A FINE GAEL member’s legal challenge to a party headquarters’ decision preventing her selection as a candidate in next June’s local elections has been adjourned at the High Court to allow the party file a defence.
Naja Regan, a law graduate and daughter of Senator Eugene Regan, claims she was wrongly deprived by the party executive council of her opportunity to contest the February 26th selection convention although she had been put forward as a candidate by the Monkstown Fine Gael branch.
She said a direction was given by the executive council that only the three sitting councillors, John Bailey, Tom O’Higgins and Mary Mitchell-O’Connor, could run in the June poll.
Ms Regan wants an injunction requiring the party trustees, including leader Enda Kenny, to hold a new convention. She also wants a declaration the party breached its rules in depriving her of her opportunity to be selected.
Ms Justice Mary Laffoy was told yesterday by counsel for the party trustees that they wanted an adjournment so a defence could be delivered. Counsel for Ms Regan said he had no objection to an adjournment but would be seeking an early hearing of the case as the matter was urgent.
The judge ordered the defence be delivered by Monday week, after which it would hopefully be possible to fix a hearing date.
Ms Regan has said that after she was proposed and seconded at last Thursday’s convention, a guest chair informed the meeting a directive had been issued by the FG executive council “to the effect or like effect” that the three sitting councillors in Dún Laoghaire must be selected by the convention.
She said no vote was taken, which was in breach of the party’s rules. Those who had been properly nominated had an entitlement to be considered for selection by those entitled to vote, “subject only to the lawful directive of the executive council of the party”.