This article is from page 12 of the 2006-10-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
CLARE TD Síle de Valera is standing over a statement made last February that she would not vacate her junior ministry at the Department of Education until December.
The Minister of State, who last November announced she would retire from politics at the next election, will not say however on what date she will stand down.
Several young politicians are in line for her coveted position in the run up to a General Election, but the front runner is believed to be son of the late controversial Taoiseach Charles J Haughey – Sean Haughey.
Minister de Valera had promised to go by the year’s end after the Taoiseach declared at the beginning of 2006 that there was a tradition in Fianna Fail that TDs not standing in the next election passed on their ministerial position. Minister de Valera said the time of departure had been decided when she told the Taoiseach of her retirement.
She said she “had a job of work to do” and “intended on completing it”.
The Dáil is due to rise on December 15 and if the minister decides to resign in the latter part of the month, her replacement could not be formally appointed until the Dáil next sits on January 3.
Síle de Valera was first elected to the Dáil in 1977, and has represented the Clare constituency since 1987 She has already outlined her plans to write her memoirs and study for a PhD on her retirement.