Mary Hanafin added to Fianna Fáil election ticket

Former minister for education Mary Hanafin has been controversially added to the Fianna Fáil general-election ticket in Dún Laoghaire, having failed to make it through a recent selection convention

Former minister for education Mary Hanafin has been controversially added to the Fianna Fáil general-election ticket in Dún Laoghaire, having failed to make it through a recent selection convention, writes Daniel McConnell

The decision to add Ms Hanafin to the ticket is likely to lead to anger among local party activists. However, senior party figures have defended the move saying she has a "great chance" of winning a seat.

The former minister who has not been in the Dail since 2011 when she lost her seat missed out on being selected at a recent convention.

At the convention last month, the directive from Fianna Fáil headquarters was to select one candidate, and Councillor Cormac Devlin won. Mr Devlin saw off Kate Feeney and Ms Hanafin, who are also both councillors on Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

But the party’s national constituencies committee decided last week to add the former minister to the ticket alongside Mr Devlin, and Ms Hanafin has now been informed of the decision.

Fianna Fáil currently holds none of the four seats in the constituency while Fine Gael has three. Party leader Micheal Martin has identified Dun Laoghaire as a target to gain a seat at the next election.