*Joe Carey (FG). Photograph: Yvonne Vaughan
CLARE TD, Joe Carey (FG) has resigned as a TD, seventeen months after experiencing “a life-altering medical situation”.
Carey confirmed his exit from politics on Monday morning in a statement, hours before the close of nominations for Fine Gael’s selection convention for the General Election. The four-time TD has been on sick leave since last March. During this time, his team in his constituency office have kept the show on the road while Deputy Carey has not been available for interviews or comment over the past seventeen months.
In a statement, Deputy Carey said the decision was based on medical advice and that he had to put himself, his wife and family first and retire from a job that he loved. “In the past year, I suffered a life-altering medical situation that I will be dealing with for the rest of my time on earth. While I would dearly wish to continue, my decision to step away is based on medical advice”.
First elected to Clare County Council in 1999 at the age of 23, he topped the polls in the 2004 local elections securing the highest ever number of first preference votes by a local election candidate in the county. He won a Dáil seat in 2007 and retained it at General Elections in 2011, 2016 and 2020. His 2007 win saw Carey aged 31 win a second seat for Fine Gael in the Clare constituency for the first time in 20 years when he was elected to Dáil Éireann at the age of 31. His father Donal, who served as Fine Gael TD for Clare from 1982 to 2002 and Minister of State from 1995 to 1997, was the only other candidate to win a second seat for the party in Clare, alongside of course their running mates Pat Breen and Madeline Taylor-Quinn.
To serve as a public representatives for the past twenty five years has been an “absolute privilege” he said. “I want to express my sincere thanks to my constituents who elected me to represent them on Clare County Council and in Dáil Éireann on six separate occasions”.
Clarecastle native Carey in correspondence to Fine Gael members expressed his appreciation to all those who campaigned with him during his political career. “It is hard to believe but 25 years have passed since I was first elected to Clare County Council. It has been the greatest honour and privilege to be elected as a Fine Gael TD for County Clare at four successive general elections. My electoral success would not have been possible without your unwavering support.
“I also want to sincerely thank the extraordinary people who have worked with me in my office over the years especially Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Paul Bugler and Ger O’Halloran and, more recently, John Stanton and Lorraine O’Meara. A big thank you to my election team headed by my Director of Elections, Martin Lynch, and to everybody who canvassed, leaflet dropped, helped in the office, and with postering,” he added.
He added his thanks to all those for their well-wishes during his sick leave. “The Fine Gael parliamentary party have been really supportive as have Oireachtas members from all political parties and none. I have been blown away by the messages, cards, texts, mass bouquets and get-well wishes. I want to take this opportunity to wish Taoiseach, Simon Harris all the best in the forthcoming General Election. His impact has already been spectacular, and I strongly expect the ‘Harris Hop’ to be firmly enjoyed in County Clare and throughout the Country when the next General Election comes around”.
His sister, Leonora has confirmed she will be seeking the party’s nomination for the selection convention as has Senator Martin Conway (FG).
During Joe’s time in the Dáil, he was Deputy Spokesperson on Justice with special responsibility for Juvenile Justice in his first term. He backed Enda Kenny (FG) during an attempted leadership heave. He was appointed Assistant Government Chief Whip for his second term in Leinster House and served as a member of the Committee on Procedures and Privileges and was appointed Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Administration.
For his third term, Carey was appointed to the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly and served as Chairman of the Committee on Sovereign Matters. He served as a member of the Oireachtas Commission and was subsequently elected chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development.
In February 2020, he was the only sitting Clare TD to be re-elected to the Dáil. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, he established the Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group and became its Chairperson. He was appointed temporary Chair of Dáil Éireann by the Ceann Comhairle and became a member of the Oireachtas Commission for a second term. He was later selected as Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications. His absence from securing a Junior Ministry at the time despite being a four-term TD was a big setback.
