Leo Varadkar announces he will not contest next general election

Leo Varadkar has announced that he will not be standing in the next general election.

The former Taoiseach, who stood down from the role earlier this year, said the time has come for him to ‘explore new options and opportunities.’

Speaking at the meeting of the Fine Gael Dublin West Constituency Organisation on Tuesday evening, Mr Varadkar confirmed he would not be running, and said: "I am doing so now as I want to give potential nominees sufficient time to prepare for the Selection Convention in September.

"I have been an elected representative for more than 20 years and have been elected on five occasions, first to represent the Castleknock/Blanchardstown area on Fingal County Council and subsequently to represent Dublin West in Dail Eireann in four consecutive elections," Mr Varadkar said.

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"It has been the privilege of my life and I am so grateful to have had the chance to serve my community and my country as a councillor and a TD. I have decided that the time has come for me to explore new options and opportunities.

"I have never seen myself as a career politician and I am keen to see how I can make my contribution to society in other ways."

"I shall, of course, complete my term in Dáil and will continue to be a full time TD until it is dissolved. I am making this decision at a time when the Fine Gael party is in good shape,” he said.

He was first co-opted as a Councillor to Fingal County Council in 2003 and topped the poll in the 2004 local elections.

He was first elected to the Dáil in 2007 and first took a seat at the Cabinet table in 2011 under the Enda Kenny government.

The next general election in Ireland would take place next year if the coalition government runs its full term, however there has been speculation that a poll could be called before then after Fine Gael and Fianna Fail performed well in recent European and local government elections.

Mr Varadkar, 45, announced he would resign as Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader in March, saying he felt he was no longer the right person to lead his party.

The TD has served as Minister for Transport, Minister for Health and Minister for Social Protection. He served as Taoiseach from 2017 to 2020 and from 2022 to 2024.

He then described his decision as both "personal and political". He was succeeded as party leader and Taoiseach by Simon Harris.