De Valera to resign as minister

Sile de Valera today announced she is to resign as Minister of State on December 8.

The moves comes almost a year after the Fianna Fáil TD for Clare said she was quitting politics for good by not running for re-election next year.

Ms de Valera, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, has been a TD since 1977.

She also served as Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht & the Islands from 1997 to 2002.

“In my letter to the Taoiseach I thanked him for giving me the honour of serving as Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and as Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science over the last nine years,” she said.

“I also assured him of my continuing support in the run up to and during the forthcoming election and said that I looked forward to celebrating his return to Government for a third consecutive term in office, in June.”

The de Valera name has been associated with politics since 1917.

Ms de Valera is the granddaughter of the former Taoiseach and President, Eamon de Valera, and a cousin of Minister for Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuiv.