Question marks over whether Clare TD Joe Carey will make Dáil return

Fine Gael TD was treated in hospital for cardiac issues in March and is still out on sick leave

Joe Carey was rushed to hospital in March after experiencing breathing difficulties and has been treated for cardiac issues. Picture: Eamon Ward

Question marks remain over whether Clare TD Joe Carey will return to the Dáil due to ongoing health issues.

The Fine Gael TD was rushed to hospital in March after experiencing breathing difficulties and has been treated for cardiac issues.

Mr Carey's office confirmed he "continues to be out on sick leave" and is "continuing to recuperate". However, they could not say whether he will be back in Leinster House when the Dáil returns next week.

His sister Leonora, who previously served as chair of the Fine Gael executive council, has been seen attending public meetings in the constituency in recent weeks, fuelling speculation around Mr Carey's future in politics.

The 47-year-old was admitted to a cardiology unit at University Hospital Limerick after spending a couple of nights on a trolley in the emergency department.

In a video posted shortly afterwards, Mr Carey said he became ill at his home and "could not breathe at all" for about half an hour.

Mr Carey, who has been a TD since 2007, and is the son of former junior minister Donal Carey, thanked staff for the "exceptional care" he received.

He added he had given up smoking 30 days before the health scare, which he said was one of the "best things" he had done.

It comes as speculation mounts around the political future of a number of Fine Gael TDs.

Addressing the fact that seven TDs have already announced they will not be running in the next election, Leo Varadkar confirmed he expected "one or two" more to resign.

In January, the Irish Examiner reported that up to nine TDs would step down, with speculation mounting about a number of other senior politicians, including Paul Kehoe, Charlie Flanagan, Fergus O'Dowd, and Frankie Feighan.

Mr Varadkar insisted resignations were natural in any organisation and he remained focused on leading his party into the next general election.

“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," Mr Varadkar said.

“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."