SF TD not to contest next election

Sinn Féin TD for Louth Arthur Morgan has announced his intention not to stand in the next general election.

Mr Morgan, who is Sinn Féin’s spokesman on Finance and the Economy, said he was stepping down from politics to concentrate on the family business, a fish processing company.

He was elected to Louth County Council in June 1999 and was subsequently elected to the Dáil in the 2002 General Election. He was re-elected in 2007.

In a statement issued this evening, Mr Morgan said it was a "a great honour" to represent the people of Louth and "a similarly great honour" to represent the Sinn Féin party in Louth and Leinster House.

Mr Morgan said his decision not to seek re-election "would not have been a great secret within the party in Louth or at a National level", adding that he would "really like to go back into business".

The Louth TD thanked the electorate, his colleagues in Sinn Féin and his wife Marion.