INDEPENDENT TD MARC MacSharry has announced that he does not plan to run in the next general election.

MacSharry, who was a member of Fianna Fáil until last year, was a senator from 2002 until 2016, when he was elected as a TD for Sligo-Leitrim. 

Announcing his decision not to stand in the next election, Mac Sharry said that it has “been an extraordinary privilege to serve in the Oireachtas since 2002″.

“I am eternally grateful to all for the opportunity to serve as a TD and Senator over more than 21 years [...] Through the years I have worked to the very best of my ability and now feel it is the correct time to open a new chapter in my life and pursue alternative opportunities.”

His own media statement said that he is “best known for his straight-talking style as a member of the Committee of Investigation into the Banking Crisis (2013-2016) and his no-nonsense approach and robust questioning as a leading member of the Dáil’s prestigious Public Accounts Committee 2016 – 2021″.

MacSharry resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip in 2021 and later left the party late last year after an internal dispute over a complaint made against him.

His decision not to run in the next election follows similar announcements by several Government TDs.

Among the Fine Gael ranks, TDs Richard Bruton, Brendan Griffin, and John Paul Phelan have all announced this year that they do not plan to run again.

In Opposition, Labour TD and former party leader Brendan Howlin also recently announced his intentions to leave politics.