THE media's and the public's right to know how politicians lived was not without limits, the chairwoman of the National Women's Council of Ireland, Ms Noreen Byrne, said after Mrs Geoghegan Quinn's announcement.
Ms Byrne said: "Anyone who knows this woman knows she is experienced, resilient, very competent and more than able to take on tough situations. If she says she will not be part of politics if it means sacrificing her family privacy, then that is what she means. And if a woman of the stature of Maire Geoghegan Quinn is experiencing politics in this way, then the already high price of political life is becoming untenable."
She said the right of the media and the public to know about how politicians lived their lives was not without limits. "Of course, we should know if someone seeking to represent us is breaking the law, or is a hypocrite. But we all politicians and journalists included - are entitled to privacy, and so are our families.
She said political parties and the electorate needed to reflect on the implications of Mrs Geoghegan Quinn's decision and to contribute to a constructive debate on the structures and standards of politics and public life.
Transfusion Positive, the support action group for people infected with hepatitis C through contaminated blood transfusions, also expressed regret at Mrs Geoghegan Quinn's decision.
"Transfusion Positive is a nonpolitical organisation; nonetheless from the very beginning of the crisis Maire Geoghegan Quinn has taken a sincere and genuine interest in the plight of the victims of hepatitis C and has been greatly supportive in our fight for justice. She is an enormous talent who will be greatly missed."