Kate O'Connell won't contest by-election as 'faction in Fine Gael planned my exit'

Kate O'Connell said her relationship with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar never recovered after she supported Simon Coveney in the 2017 Fine Gael leadership contest. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Kate O'Connell has announced that she will not be seeking the Fine Gael by-election nomination after claiming that members of the party have been working to force her out.

Ms O'Connell, who lost her Dáil seat in Dublin Bay South in the last election, said there has been an attempt to label her as "undesirable, unsuitable and possibly not good enough" by people in Fine Gael.