SLIGO NORTH Leitrim TD Jimmy Devins, outside the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party since August 2009, and Waterford Labour TD Brian O’Shea have both announced they will not contest the general election.
Dr Devins reiterated his belief that the cessation of breast cancer surgery at Sligo General Hospital was “wrong”. He resigned from the parliamentary party after the loss of cancer services in his Sligo-North Leitrim constituency, along with his colleague Eamon Scanlon.
They remained party members and consistently voted with the Government, however.
Writing in The Irish Timesin August 2009, Dr Devins described resigning the whip as "momentous" and said it reflected the seriousness with which he viewed the Government's decision.
Dr Devins will retire on a TD’s pension of about €20,000 and a pension lump sum of approximately €60,000, along with a series of termination payments and a termination lump sum. He is also entitled to a minister of state’s pension and lump sum.
Mr O’Shea, who has been a TD since 1989, said “the time has come for me to move on”. He also served as a minister of state and was formerly a national school teacher.
“Under the leadership of Eamon Gilmore, the Labour Party has achieved unprecedented levels of support and I believe that the upcoming general election is the appropriate time to introduce new candidates that will be elected,” Mr O’Shea said.
As a TD with more than 20 years service, Mr O’Shea will retire on a pension of about €50,000 and a pension lump sum of approximately €160,000, along with a series of termination payments and a termination lump sum. He is also entitled to a minister of state’s pension and lump sum.
Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews was selected to contest the general election in his Dublin South East constituency last night.
Jim O’Callaghan, a councillor, withdrew his name from the convention. He was on the ticket in 2007, when Mr Andrews won the seat vacated by Eoin Ryan.
In a surprise announcement last night, Fianna Fáil councillor Tom Fleming, twice running mate of Kerry South TD John O’Donoghue, said he would run as an Independent in the election.
The move by the former mayor of Kerry is a worrying development for both the O’Donoghue camp and the Independent Healy-Rae family seat.
