Former Labour lord mayor of Cork, Mr Joe O'Callaghan, who was sharply criticised last year for his remarks about asylum-seekers, has applied to join Fine Gael.
His application is currently before Fine Gael's executive council, which is required to ratify all applications coming from people who previously served as representatives for other parties.
Last year, Mr O'Callaghan said "a lot of people" in Cork were "a lot worse off than the asylum-seekers who have been given accommodation here in three-, four- and five-star hotels".
"There are parts of Shandon and Blackpool which are practically overrun by asylum-seekers," he declared. "When our fathers went abroad, they dug ditches. There is a huge amount of anger out there and it's growing."
Mr O'Callaghan was expelled from the Labour Party because he opted to run as an Independent candidate in Cork North Central in last year's general election. Last night, Fine Gael denied suggestions that Mr O'Callaghan had a formal meeting with the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, last Friday.
