Madigan resigns from Cabinet, will not contest next general election

Josepha Madigan has resigned from Cabinet and will not contest the next general election.

First elected in 2016, Madigan will not be contesting the next general election in Dublin Rathdown and she will step away from her position in Cabinet as Minister of State for Education.

Madigan released a statement which said she made her mind to resign last summer, and despite conversations with outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, her mind was not changed.

“We have had many conversations since that have not changed my mind,” she said.

She said representing people has been an “enormous honour”.

Madigan gave her backing to Simon Harris in a leadership campaign that looks increasingly like a coronation for the Wicklow TD.

Statement ?? pic.twitter.com/bFS79e6URd

— Josepha Madigan ??? (@josephamadigan) March 22, 2024

Varadkar paid tribute to Madigan, calling her “an extremely hard-working Fine Gael public representative.”

“From councillor to Minister, she has been dedicated and committed to her work,” he said.

He recalls first meeting Madigan in 2015 when she was a Dáil candidate.

‘We first met at a Strictly Come Dancing charity fundraiser in South Dublin back in 2015 and 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.”

“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.”

Madigan joins Ciarán Cannon in announcing they will not seek re-election, joining veterans such as Richard Bruton in not seeking re-election for the party.