Mary Upton takes seat for Labour in lowest poll turnout

Dr Mary Upton yesterday became the 21st woman TD in the current Dail when she won the Dublin South Central by-election for the Labour Party with a comfortable margin of 2,373 votes.

It was a poll of nine candidates, eight counts and the lowest turnout in by-election history at just 28.18 per cent of the electorate. For the doctor of industrial microbiology at UCD, voter apathy is an issue that has to be addressed. "No vote, no voice," she said. "If people don't come out they've lost the chance to have a voice."

However, on the day it was the result that counted, and for the Upton family it was a poignant moment. Dr Upton succeeds her late brother, Dr Pat Upton, whose death in March led to the election.

The new TD told those gathered at the RDS for the 7 1/2-hour count she was very proud to carry on after her brother, whom she described as a man of honesty and integrity and who was held in great affection.

Dr Pat Upton's wife, Anne, and three of the couple's four children, Henry, Lizzie and Ben, were at the RDS for the count. Mrs Upton said she was "absolutely delighted and I know Pat would be very pleased about it. I think she will be a brilliant TD." It had been very difficult for her canvassing but people had been very sympathetic and very supportive.

Mr Eric Byrne, who stood aside for Dr Upton to stand, admitted it had been "personally very tough" to do so but he saw the "greater political picture" and the party's aim to win two seats in the general election when the four-seater constituency will become a five-seater.

"For me the general election starts from tonight with the Bluebell residents' association's a.g.m.," he said, adding that he planned to top the poll in the general election, "and that's no idle threat". He wanted to tell "those who spoiled their votes and wrote Eric Byrne on the ballot paper that I'm ready and willing to serve".

Fianna Fail's candidate, a barrister and former senator, Cllr Michael Mulcahy, who came second overall but topped the poll, said he was "delighted with the result", 30 per cent of the valid poll. With two general election and two by-election attempts under his belt Mr Mulcahy insisted he was still a viable candidate, pointing out that his vote was going up every time. He had a very strong first-preference poll and was the ail party's poll-topper in his ward in the local elections.

Cllr Catherine Byrne of Fine Gael, who was elected in the recent local polls, was very happy with her first attempt at a Dail election with 4,037 first-preference votes and overall third place. "I think we did exceptionally well for a first time out," she said, adding that if selected she looked forward to standing for the party in the general election.

Sinn Fein's candidate, a Bord na Gaeilge worker, Mr Aengus O Snodaigh, was fourth with 1,686 first-preference votes. The party vice-president, Mr Pat Doherty, was very pleased and said it was almost a doubling of their vote since the 1997 election and it "positions us very well for the general election when this constituency becomes a five-seater".

He said that while the peace process put people in mind of Sinn Fein, the party was representing a section of Irish society which the Celtic Tiger and establishment politics had by-passed. The party aims to prioritise five or six constituencies in the general election with a focus on three areas in Dublin where it has built up strong bases. "You can't say you're an all-Ireland party and then confine yourself to the North," he added.