Tributes are being paid to Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey, who has announced his resignation as a public representative.
Deputy Carey, who has been on sick leave since March of last year, has confirmed he will not be a candidate in the next General Election.
It comes as his sister Leonora has announced her intention to seek nomination to run at the party’s Clare convention to run as a candidate in the next general election.
A native of Clarecastle, Joe Carey was first elected to Clare County Council in 1999 at the age of 23.
He trebled his vote and topped the poll in the 2004 local elections, with what was then the highest number of first preferences ever secured by a Clare local election candidate.
In 2007, he won a second seat for Fine Gael in the Clare constituency for the first time in 20 years when he was elected to Dáil Éireann at the age of 31.
His father Donal, who served as Fine Gael TD for Clare from 1982 to 2002 and Minister of State from 1995 to 1997, was the only other candidate to win a second seat for the party in Clare.
Appointed as Deputy Spokesperson on Justice with special responsibility for Juvenile Justice, Joe Carey worked with others to see off the heave on Enda Kenny’s leadership of Fine Gael.
He was re-elected to the Dáil in 2011 for a second term and appointed Assistant Government Chief Whip, having served as Fine Gael Deputy Whip in the previous Dáil.
He has served as a member of the Committee on Procedures and Privileges, was appointed to a number of positions including Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Administration and re-elected for his third Dáil term in 2016, he was appointed to the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly and served as Chairman of the Committee on Sovereign Matters.
Carey also served as a member of the Oireachtas Commission and was subsequently elected chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development.
In February 2020, he was the only sitting Clare TD to be re-elected to the Dáil thereby securing a fourth successive term and in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, he established the Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group and became its Chairperson.
He was appointed temporary Chair of Dáil Éireann by the Ceann Comhairle and became a member of the Oireachtas Commission for a second term and was later selected as Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications.
In a statement to Clare FM, Joe Carey says his decision to resign was based on medical advice, and that he informed Clare Fine Gael party members that he had to put himself, his wife and family first and retire from a job that he loved.
Deputy Carey says in the past year, he suffered a life-altering medical situation that he will be dealing with for the rest of his time on earth and while he’s dearly wish to continue, his decision to step away is based on medical advice.
In his letter to party members, Deputy Carey said he wanted to express his gratitude to them for campaigning with him throughout his political career and says that it has been the greatest honour and privilege to be elected as a Fine Gael TD for County Clare at four successive General Elections.
Joe Carey’s sister, Leonora, meanwhile, has officially confirmed she’ll be seeking a nomination at the party’s Clare convention to run as a candidate in the next general election, hoping to retain the seat held by her brother.
The Clarecastle woman, who has served as Chair of the party’s National Executive Council, is an experienced political strategist at regional and national level and is currently employed as Occupational Therapist Manager with the University of Limerick Hospitals Group, having previously worked with Milford Care Centre.
She’s told Clare FM that the issues facing people in Clare and the Mid-West require a new approach to how politicians can make a real difference to the lives of ordinary people.
The Fine Gael selection convention will be held in The West County Hotel, Ennis on the night of Friday, September 6.
His party colleague Martin Conway is among those paying tribute to Joe Carey.
The Ennistymon Senator has been telling Clare FM’s Fiona Cahill that Joe loved politics, representing the people of Clare and being a TD in Dáil Éireann and he understands how difficult this decision has been for him.
Listen to the full interview here.
Meanwhile Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe has said “I was saddened to hear that Joe Carey will not be contesting the next general election owing to health problems.
“Joe is one of life’s gentlemen and was a good colleague when we both served together on Clare County Council and, more recently, as TD for the Clare Constituency.
“I wish to sincerely thank Joe for his 27 years of unwavering commitment to public office and to representing our county. Whilst the job of TD is an important one and is very demanding, at the end of the day it’s just a job and one’s health and family must come first.
“I wish Joe the very, very best on all fronts but, in particular, on the health front” he concluded.
