Veteran Allen has seen ‘good, bad and ugly’

VETERAN Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen confirmed last night that he will not contest the general election.

The chairman of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee, who has represented the Cork North Central constituency for 31 years, cited personal and health reasons.

He said he told his party leader Enda Kenny, whom he backed in last summer’s failed leadership heave, that he was considering retirement last week, but only reached his final decision yesterday.