Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill has announced that he will not seek re-election in the upcoming general election.

Cahill said he had made the decision “after much consideration” on personal grounds following health advice.

He added that his decision not to put his name forward was “very difficult, and one that I have made following discussions with those closest to me”.

The Tipperary TD is the current chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and farming and agricultural issues have been a mainstay of his contributions in the Dáil and in the media.

“Putting my name forward for election is not just a commitment for the upcoming six-week campaign; it is also a five-year commitment to meet the growing demands, both personally and professionally, that being a TD now entails.

“Being an effective TD requires a great deal of time and energy, and unfortunately, I do not believe that I can continue to make this commitment to the electorate for another five years,” Cahill said.

He said that serving in the Dáil, and prior to that in Tipperary County Council, was “the honour of my lifetime”.

He added: “I am deeply grateful to my family and friends for their continued support throughout my career.”

A TD since 2016, Cahill expressed his gratitude to “every member of Fianna Fáil who nominated me to run for the party to represent us in Dáil Éireann for a third consecutive time”.

“To the people of Tipperary who elected me in both 2016 and 2020, I thank you for placing your trust in me to be our collective voice in Dáil Éireann.”

In the next general election, the constituency of Tipperary will be replaced by two new constituencies – Tipperary North and Tipperary South, the former of which would have been Cahill’s constituency if he was running for another term.

Tipperary North will also include a portion of north-west Co. Kilkenny.

Cahill said: “It is my understanding that Fianna Fáil headquarters will now recommence with the candidate selection process, and it will be in contact with members of the North Tipperary / North West Kilkenny Fianna Fáil Comhairle Dáil Ceantair in the very near future in relation to this.

“I have always been, and will forever remain a proud supporter and member of Fianna Fáil. I will continue to work hard as your TD until the end of this Dáil term, and I will do all that I can to ensure that we return a Fianna Fáil TD to Dáil Éireann to represent North Tipperary / North West Kilkenny for the next five years and support them in their role,” he added.