Limerick councillor alleges 'dirty tricks'

A Fianna Fáil general election candidate has accused members of her own party of staging a campaign of dirty tricks against her.

Limerick County Councillor Noreen Ryan claims she was not invited to a recent meeting where the possibility of running a fourth candidate in the General Election for Limerick East was discussed.

In a statement to the media, the county councillor, who was selected to run in Limerick East alongside Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea and Deputy Peter Power, claims running a fourth candidate in this constituency would "damage the party campaign".

Cllr Ryan says that the letter requesting a fourth candidate be added to the ticket was written after a meeting was held "behind closed doors" and she was not invited.

"The fact that some members of Fianna Fáil would call this meeting and not inform all the county councillors indicates that a campaign of dirty tricks is going on against me," she said.

"I have now written to the party leader An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD asking him to have the National Executive investigate the matter," she added.

Meanwhile Fianna Fáil Councillor Eddie Wade, who lost his Dáil seat in 2002 to Deputy Power, confirmed this week that a letter has been sent to the Taoiseach asking for his name to be added to the election ticket.

Cllr Wade however, strongly rejects claims that a meeting was held "behind closed doors" to discuss this matter, insisting that it came up during a party meeting, which took place before last week's monthly meeting of Limerick County Council.

"I have been a member of Limerick County Council for 27 years and it is standard practice to have a party meeting before full council meetings. What can I do if people don't show up for these meetings?" said Cllr Wade.

"It is completely out of order to suggest that any special meeting took place or that there was a meeting behind closed doors. We don't operate like that and we have never operated like that," he added.

Cllr Wade, who won a second seat for Fianna Fáil in the Limerick East constituency in 1997, has made no secret of the fact that he was disappointed not to be included on the party's ticket in the upcoming election.

"I've made no secret of the fact that I was disappointed and I'd be delighted to be added to the ticket but mostly for the people who are looking for me to be included. I didn't bring this up it was my party members who suggested writing the letter," said Cllr Wade.