Labour TD Pat Rabbitte spoke to Sean Moncrieff this afternoon about being a backbencher, life after politics and much more.
Deputy Rabbitte told Sean that being sent to the backbench was "disheartening because of the manner of the exit. I think politicians have something in their DNA, that says if you lose the general election thems the rule. You're gone and somebody else takes over in government.
"It's different being interrupted three-quarters through the live of a government, when you're in the middle of a lot of... very significant big projects that are gradually emerging. One would have liked to see that through. But that's not what happened."
On his current life in government, Pat explained how he's currently on the Finance Committee, "which is a very interesting one. Needless to say most of our time is taken over banking and banking related matters. Whatever you can say about that, it's not boring".
Deputy Rabbitte says he does not know if he will run for office again. "To be honest every Monday morning I decide that I won't be running... and then on Tuesday morning I'm definitely running. By Friday I'm really taking it very seriously".
"If you've been consigned to the knacker's yard at 65, your chances probably are not enhanced by the time your 67 or 68, and that's a reality that I have to look at," he added.
On the rumours that he was moving to Newstalk, he said "I mean the story was to the effect that I was replacing George. That seems to me an impossibility. Nobody could replace George… I think it’s fatuous to think that anybody could replace George. A paper won't refuse ink".
You can listen back to the full interview below:
