The former Labour TD for Louth, Mr Michael Bell, who is seeking a seat on Louth County Council in elections this June, has declared that he would "rather die in office".
However, if the former chairman of Labour's parliamentary party secures a seat he will have to pay back the money which he accepted as part a severance package for outgoing councillors who decided not to stand at the last local elections in 1999.
"It will be costly for me if I win because I will have to repay around €30,000 to Louth County Council which was the severance payment I was entitled to when I didn't stand."
He said there is a provision in the legislation that means a councillor can stand again "if you are no longer an office holder but on condition you do something no other redundant member has to do and pay back all the money you were paid. I will do that if elected."
He said that the decision not to stand in the last local elections because of the huge commitments and pressures at national level, including being a member of the Council of Europe and chairman of the parliamentary party, "may have been a bit of a mistake for me because that possibly helped me to lose my (Dáil) seat which I held for 20 years."
"I would prefer to die in office if you want to put it that way. I would feel happier that way," he said.
After 35 years in politics he lost his Dáil seat to Sinn Féin's Mr Arthur Morgan in 2002.