Fine Gael is not critically endangered, Taoiseach says on Fota trip

Mr Varadkar, who almost a decade ago said he planned to step down from politics by the time he was 51, also said he has at least one, if not two, general elections left in him

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with Seán McKeown, Director of Fota Wildlife Park and Jim Woulfe, Chairman of Fota Wildlife Park looking at one of the Red Pandas during a visit to Fota Wildlife Park. Photo: Darragh Kane

Fine Gael is a party in renewal, the Taoiseach has insisted, amid an exodus of long-standing TDs.

Leo Varadkar said resignations are natural in any organisation and he remains focused on leading his party into the next general election.

Seven Fine Gael TDs have so far confirmed they will not contest the next general election. At least two more senior members of the party are expected to make similar announcements over the coming weeks.

Speaking during a visit to Fota Wildlife Park in Cork, which runs several breeding programmes for critically endangered species, Mr Varadkar said it is natural to expect resignation announcements in any organisation.

“Fine Gael is a little bit different to many other political parties,” he said. “Most TDs don't get to retire. They tend to lose their seats after one or two terms. We’re different in the sense that we've been electorally successful for a very long time now.

“And we have a huge number of TDs who have been elected for five, six, even 10 times to the Dáil, and some of them are retiring. That's a natural thing in any organisation. We're very much an organisation that is going through a period of renewal.

“I remember in 2020 we had a lot of retirements too.

“Enda Kenny retired, Alan Dillon held that seat. Michael Noonan retired, Kieran O’Donnell took that seat, returned from the Seanad. Frank Feighan took Tony McLoughlin’s seat when he retired. Francis Fitzgerald went on to the European Parliament, and Emer Higgins is a TD there.

The Taoiseach insisted that the party has a succession plan in almost every constituency.

“Sometimes it's a Senator, sometimes it's a high-profile councillor, sometimes it's somebody outside of the party. So in the vast majority of places, we will have new people, new candidates.

“There will be one or two places where it's going to be a bit tricky, but like I say, this is a party that has always been able to find new people and renew itself.

“You just think of Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Neale Richmond, people who people would not have heard of, for the last election, and now they're ministers.” 

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar surrounded by press while feeding a Rothschild Giraffe during his visit to Fota Wildlife Park. Photo: Darragh Kane

Mr Varadkar, who almost a decade ago said he planned to step down from politics by the time he was 51 — comments he later said he regretted making — also said he has at least one, if not two, general elections left in him.

And while he refused to rule out providing guarantees to his coalition partners that there will be no early general election in the wake of a generous budget, he said there was no talk about general elections, that he is absolutely committed to his party, to politics and to his job as Taoiseach.

“Look, there's no consideration or no talk at the moment among the party leaders or in government about the election,” he said. “I understand it's something that people are very interested in. It's absolutely not our focus.

“Our focus is helping people with the cost of living and the budget coming up soon. It's making more progress on housing and health reform. It's making sure children have a better start in life. It's building safer, stronger communities.

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“You know, the next elections people are going to vote in Ireland will be local and European elections.

“I'm 44 so I've at least one more election in me, if not two, and I'm looking forward to that and the newly enlarged constituency of Dublin West.

“I am absolutely committed to politics and haven't thought beyond the next election or the one after that, but am absolutely committed to the job and leading my party and being Taoiseach of the country.” 

Later, Mr Varadkar visited Cobh, Carrigtwohill, and Youghal before later attending a Fine Gael members event in Midleton. He is due to visit Blasket Island on Saturday.