MEP Gay Mitchell has announced that he will not be contesting the European Parliament elections next year. The parliament loses one of its best members and Ireland’s hardest working MEP.

Gay has served in public life with distinction for the past 34 years, since his first election to Dublin City Council in 1979. Gay’s vast experience includes serving as the Lord Mayor of Dublin, a TD for Dublin South-Central for 26 years, and Minister of State for European Affairs.  He has represented Dublin in the European Parliament since his election in 2004 where he has focused on development, economic and monetary issues.

Gay has made an immense contribution to public life in every role he has undertaken from founding the Dublin International IMPAC Literary Award, to reforming the Public Accounts Committee as its chairman – something I have benefitted from directly as a member of the PAC. As an MEP Gay has been strong advocate for Ireland’s position within the European Union and for putting our city of Dublin at the heart of Europe.

I thank Gay for his many years of service to his constituents in Dublin and to the country and I wish him and his family well for the future.  His dedication and integrity are an example to other representatives and he will be a hard act to follow.