Murphy to quit seat to take up full-time role in Europe

Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy is to resign his Cork North-Central seat to allow him take up a new full-time job in Europe.

The former European affairs minister has been employed with the European People’s Party (EPP) in Brussels since 2017 in addition to his duties as a TD.

It is understood that Mr Murphy’s new role is with the European Commission.

He is set to become deputy head of incoming European Commissioner for Innovation Mariya Gabriel’s team and will take up the role in the New Year.

Mr Murphy’s departure will not affect Friday’s Cork North Central by-election.

With a general election expected in the first half of next year, the timing of Mr Murphy’s resignation means the need to hold a by-election to fill his seat within six months would not arise.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been informed of the decision. Should Fine Gael fail to win any of the four by-elections this Friday, then Mr Murphy’s departure will mean the Fine Gael-led Government can no longer pass legislation on its own, even if Fianna Fail abstains.

Mr Murphy, who had the lowest attendance in the Dáil last year, has declared a €26,000 profit in the consultancy firm he set up to handle payments from his role with the EPP. In May 2018, he told constituents he would not be standing in the next general election.

Mr Murphy, who was removed as minister of state for Europe when Mr Varadkar succeeded Enda Kenny as Taoiseach in June 2017, said he was to focus instead on working with the EPP.

He informed Fine Gael party members in Cork North Central in a letter that he would not be contesting the selection convention for the four seat Cork North Central constituency next month.

“I would like to thank you, all members of Fine Gael, for your continued support over the last 20 years that I have been involved in local and national politics,” said Mr Murphy in the letter, adding that it had been “a privilege” to represent Ireland in Europe as a minister of state.

He said he was grateful to the members of Fine Gael for supporting him, especially over the last few years, while working in Europe.