Taoiseach Enda Kenny has full confidence in Fine Gael general secretary Tom Curran following the addition of John Perry to an election ticket, Mr Kenny's spokesman has said.

Mr Curran was centrally involved in the recent court action Mr Perry took against Fine Gael over an election selection convention.

Mr Perry was added by the party to run in the Sligo-Leitrim constituency when Fine Gael settled the case.

Party TDs and Senators have been privately critical of Mr Curran in the wake of the case, but Mr Kenny’s spokesman said he still has the full backing of the Taoiseach.

“Of course he does,” the spokesman said. “Tom Curran works extremely hard on behalf of the party. The case has been settled and John [Perry] will run and hopefully will be successful.”

During the case, the court heard Mr Curran wrote to a Fine Gael regional organiser and described the organisation of the convention in question as “chaotic”.