Josepha Madigan resigns as junior minister and will not contest next election

She said that despite many conversations, she has not changed her mind.

The Dublin Rathdown TD was first elected in 2016 and previously served as Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The news comes as the first blow of the Simon Harris era at the helm of Fine Gael, taking an experienced politician out of the running at the next election.

Ms Madigan said she will have served 10 years as a public representative come May, starting as a councillor in Stillorgan in 2014 and then becoming a TD for Dublin Rathdown in 2016. 

She said it has been a "great honour" to serve as minister of state and at Cabinet, as well as being the party's Director of Elections for the referenda on the Eighth Amendment and on cutting the waiting time for divorce.

She said she intends to support Mr Harris as Taoiseach, but "it will be in a different role".

"Politics is not an easy profession but that does not mean it is not a rewarding one. I hope that people with strong hearts, resilience and courage will continue to enter public life to help better our country and its people. Over the last 10 years I did all I could to achieve that objective."

Mr Varadkar paid tribute to Ms Madigan, saying she is "an extremely hard-working Fine Gael public representative" who has been "dedicated and committed to her work".

We first met at a Strictly Come Dancing charity fundraiser in South Dublin back in 2015 when she was a candidate for the Dáil. My partner, Matt, was one of the competitors. Shane Ross TD, then in opposition, was a judge. We hit it off and have been friends ever since. 

"She is easily one of the kindest and most empathetic politicians I know. Sometimes kindness in politics is seen as weakness. I believe it is one of her strengths," Mr Varadkar said. 

“I appointed her Minister for Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht in 2017 where she kicked off my plan to double expenditure on arts and culture by 2024, which has been achieved. She became the first ever Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion in 2020 with a budget of more than a billion euros, a role we crafted together. She has overseen a significant increase in investment in special education and inclusion. More special classes and special schools have opened and more SNAs and special education teachers are working in schools now, thanks to her work. She has ensured that many more children have the very best start in life.

“Josepha will be missed in the Dáil. I wish her the very best as she takes on a new chapter in her life after politics.”

Education Minister Norma Foley said Ms Madigan "has been hard-working, diligent and hugely committed to her portfolio". 

"She served her constituency of Dublin Rathdown well, and she had a distinguished record in cabinet as Minister for Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht in the previous government. She was an excellent colleague, and I sincerely wish her well in her remaining term as a TD and with all her plans for the future.”

Ms Madigan is one of a number of Fine Gael TDs who have said they will not be running in the next election. 

The list includes Joe McHugh, Brendan Griffin, Michael Creed, David Stanton, Richard Bruton and Charlie Flanagan.

It comes as Mr Varadkar announced on Wednesday he would also be stepping down as Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach. Mr Harris is due to be named as the new party leader in the coming days as no other candidates have put themselves forward to replace Mr Varadkar.