AN unsuccessful candidate for the Labour general election nomination in North Tipperary has criticised his party's head office for "interference" in the local selection process.
A Thurles councillor, Mr John Kenehan, is objecting to the "nod and wink" support of head office for the successful nominee, Ms Kathleen O'Meara.
Ms O'Meara (37), a special adviser to Minister of State Ms Eithne Fitzgerald, won the nomination at last weekend's selection convention but Mr Kenehan says he is not happy with the handling of the matter. In particular, he has criticised head office for supporting Ms O'Meara, whom he claims is a "transplant" candidate and who was not born in the constituency.
The former RTE reporter has spent most of her working life in Dublin and Mr Kenehan feels his record of involvement in local politics has been disregarded. A mother of two, she comes from just outside the Tipperary North boundary, in the Laois Offaly constituency.
"I am sure she is capable, but anyone who comes through the local ranks with ambitions would not have been given too much say in the democratic process by this," Mr Kenehan said.
Ms O'Meara, however, rejected allegations throughout the campaign leading up to Sunday's convention that she was a "transplant" or "parachute" candidate.