Fianna Fáil TD Seán Haughey will not contest next General Election

Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin Bay North Seán Haughey has announced he will not run in the next General Election.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Mr Haughey, who is the son of former taoiseach Charles Haughey, said: "Having devoted all my adult life to public service, I have come to the view that now is the right time for me to step down from frontline politics."

Mr Haughey was first elected to Dublin City Council in 1985, serving as mayor of Dublin in 1989.

He went on to become a senator, and was elected to the Dáil in 1992, representing Dublin North-Central until 2011. He was re-elected as a TD, this time for Dublin Bay North, in 2016.

During his time in the Dáil, Mr Haughey also served as a minister of state in the Department of Education.

Announcing his decision, he thanked his family, party colleagues, and constituents for their loyal support, and said he was "proud that I could carry on a family tradition of public service in the constituency dating right back to the 1950s".

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin paid tribute to Mr Haughey, describing him as "a man of great integrity, a fine parliamentarian and someone who takes pride in being meticulous in every aspect of his work".

"Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a deep commitment to the well-being of those he represents," the Tánaiste said.

Mr Martin added: "It has been a great honour to work alongside him, and I would like to extended my sincere thanks and best wishes to Seán on my own behalf, and on behalf of the Fianna Fáil organisation, as he embarks on a new chapter."