One of Fianna Fáil's longest-serving European Parliament members will not be seeking re-election in next year's elections.
Mr Jim Fitzsimons from Navan, Co Meath, has had a 30- year political career, starting with election to Meath County Council in 1974. In his mid-sixties, he is a son of the late senator, Mr Pat Fitzsimons.
Mr Fitzsimons was elected to the Dáil in 1977 and served as a Minister of State at Industry and Energy for a time before the fall of the Fianna Fáil government in 1982. He did not contest the next Dáil election in 1987, having been elected to the European Parliament for the Leinster constituency in 1984. He held his seat at the elections in 1989, 1994 and 1999.
He came to prominence chiefly as a member of the parliament's committee which deals with the environment and consumer protection and he was involved in a campaign to highlight concerns about British Nuclear Fuels' operations at Sellafield.
He represented Fianna Fáil at the 1996 Nirex public inquiry to hear objections to plans to expand the nuclear facilities at Sellafield.