BREAKING: North Kildare TD Catherine Murphy to stand down at next election

Former Social Democrats co-leaders Catherine Murphy and Roisin Shortall have said they will be stepping down at the next general election.

The former co-leaders made the announcement on Tuesday, saying it was time for a new generation to take over.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns paid tribute to Ms Murphy and Ms Shortall after they announced they would not contest the forthcoming general election.

Ms Murphy said: “I love my job and have always had a deep passion for my work and tackling the many pressing social, environmental, economic and governmental issues we still face.

“It has been such a privilege to work in politics alongside colleagues who have shared my energy, commitment and vision for the future.

“It has also been my absolute honour to represent the people of Kildare North and I want to thank them for their continued support for so many years.

“While I am bowing out of representational politics, I will continue to work in whatever way I can to support Holly Cairns and the next generation in Kildare and elsewhere, in advocating for and delivering on a social democratic future.”

Ms Shortall said: “I have been a TD for Dublin North West for almost 32 years and am very proud to have had the opportunity to serve the public in that role.

“Representing my constituents and actively contributing to public debate on national issues have been my priorities as a TD. I have a strong belief in the power of politics as a force for good.

“Politics has enormous potential to make people’s lives better and to create a fairer and more progressive country. I have worked in furtherance of those goals over the course of my career.

“While I have decided to step down from frontline politics, I hope to continue to work to build on progress already made in the development of the Social Democrats party. I truly believe the party can make a major contribution to creating a better Ireland for all.”

Ms Cairns said: “Catherine and Roisin are trailblazers in Irish politics and have accomplished an incredible amount in careers that spanned decades of committed political work and dedicated public service.

“I can say that I would not be in politics were it not for Catherine and Roisin’s decision to set up the Social Democrats. Their commitment to public service, belief in the possibility of a fairer society and dedication to strictly adhering to social democratic principles were, and are, an inspiration to me and many others.

“Catherine and Roisin are now stepping back from frontline politics, but they leave behind a party with strong roots, huge promise and great potential.

“Having nearly doubled our number of councillors in the recent local elections, I am determined to continue to build on that success and grow our number of TDs in the forthcoming general election.”