Fianna Fáil has quickly chosen a new candidate, Mr Shane Cassells, to contest the Meath by-election amid speculation that Fine Gael will engineer an early poll to capitalise on Fianna Fáil's difficulties.
After a series of interviews with potential candidates since the withdrawal of Cllr Tommy Reilly last Monday, a Fianna Fáil selection committee yesterday chose Mr Cassells. Cllr Reilly, who was initially chosen at a selection convention, withdrew during an internal Fianna Fáil inquiry into the circumstances in which he bought land in 1997 with Mr Frank Dunlop.
A first time Meath councillor since 2002, Mr Cassells (26), is a nephew of Labour's unsuccessful European Parliament candidate in the East constituency, Mr Peter Cassells. He has been a member of Navan Town Council since 1999. While all the main parties have chosen their candidates and several independent candidates have also declared, Fianna Fáil has still not chosen its runner for the other by-election due in Kildare North.
A spokeswoman said yesterday that a selection convention would be held "in the near future".
A Fine Gael spokesman said yesterday that his party would decide before the end of next week when to "move the writ" in the Dáil for the Meath by-election. While the by-elections had initially been expected in April or even May, some in Fine Gael are arguing for an early election date to take advantage of Fianna Fáil's slowness in putting its candidates into the field.
The parliamentary procedure of moving the writ effectively determines when a by-election takes place. Once the holding of the Meath by-election is set in train, the Government is expected to move to ensure that the other by-election, in Kildare North, takes place on the same day. The by-election is taking place to replace Mr John Bruton who has gone to represent the EU in Washington. The party of the departing deputy - in this case Fine Gael - traditionally has the right to decide when the writ is moved.
Once this happens, it is put to a Dáil vote and while the Government could vote it down, this would be very unusual. Once the Dáil votes to move the writ, the Government can set a date for the holding of the poll, but this must be 18-25 working days after the Dáil vote. For this purpose there are deemed to be six working days in a week, excluding bank holidays.
There is some speculation that Fine Gael could move the writ to ensure the by-elections took place in mid-March, close to St Patrick's Day. A party spokesman said yesterday that a decision had not been made.
Mr Cassells is currently the deputy mayor of Navan.