The Tipperary TD told colleagues he took the decision for personal circumstances “following health advice” and apologised for short notice of his decision.
In a message to party members, Mr Cahill said: “After careful consideration and following advice I received I have regretfully decided not to contest the upcoming General Election.”
“I sincerely regret the short notice of my decision but personal circumstances dictated this. I would like to sincerely thank you for the help and support you have given to me over the years,” he added.
“It has been the honour of my lifetime to serve the people of Tipperary in Dáil Éireann since 2016, and the people of Thurles prior to that from 2014 as a member of Tipperary County Council.
“I am a lifelong supporter of Fianna Fáil, and I am immensely proud of our Party’s historic role in shaping our country. It has been a privilege to be a Fianna Fáil TD and to work every day on behalf of the people that I have been elected to represent.
“This is obviously a very difficult decision, and one that I have made following discussions with those closest to me. Putting my name forward for election is not just a commitment for the upcoming six-week campaign; it is also a five-year commitment to meet the growing demands, both personally and professionally, that being a TD now entails. Being an effective TD requires a great deal of time and energy, and unfortunately, I do not believe that I can continue to make this commitment to the electorate for another five years.
I am deeply grateful to my family and friends for their continued support throughout my career. I would like to sincerely thank every member of Fianna Fáil who nominated me to run for the Party to represent us in Dáil Éireann for a third consecutive time. I am deeply grateful to all the Fianna Fáil members, supporters, and voters who have backed me over the years.
“To the people of Tipperary who elected me in both 2016 and 2020, I thank you for placing your trust in me to be our collective voice in Dáil Éireann.
It is my understanding that Fianna Fáil Headquarters will now recommence with the candidate selection process, and they will be in contact with members of the North Tipperary / North West Kilkenny Fianna Fáil Comhairle Dáil Ceantair in the very near future in relation to this.
“I have always been, and will forever remain a proud supporter and member of Fianna Fáil. I will continue to work hard as your TD until the end of this Dáil term, and I will do all that I can to ensure that we return a Fianna Fáil TD to Dáil Éireann to represent North Tipperary / North West Kilkenny for the next five years and support them in their role,” Mr Cahill said.
Mr Cahill served two terms as TD after first being elected in the 2016 General Election. He served as the chair of Oireachtas Agriculture Committee chair for the past Dáil term.
The Thurles based farmer was also the former president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA).
Michael Smith Jnr, the councillor son of a former Cabinet minister, is the favourite to replace him as the Fianna Fáil candidate.
Mr Smith Snr served as Defence Minister alongside Micheál Martin in Bertie Ahern’s governments of the late 90s and early 2000s.
Mr Cahill’s sister Kay Cahill Skehan, who is a Tipperary county councillor, may also consider putting her name before convention for the Fianna Fáil constituency ticket.
