Ex-minister Hayes pulls out of race for FG election place

FORMER Fine Gael minister Tom Hayes will not seek to be a candidate in the next election.

The Tipperary politician was expected to declare his intention to seek a Fine Gael nomination later this week – but has now decided not to allow his name to go forward.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will oversee a ‘declaration convention’ in Tipperary on Friday. He is putting a considerable focus on the constituency as Fine Gael failed to secure any seat there last year.

“Had the election come earlier, I would have contested it, as I felt the onus was on me to win back the seat,” said Mr Hayes.

“However, the Government is doing an excellent job and it seems there is no appetite for an election in the near future.

“Given my length of service, I feel it is now time to give somebody else a chance.”

He was elected to the Seanad in 1997 and entered the Dáil in the by-election of 2001. He went on to top the poll in every subsequent general election he contested, until the amalgamation of North and South Tipperary for General Election 2016.

He served as chair of the Fine Gael parliamentary party for eight years.

It is expected seven others will now seek the nomination, including ex-TD Noel Coonan, councillors Michael Murphy, Michael Fitzgerald and Mary Hourigan, as well as Garret Ahearn, Shelagh Marshall and Mary Newman.