Fine Gael nominations for Dublin Bay South by-election to open on Tuesday
Former Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell has yet to confirm speculation she will enter the race. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
Fine Gael nominations for the Dublin Bay South by-election will open tomorrow and close next Monday.
A postal ballot will be held among members in the constituency to select the candidate by the end of May.
Sources within the party have surmised that Fine Gael's quick process may be due to a possible intention to call the election sooner rather than later, with August mooted as a possibility.
Councillor James Geoghegan has announced his intention to run. Ex-TD Kate O’Connell has yet to confirm speculation she will enter the race, despite being urged to do so by her supporters, which includes Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris.
Chay Bowes, the man at the centre of a complaint to the gardaí about the leaking of a confidential GP contract by then taoiseach Leo Varadkar to his friend Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail, is also considering a run and says he lived in the constituency "for years" and has received a "huge amount of support".
"I'll be making a decision in the next few days, I'd take it very seriously and I wouldn't be doing it to protest," he said.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu will be announcing her intention to enter the race as a Green Party candidate with a statement on Wednesday.
Ms Chu's entry will trigger a contest with Dublin Councillor Claire Byrne, the parliamentary assistant to party leader Eamon Ryan, who announced her candidacy last week.
It's understood Ms Chu has canvassed local members in the area. However, it has been made clear that many will be backing Ms Byrne, further deepening divisions within the Green Party after a public row when Ms Chu attempted to run for the Seanad despite her party leader's wishes.
Press Statement- 1st May 2021 pic.twitter.com/cIB8CXE0Q0
— Cllr James Geoghegan (@GeogheganCllr) May 1, 2021
Sinn Féin senators Fintan Warfield, Lynn Boylan and councillor Daniel Ceitinn, who was co-opted into Chris Andrews' vacant seat after Andrews' election to Leinster House, have all been mooted as possible Sinn Féin candidates. However, sources confirm that Ms Boylan remains unconvinced about running for the seat as her preference is to run in Dublin south-west in the next general election.
Chair of the Leinster Cúige, Enda Fanning said the party had made no official moves to begin a nomination process yet and expects to see progress "in the next week or so".
Labour senator Ivana Bacik is expected to be the party’s candidate and has received public support from both Aodhán O Riordan and Duncan Smith for the run.
People Before Profit's likely candidate is party representative for the area Brigid Purcell.
The Social Democrats say they will make progress on candidate selection "over the next month or so", but have a "few people interested".
