Fianna Fáil has decided for the first time to back candidates competing for six university Seanad places, including Independent candidates, in a bid to secure its majority in the Upper House.
The party has already asked the Green Party leadership to call on its list of councillors to back Fianna Fáil candidates in the July elections, although support is far from guaranteed.
One of the three candidates to benefit from Fianna Fáil backing is the psychiatrist Dr John Hillery, son of the former president, Dr Paddy Hillery, who is running as an Independent.
In a letter to graduates supporting Dr Hillery's candidature, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen warns that Fianna Fail's figures will be "tight" in the next Seanad.
"The party needs to elect as many supporters on as many different panels as possible," said Mr Cowen, who added that Dr Hillery had Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's support.
In a letter published in Dr Hillery's election material, the Taoiseach said that Dublin-based Dr Hillery "comes from a family with a history of public service" and was a "reforming president" of the Medical Council.
"He has a deep understanding of the health services, of regulatory matters, of the reforms necessary in healthcare, and of the rights of the vulnerable through his work as a consultant in intellectual disability and mental health services," Mr Ahern wrote in the election literature.
"I think he would be a great addition to Seanad Éireann and I ask you to support him in his election to the National University of Ireland (NUI) panel for the Senate."
Graduates have been given direct access by Mr Cowen to the electoral register - which is inaccurate and long since out of date - in an effort to contact other graduates no longer living at old addresses. In his letter, Mr Cowen says that the register is available at http://secure.experianmarketing.ie/login.asp with the use of an appropriate password.
"If you could access these and contact anyone you know either by letter, e-mail or telephone in your area from the register it would be very helpful," he said.
The database "may be useful to you in your own constituency and I would advise retaining the database for your own political campaigning once you have circulated anyone you think appropriate".
Businessman Seán O'Connor, a grandson of former taoiseach Seán Lemass and nephew of the late Charles J. Haughey, has also been supported by Fianna Fáil.
Mr O'Connor, who hired the data management firm Experian to analyse the electoral register, found that the NUI register was 67 per cent incorrect and the Trinity register 57 per cent incorrect.
Kerry South-based Liam Crowley, who acted as director of elections for FF in the constituency for several elections up to and including 2002, is to contest the NUI Seanad panel.
The Green Party has 24 Seanad votes, through its six TDs and 18 councillors, while the Progressive Democrats have 26 - two TDs, five outgoing senators and 19 councillors.
Fianna Fáil is in danger of losing seats in the Seanad because it lost nearly 100 seats in the 2004 local elections.
All councillors have votes in the Seanad elections.
