Labour of love: Brendan Howlin brings 36-year Dáil stint to an end

The TD and former government minister reflects on his near four decades in Irish politics

Labour Party TD Brendan Howlin has confirmed he will not be contesting the next general election. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

“It was the most difficult period, as I say, since independence in my judgement, because we genuinely, day to day didn’t know whether Ireland economically could survive."

Speaking to the Irish Examiner last year, Brendan Howlin laid out just how bleak the economic situation was when he and the Fine Gael-Labour coalition came to office in 2011.