Gilmore praises McManus record as Minister, TD and public rep
Issued : Friday 3 September, 2010
Statement by Eamon Gilmore TD
Leader of the Labour Party, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade
Liz McManus advised me some time ago that it was her intention not to seek re-election to the Dail at the next general election.
Liz will be a great loss to the people of Wicklow, to the Labour Party and to the Dail, but I fully respect the decision she has made.
Liz has served more than 30 years as a public representative, including 18 years as a TD. She was an able and committed Deputy, a reforming Minister for Housing during the period of the Rainbow Government and an effective opposition spokesperson in several portfolios. Liz served as an energetic and effective Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2002 to 2007. She will be remembered in particular for her eight years as Party Spokesperson on Health, where she battled endlessly for a fairer and more equitable health service.
Liz is a person of great personal and political courage, always willing to take on vested interests and who was never afraid to take a principled stand on matters of importance to her.
We shared adjoining Dail constituencies for 18 years and she has always been a great personal friend and political colleague.
Liz has a wide range of interests outside of politics and I hope that she will find a way to continue to contribute to public life in Ireland.
On behalf of the Labour Party I want to thank her for her service and to wish her well in the future.
