Ms Madigan, who served in cabinet until 2020, will become the 11th Fine Gael TD not to contest the next General Election
Minister of State with Responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan TD has announced her decision to resign Photograph: Gareth Chaney/ Collins PhotosMs Madigan, who served in Cabinet until 2020, will become the 11th Fine Gael TD not to contest the next general election, and the 12th elected in 2020 to step aside from politics.“We have had many conversations since but I have not changed my mind.
“I am today confirming my decision not to contest the next General Election. I am also resigning today from my ministerial position. I wish Simon the very best in forming a new Fine Gael ministerial team to lead the party into the next election.”“I hope that people with strong hearts, resilience and courage will continue to enter public life to help better our country and its people. Over the last ten years I did all I could to achieve that objective,” she wrote on X.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar paid tribute to Josepha as an “extremely hard-working Fine Gael public representative”. “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.