A HIGH Court challenge that could have forced Fine Gael to rerun a local election selection convention was settled yesterday.
Naja Regan (25), a law graduate and daughter of Senator Eugene Regan, said she was happy with the settlement and that it would be better for her to wait for another time to run for the party.
Ms Regan had claimed she was wrongly deprived by the party executive council of her opportunity to contest a selection convention in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, on February 26th, despite having been put forward as a candidate by the Monkstown FG branch. The executive council had directed that only the three sitting councillors – John Bailey, Tom O’Higgins and Mary Mitchell-O’Connor – should run in the June poll.
Ms Regan brought proceedings for an injunction requiring the party trustees to hold a new convention. She sought a declaration that the party had breached its rules and constitution in depriving her of her opportunity to be selected.
The hearing was due to open before Mr Justice John Edwards, but he was asked by the sides to allow time for discussions. The judge was later told by Michael McDowell SC, for the FG trustees, that the matter could be struck out with no order on costs.
There was now goodwill on both sides, said Ms Regan. “We came to an amicable agreement and I will be supporting the three candidates who are running.”
Ms Regan said she had chosen a “political solution to a political problem”. “It was never my wish to go to court,” she added.