Simon Coveney stepping down from cabinet came as little surprise. Having chosen not to seek the Fine Gael leadership he contested with Leo Varadkar seven years ago, the former agriculture minister was always likely to step away from Government.
Will Coveney now retire from representational politics altogether at the end of the current Dáil? There has been speculation for months that he might switch from Cork south central to Cork east, where a chunk of his core vote has been relocated to, with Fine Gael colleague David Stanton stepping away.
He could remain in Cork south central, which has gained a seat. There’s even a suggestion he’ll return to Europe, but that is unlikely.
My understanding is that current Fine Gael agriculture spokesman Senator Tim Lombard, who is close to the Cork south central border, won’t be switching in. His sole focus is on winning back a seat for Fine Gael in the Michael Collins heartland of Cork south west. It all means the sector could be losing three former agriculture ministers from the next Dáil, with Michael Creed retiring and Barry Cowen running for Europe.
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