Fine Gael denies offering former TD Kate O'Connell place on election ticket

A party spokesperson said that while Ms O'Connell had been considered as an addition to the ticket, she was informed last week that she would not be the party's candidate

Kate O'Connell announced on Sunday that she would run in the general election as an Independent in the constituency that she represented from 2016 to 2020 as a Fine Gael TD.

Fine Gael has said it never offered former TD Kate O'Connell a place on its Dublin Bay South general election ticket.

Ms O'Connell announced on Sunday that she would run as an Independent in the constituency that she represented from 2016 to 2020 as a Fine Gael TD, adding that she would not join Dublin lord mayor James Geoghegan on the Fine Gael ticket. She cited concerns over how Fine Gael has overseen the expenditure of public money.