Both Dublin byelections expected to be held in June

PENDING BYELECTIONS in Dublin Central and Dublin South are likely to be held on June 4th or 5th to coincide with the holding …

PENDING BYELECTIONS in Dublin Central and Dublin South are likely to be held on June 4th or 5th to coincide with the holding of the local and European elections, Government sources have said.

The Dublin byelections are required to fill the vacancies created by the deaths of Independent TD Tony Gregory and former Fianna Fáil minister Séamus Brennan respectively.

The issue is to come before Cabinet next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Government will oppose an attempt by the Labour Party in the Dáil next week to move the writ for the Dublin South byelection.

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The European elections must be held on a date between June 4th and 7th inclusive.

However, the results cannot be released until all EU member-states have voted and some of these will go to the polls on Sunday, June 7th.

The most likely date for the Irish vote is Thursday, June 4th, or Friday, June 5th.

Minister for the Environment John Gormley is expected to name the date shortly.

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said in a statement that the party had decided to table the motion on Dublin South because of the “failure” of the Government to call the byelection.

“It is now almost seven months since the death of the much-respected Séamus Brennan.  I have, on several occasions, raised the matter of the byelection with the Taoiseach, but the standard response I have received on each occasion has been that the matter had not yet been considered by the Government.

“On the last occasions when vacancies occurred in the Dáil, the byelections were held within a matter of months.

John Bruton and Charlie McCreevy both resigned as deputies in November 2005 and the writs for the byelections in Meath and Kildare North were moved in the Dáil by the government chief whip the following February 15th.

He continued: “The fact that the country is experiencing serious economic difficulties is no reason to suspend normal democratic procedures.

“Nor is the possibility of an embarrassing result for Fianna Fáil and the Greens sufficient justification for the continued refusal to hold a byelection.”