‘Time to step back and explore new opportunities’

Naughten confirms he won’t contest next general election

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Independent TD Denis Naughten has said the time has come to ‘explore new opportunities’ following confirmation this week that he won’t contest the next general election, which is due to take place in 2025.

Naughten was first elected to the Dáil for the Longford-Roscommon constituency in the 1997 general election, aged just 24. He had previously been elected to the Seanad in a by-election in January of that year following the death of his father Liam in a car crash at the age of 52.

The Drum native was a member of Fine Gael but lost the party whip in 2011 after voting against the Government on the closure of Roscommon Hospital’s A&E.

Naughten was re-elected as an Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway in the 2016 general election and was appointed Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment. However, he resigned from this position just two years later, in October 2018, after coming under fire for attending a dinner with the head of the lead bidder for the National Broadband rollout, David McCourt of Granlahan McCourt.

He was, however, re-elected to Dáil Éireann in February 2020 for the Roscommon-Galway constituency.

Thanking his family, supporters and staff, Deputy Naughten said he had decided that now was the time to step back after giving 26 years of his life to national politics.

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“I want to thank the people of counties Longford, Leitrim, Galway and Roscommon most sincerely for their support over the last quarter of a century. It has truly been an honour to represent the people from those counties in Dáil Éireann over that time,” he said.

“I entered politics at a young age, in difficult circumstances, and it was always my intention to turn my hand to something outside politics. The time has now come for that to happen and to provide an opportunity for others to represent the people of this area in Dáil Éireann.

“I provided support to the Government as an Independent TD at a time when political stability was required, representing my country at international level as Minister, furthering our collective national ambition towards a lower carbon society by imaginative and progressive policies on behalf of all our people.

“Since my initial election, I have fought tirelessly for the improvement and delivery of our health services at both local and national level. Whilst protecting our local services was a condition of my support for the Government, the establishment of an all-party Committee on Health will, I believe, ultimately prove to be a key turning point in the delivery of a proper and responsive healthcare system in Ireland.

“My achievement in ensuring the delivery of fibre optic broadband to every home in Ireland, something that I had worked on for over 15 years, is something that I regard as a significant step in improving access to the people of all local communities in Ireland that I was honoured to represent and serve”.

Taoiseach pays tribute to Naughten

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An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has paid tribute to local TD Denis Naughten, who confirmed on Monday night that he would not be contesting the next general election. Mr Varadkar said the National Broadband Plan wouldn’t have happened without the former Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment.

“I want to pay tribute to Denis Naughten for the enormous contribution he has made to politics nationally, and to his native county,” the Taoiseach said.

“Politics is full of ups and downs, triumphs and disappointments. It’s what you achieve along the way that matters most.

“I am absolutely convinced that the National Broadband Plan would not be a reality today were it not for Deputy Naughten’s work on it as Minister.

“He also played a crucial role in ensuring that Athlone was designated a growth centre in Project Ireland 2040, helping to secure more jobs and investment for the town as well as the development of TU Shannon”.

Local tributes

A number of local public representatives paid tribute to Denis Naughten this week following his announcement.

Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan said he was “honoured” to be elected to the Seanad in 2002 with his then party colleague and continued to work with him in the Oireachtas for the Roscommon-Galway constituency.

Wishing Mr Naughten and his family the “very best for the future”, Deputy Feighan said: “While we may have differed on many policies and proposals, our mutual ambitions were always to do what we could to secure the maximum funding and delivery for the region we both proudly represented,” he said.

Fianna Fáil Senator Eugene Murphy said he would always be grateful to the Independent TD for his “guidance and support” when Murphy was elected to the Dáil in 2016.

“I have no doubt that the experience he will bring to future projects will be invaluable, and I wish him every success for his new ventures,” he said.

Local Fine Gael councillor Liam Callaghan also paid tribute to Naughten this week, describing him as a “very vocal and dedicated frontline politician” for the constituencies he represented.