Fianna Fail seems likely to win the Seanad seat vacated by the winner of the Dublin North by-election, Mr Sean Ryan of the Labour Party. In spite of earlier apprehensions in ail the party about securing a nomination for next month's Seanad by-election, it has managed to have one of its councillors proposed to fill the vacancy.
One of the two nominating bodies for the Labour panel, the Irish Conference of Professional and Services Association, has nominated Mr John Cregan, a member of Limerick County Council, to contest the by-election on June 23rd on behalf of Fianna Fail.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions last week nominated a former senator, Mr Sam McAughtry, from Co Down, to contest the seat. ail of Mr Sean Ryan of Labour.
Mr McAughtry has the support of Labour, Fine Gael, Democratic Left and the Green Party.
All Oireachtas members are entitled to vote in the Seanad by-election.
Given that Fianna Fail has a majority in the Seanad, Mr Cregan (36), from Drumcollogher, Co Limerick, is expected to succeed Mr Ryan in the upper house.
The secretary of the ICPSA, Mr John Healy, who is also president of the Garda Representative Association, told The Irish Times yesterday that four candidates had sought the nomination.
The ICPSA, which has 10 affiliated bodies, including the three Garda associations, agreed on Monday night to support Mr Cregan. "We would be delighted if he was elected to the Seanad," Mr Healy added.
Sources in Fianna Fail had previously expressed concern that the ICPSA might not be disposed to select a Fianna Fail candidate because of the tensions between the GRA and the Government over pay claims by the force.