Veteran TD to stand down at next election
Veteran Labour Party TD Joe Sherlock will not be standing in the next General Election, it emerged tonight.
The Cork East representative announced he would not be seeking a nomination at a meeting of Labour Party members in Mallow this evening at which leader Pat Rabbitte was present.
“With the current Dáil now more than half way through its term of office, I believe that now is an appropriate time to inform the organisation and all supporters and voters of my decision,” he said.
“I have served in the Dáil and Seanad for various periods since 1981. I believe now is the time to give someone else the opportunity to continue the work I have done for the people of North and East Cork into the future.
“At the last General Election, the Labour Party pulled off a great result in Cork East, through excellent vote management between myself and my running mate, John Mulvihill.”
Mr Sherlock said he had made his decision not to seek election again against the background of a strong Labour Party performance in the constituency in the local elections last year and an expanding and developing party organisation.
“The Labour Party has eight public representatives in the Cork East Constituency, between the Dáil, and County and Town councils,” he said.
“I have every confidence that the selection process will result in a candidate who will retain this seat for the Labour Party.
“It has been a great privilege and honour to work on behalf of the Labour Party and the people of Cork East since I was first elected as a public representative and I will continue my efforts right up to the next election day.”
Party leader Pat Rabbitte paid tribute to Mr Sherlock’s almost 40-year career in politics.
“Since he was first elected to public office in 1967, in good times and in bad, Joe Sherlock has worked consistently in the interests of the people of his constituency,” he said.
“In the minds of local people nobody is as identified with the retention of Mallow Hospital as Joe Sherlock who has waged successive campaigns over the years to protect the services provided by the hospital.
“He has been an especially diligent constituency worker something that literally thousands of people will testify to and the welfare of local people has always been his priority.
“We now have the task of retaining the Labour seat in Cork East and I have every confidence in the ability of our local organisation and in the commitment of our members to achieve that goal.”
