Outgoing wishes were paid by members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to the chair Jackie Cahill, at the final meeting for this Dáil term.
Cahill recently announced that he will not seek re-election in the upcoming general election “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”.
Independent Senator Victor Boyhan paid tribute to his Oireachtas colleague and said he “understood the brief exceptionally well”.
“He worked well with the members, the department, never afraid to confront or challenge the status quo, and worked effectively with organisations. He included them and encouraged them to come in here in an open, frank way,” Boyhan said.
“I want to be associated with the many good wishes and thanks to Jackie and wish him well for the years ahead,” Boyhan added.
Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice also paid tribute and said Cahill was “one of the most helpful chairs” to ever be on the committee.
CEO of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, Darragh O’Loughlin was present at the meeting and echoed these comments. He said that Cahill was always a “great supporter” of the horse racing industry.
He said that during his time, Cahill was “not just a supporter but a constructive critic, when a constructive critic was needed”.
It is understood that the election will take place on Friday, November 29, and that the Dáil will be dissolved today (Friday, November 8).
This general election will elect TDs for the 34th Dáil. This new Dáil will have 174 members, an increase on 14 seats compared to the outgoing Dáil.
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.