Diktat angers Fianna Fáil’s Seanad 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.

Party bosses have issued voting instructions to councillors, TDs, and outgoing senators in preference of 10 candidates — many of whom failed to get elected to the Dáil — on the Seanad panels.

Mr Martin has repeated his actions of 2011 where he controversially plumped for a number of selected candidates in a bid to maximise the party’s platform for the next general election.