Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte is expected to announce today the recruitment of Phil Prendergast, a high-profile independent councillor in Tipperary South who will be a strong contender for a Dáil seat in the next general election.
Labour said yesterday it would today announce "an important new recruit" who "has a significant record of achievement in public life, and secured an impressive vote in a previous Dáil election".
It did not name the recruit, but the party has been in discussions with Ms Prendergast recently with a view to her joining the party, and several party sources said they believed it was her.
Ms Prendergast was a long-time member of the Tipperary Workers and Unemployed Action Group led by independent socialist TD Seamus Healy. She left the group after Mr Healy refused to support an anti-Sinn Féin motion proposed by Fine Gael in February.
Her recruitment will come as a morale boost for Labour after Tuesday's announcement by its Dublin North TD Sean Ryan that he would not contest the next general election.
Ms Prendergast was re-elected to South Tipperary County Council last year with an impressive vote. In the June 2001 Tipperary South by-election she received 7,897 votes, 24.75 per cent of the votes cast.
Ironically, should Ms Prendergast become the Labour candidate in Tipperary South she will provide strong competition for Mr Healy.
Meanwhile Mr Ryan insisted yesterday that Labour would retain its seat in Dublin North despite expected strong challenges from Fine Gael and the Socialist Party's Clare Daly.
"I have made my decision not to seek election again against the background of a strong Labour Party performance in this constituency in the local elections last year, and an expanding and developing party organisation."