Arthur Morgan to step down

Sinn Fein’s finance spokesman Arthur Morgan said tonight he will not stand in the next general election.

In a statement, Mr Morgan, a Louth TD, said he would not be running for a third term in office as he wished to return to his role in the family fish processing business, of which he is currently a director.

“It has been a great honour to represent the people of this county and it has been a similarly great honour to represent the Sinn Fein party in Louth and Leinster House,” Deputy Morgan said.

He said his decision “would not have been a great secret” in the party.

Thanking both the party organisation in County Louth and the electorate, Deputy Morgan said he intended to remain active within the party.

Long seen as one of Sinn Fein’s more astute TDs, Mr Morgan helped to garner considerable recognition and support for Sinn Fein’s economic analysis and helped end an era when the Irish political establishment routinely dismissed the party’s financial and budgetary policy.

In particular, Mr Morgan has been at the forefront in diagnosing the economic problems facing the 26 County state and much of his analysis has now been widely recognised as both prescient and prudent.

A native of Omeath, Mr Morgan was First elected to the Dublin parliament in 2002, anf retained his seat in the 2007 general election.

The TD is also a former IRA prisoner of war, having been sentenced to 14 years in jail after being arrested on a boat on Carlingford Lough during an operation in 1977. He served seven and a half years in Long Kesh.

The following is the full statement issued tonight by Arthur Morgan:

“I wish to make it known that I will not be seeking re-election to Leinster House as a TD for Louth at the next General Election.

“I have served two terms now as a Sinn Fein TD for Louth. It has been a great honour to represent the people of this county and it has been a similarly great honour to represent the Sinn Fein party in Louth and Leinster House.

“My decision not to seek re-election for a third time is something which would not have been a great secret within the party in Louth or at a National level.

“When I took the decision to run for a Dail seat in Louth I had to step out of the role I had played up to that point in a family business which goes back a very long way in County Louth. I would really like to go back into business.

“I am very contented with my decision and the party organisation both nationally and here in Louth have fully accepted it.

“I want to thank the Sinn Fein organisation in Louth - the membership, election workers and our excellent team of councillors for the support they have given me over the years. A special thanks to the electorate of County Louth for giving me the honour of representing them.

“I will remain active within the party and intend to use the experience I gained as a TD for more than eight years to the benefit of Sinn Fein and the people of County Louth and I will be active and prominent in the campaign to ensure that a Sinn Fein TD is returned for this constituency at the next General Election.

“On a personal note I would like to pay special tribute to my wife Marion without whose support and patience I would not be able to carry the important job as a public representative.”

Arthur Morgan TD

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