but was not reappointed in 2020.
He was first elected TD in 2011, having previously served two terms in the Seanad. In 1999 he was elected to the board for the first time.
While Mr Phelan was a strong supporter of Leo Varadkar in the Fine Gael leadership challenge, he had become more critical in recent years since returning to the backbenches, reports RTE.
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