Independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim Marc MacSharry has announced that he will not run in the next general election.
Mr MacSharry said that it has been an "extraordinary privilege" to serve in the Oireachtas since 2002.
The former Fianna Fáil TD went on to say that it is time to open a new chapter in his life and pursue alternative opportunities.
He said: "I am eternally grateful to all for the opportunity to serve as a TD and Senator over more than 21 years.
"I would like to thank everyone for their support and assistance. I look forward to continuing to work on behalf of the people of Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal and North Roscommon between now and the conclusion of this administration.
"Through the years I have worked to the very best of my ability and now feel it is the correct time to open a new chapter in my life and pursue alternative opportunities."
Reflecting on his career in politics, Mr MacSharry described his style was "based predominantly on truth, integrity and very direct".
He told RTÉ's Drivetime: "I think a challenge that exists in politics nowadays, not just in Ireland, but internationally, is that for many it is the blind pursuit of personal position at any cost.
"That, when also taken against the line that's taken to the contrarian voice, often one of dismissal, is something that's quite dangerous for democracy and it's certainly a challenge for those still in it and those who will come into it."
Leaving Fianna Fáil
Mr MacSharry was first elected as a Senator in 2002 and as a TD for Fianna Fáil in 2016.
During his time in the Seanad, he was the Fianna Fáil spokesman on Marine, Finance, Health and Public Expenditure and in the Dáil, he was spokesman on Transport and Tourism for a period.
Mr MacSharry resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip in September 2021 and ultimately resigned from the party in November last year following a dispute with over the handling of a complaint made against him by a local councillor.
On leaving Fianna Fáil, Mr MacSharry told RTÉ's Drivetime that his decision was based on principle, consistency and integrity, and that "those issues still remain".
He added: "It has been an incredible journey, one that has involved Fianna Fáil and while it was the correct decision for me to resign the whip initially, and ultimately pull away, there were very real, justifiable, tangible and principled reasons for that and they remain and I stand over them."
He is the son of former tánaiste, minister for finance and European commissioner Ray MacSharry.
Marc MacSharry recently completed a Research Masters at University of Ulster and is expected to return to pursue a career in the private sector at the conclusion of the current Dáil.
Additional reporting Mícheál Lehane
