The former minister for education Mary Hanafin has been added to the Fianna Fáil general-election ticket in Dún Laoghaire, in a move that is likely to cause some disquiet in the party locally.
Ms Hanafin lost out at a recent selection convention, when it is understood she came third of three candidates seeking a Dáil nomination. At the convention last month, the directive from Fianna Fáil headquarters was to select one candidate, and Councillor Cormac Devlin won. Mr Devlin beat Kate Feeney and Ms Hanafin, who are also both councillors in Dún Laoghaire.
But the party’s national constituencies committee decided last week to add the former minister to the ticket alongside Mr Devlin, and Ms Hanafin has now been informed of the decision.
Fianna Fáil currently has none of the four seats in the constituency; Fine Gael has three. A gain in Dún Laoghaire is an election priority for the Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin.