Seanad nominations for inside candidates closed yesterday with a number of failed election candidates given a second chance at public office by their parties.

A great man for the one-liners is our Micheál. As we prepared to quiz him about their TV encounter and Leo Varadkar’s car crash response to that illegal drug question (some cannabis in college but that was a long time ago) the Fianna Fáil leader was unexpectedly wreathed in smoke from a nearby ventilation system.

Fianna Fáil’s first electoral event of the campaign showed a relaxed Mr Martin in composed form ahead of the three-week sprint.

TDs and senators had to refund almost €10,000 in expenses this year after an audit found they could not provide supporting evidence to justify claiming such allowances.

Newly formed party Aontú said it would welcome migrants fleeing war-torn countries or economic hardship here and accused the Fine Gael-led government of hollowing out rural Ireland.

Dublin City Council is set to begin works at the gardens and allotments as soon as tomorrow.

Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan has claimed that more pregnancies involving Down syndrome and disability diagnoses will be terminated if abortion is allowed in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

A senator who wants to bring in DNA testing for dog dirt has said we need to tighten our pet control laws.

Attempts to agree on the future of funding water services have already divided TDs, after a Dáil row broke out yesterday about a new committee which will examine water charges.

Fianna Fáil Seanad candidates have insisted party bosses assured them they would not run an “inner list” of preferred candidates.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and his team have been attacked by several of their own party’s Seanad candidates over a controversial diktat as to who to vote for.

Labour’s Seanad nominees will be announced today as the party’s votes are counted.

A record number of women will form part of the new Dáil as gender quotas put more females on the ballot papers.

Reduced from a five-seater to four, Dublin South-Central has lost a population of more than 9,600 from Terenure and close to 3,000 in Kimmage.

They insist they are two distinct parties which have no intention of entering government with each other, but Fine Gael’s and Fianna Fáil’s leaders had near identical welcomes from protesters yesterday who are convinced they are part of the same problem.

A Fianna Fáil candidate could face a jail term or hefty fine as one her posters breached election rules by being erected too close to a Dublin polling station.