Independent Councillor Catherine Murphy is to contest the Kildare North by-election to win the seat formerly held by Charlie McCreevy. Ms Murphy topped the pole in the June local elections with 21 per cent of the vote in Leixlip, and will be considered a real contender.
She believes her reputation for getting things done gave her an excellent chance of winning the seat.
"The demands created by a rapidly growing population have not been responded to by national government," she said