TDs and Senators can no longer serve as chairperson or vice-chair of the Labour party, conference decided in a move described as "sectarian".

Delegates supported a motion proposed by Cathal McCann of Dublin South East constituency that the chair of the party should be an ordinary member. But opposing the motion, Limerick delegate Niall Green said it "is well intentioned but sectarian in effect".

Mr McCann said “the Labour party isn’t just the Dáil or Seanad”, it was in every member’s community, in their GAA clubs, everywhere.

He said the party was for all its members.

Mr Green said that was precisely the reason the motion should be rejected, because it excluded members who were in the Oireachtas.

Mr Green, a Labour member since 1964, said that in the party’s history just four Oireachtas members had served as chairperson – Barry Desmond, Breeda Moynihan Cronin, Michael D Higgins and former party TD Colm Keaveney.

“They were elected, they weren’t appointed,” he said.