The decision of Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary South, Noel Davern, not to contest the next general election has opened the door for the Taoiseach's former adviser on Northern Ireland, Senator Martin Mansergh, to win election to the next Dáil.
Mr Davern, who is 60, served as a cabinet minister, a minister of State and an MEP during his long political career. He was first elected to the Dáil in 1969 after winning a seat previously held by his brother, Don Davern, who died suddenly in 1968. His father, Michael Davern, who retired in 1965, was also a Fianna Fáil TD.
Mr Davern became a member of the first directly elected European Parliament in 1979 but lost his seat five years later and decided to return to Irish politics.
He served as minister for education between November 1991 and February 1992. After the Fianna Fáil election victory in 1997 he was appointed minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food between 1997 and 2002. He is currently chairman of the Members' Interest Committee and leader of the Irish delegation to the Council of Europe.
At the last general election Senator Mansergh stood as Mr Davern's running-mate, but failed to get elected in the three-seat constituency, where Fianna Fáil has one seat.
At the next election Mr Mansergh is likely to be joined on the Fianna Fáil ticket by Cllr Mattie McGrath, who is currently chairman of South Tipperary County Council. Fine Gael has one seat in the constituency, with the other held by Independent Socialist Séamus Healy.
Mr Davern is the third Fianna Fáil TD to announce his retirement from politics recently. Shortly before Christmas Síle de Valera, Minister of State at the Department of Education, announced she would not be standing again in Clare, while first-time Wexford TD, Tony Dempsey, also announced he would not be contesting the election.
