Galway County Councillor Noel Thomas has announced that he is leaving Fianna Fáil after becoming disillusioned with the party.
Cllr Thomas, who is based in Connemara, came into dispute with the party last year over criticism of the government’s immigration policy.
He expressed further criticism of Micheál Martin as leader of Fianna Fáil back in January, stating that he was destroying the party.
Cllr Thomas said that he was leaving Fianna Fáil as the party had become detached from the people RTÉ reports.
He confirmed that he still intends to run in the coming local elections as an independent candidate.
Thomas is the second Fianna Fáil councillor to quit the party in recent days after Cllr Seamus Walsh said last week that he was joining the Independent Ireland party.
