Fine Gael TD Ciaran Cannon to step down blaming ‘toxicity in politics’

Fine Gael’s Ciaran Cannon said he will not contest the next general election, citing “coarseness and a toxicity” in politics as one of the reasons he is stepping down.

The TD for Galway East said some of the criticism faced by politicians can be “deeply damaging”, adding that it “feels like it’s open season on you and your family”.

He is among a number of Fine Gael TDs to announce they will stand down at the next general election.

Mr Cannon has worked in politics for 20 years and was first elected to the Dail in 2011.

He has been a Senator, TD and Minister of State.

He was appointed by Enda Kenny as a Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, and later appointed to the Department of Foreign Affairs by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

He was also made a Unicef global champion for education in 2019.

In a statement released on Tuesday morning, Mr Cannon said: “Following a career spanning 20 years, I have decided to leave politics and not contest the next general election.

“I’ve enjoyed politics immensely and have been privileged to work alongside some very committed and talented people.

“After 20 years in any role, I think you begin to reach a point where you’ve given all you can give. I have a deep respect for the people who elected me again and again, and I’m either all in on their behalf, or I’m not.

“It would be remiss of me not to comment on the difference between being a politician now and 20 years ago. That’s also been a factor in my decision to leave.

“There’s a coarseness, a toxicity in politics now that was barely palpable twenty years ago. None of us asks to be put on a pedestal, or to be treated any differently.

“We just ask to be treated with the same civility and respect as anyone else doing their job.

“Yes, politicians are subject to public scrutiny, and rightly so, but what we are experiencing right now goes far beyond that and can be deeply damaging to our wellbeing.

“At times it feels like it’s open season on you and your family. That’s not acceptable, nor indeed sustainable, if we want to have good people choosing politics as a career.

He added: “I was first elected to Dail Eireann in 2011 and the memories of that time are still vivid in my mind. Our country was on its knees and there was a deep sense of having lost control of our future.

“Everyone in Government at the time rolled up their sleeves to do the hard yards and while those years were challenging, there was also a great sense of collegiality and common purpose.

“Thirteen years later, any objective observer would argue that Ireland is a very different country. I was charged with reforming our further education and training provision, to make it fit for purpose so that the thousands of our people who were unemployed could re-skill and begin to make a contribution again.

“Working with a very supportive Minister Ruairi Quinn and exceptional public servants, we did exactly that, and the impact of our work still reverberates today.

“My three years in the Department of Foreign Affairs saw me working with equally exceptional public servants in delivering Ireland’s deeply impactful international development programme and forging stronger links with our Irish community worldwide.”

He also thanked the people of Galway East, saying he is “deeply grateful” for their trust.

“Finally, I want to thank my wife and son who give me the love and support I need to do this job well. My wife is my guiding star, I can’t even begin to describe how pivotal she has been to my work,” he added.

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said he is sorry to see Mr Cannon go, describing him as a “great colleague and a really good friend”.

Asked if he has experienced toxicity in public life, Mr Donohoe said on Tuesday: “I have experienced many of the ups and downs that being in the public eye can bring.

“But alongside that, I’d also say that you do also experience the rewards of being in public life when constituents or members of the public contact you to recognise an effort that you’ve made or recognised that you’ve made a difference.

“There is a dark undertone to parts of public life, but alongside that there’s a lot that’s in it that is rewarding and enjoyable. Despite the reports that we’re seeing today, it is something that I would encourage anybody to consider.”

Mr Donohoe said online abuse against politicians is something that is seen around Europe.

“If I speak to my colleagues in other European countries, they are all facing the same challenges, are all facing the challenges of societies needing more and wanting their political systems to do better,” he added.

“They’re facing the challenges of when the abuse from a tiny minority can feel like it’s permeating your public life because of the use of social media.

“Then if you are working really hard to try to meet the needs of your constituency, you leave yourself very open to them as well.

“So many of my colleagues in other countries feel the same pressures. Irish politics is not alone in this.”

Mr Varadkar said: “Ciaran is one of the hardest-working and most committed TDs in the Dail.

“Ciaran is a gentleman who will be missed by all who know him or who work with him in the Dail. I wish him the very best in his life after politics.”