Minister for Enterprise Batt O’Keeffe has no intention of following the example of Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern and will be running in the next election, according to a spokesman.
The spokesman for Mr O’Keeffe yesterday said any suggestion to the contrary was without foundation and the Minister would be a candidate for election to the 31st Dáil.
Mr O’Keeffe, who was appointed Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation last March, was previously Minister for Education and Science. He was first elected to the Dáil in 1987 and currently represents the constituency of Cork North West. Assuming the Budget is approved by the Dáil, most observers anticipate the general election will take place at the end of February or early March, by which time the ancillary legislation should have been approved.
Earlier this week, Mr Ahern said he would retire at the next election.