Local area profile: Laois A political extension to "Parlon country" is the ambition of the PD Minister of State for Finance in the Laois County Council elections.
Mr Tom Parlon, the Offaly-based TD in the Laois-Offaly constituency, will be seeking to consolidate his electoral base. The question is: who will suffer if he is successful?
While local sources believe Fianna Fáil could be vulnerable to a challenge, it is more likely to be at the expense of Fine Gael, a party whose ranks have been depleted by the decision of the former TD and outgoing councillor, Mr Charles Flanagan, not to seek a council seat.
This will be the first election for 60 years in which the Flanagan name will not appear on a ballot paper. Dáil and council seats were held for decades by his father, the late Oliver J Flanagan, before it was passed on to Charles, who became a casualty at the hands of Mr Parlon in the last general election.
The eight PD council candidates are part of Mr Parlon's tight-knit local organisation, which has been boosted by his years of involvement in farming politics, leading to the IFA presidency.
There is an intense battle for votes between Fianna Fáil and the PDs, as the bigger Government party fights to retain its dominance of Laois County Council. In the era when Oliver J Flanagan and the late Tom Keenan, council chairman for several years, were powerful political figures in Laois, Fine Gael controlled the perks of office which come with having a council majority. Fianna Fáil has had the majority since Mr John Moloney and Mr Kieran Phelan helped make the breakthrough for the party in 1985.
They are standing down this time because of the end of the dual mandate, as is the other Laois-based FF TD, Mr Seán Fleming. The absence of such big names is a setback for Fianna Fáil, but the dynasties are likely to continue. Mr Moloney's brother, Michael, is running in Mountmellick, Mr Phelan's brother, Brendan, and Mr Fleming's close associate, Mr Bill Delaney, are running in Borris-on-Ossory.
Portlaoise, with six seats, will be a critical battlefield. Last time, good vote management converted 2.5 quotas into three seats for Fine Gael. Two outgoing FG councillors, Mr William Aird and Ms Mary Sweeney, have been joined on the ticket this time by Ms Kathleen O'Brien. Mr Flanagan is among those at the hustings garnering votes for the party.
Fianna Fáil will be without its outstanding poll-topper, the late Joe Dunne, who was first past the post with 1,060 votes the last time.
A further blow came with the announcement by his son, John, who took his council seat, and his daughter, Elaine, who replaced him on Portlaoise Town Commission, that they are not seeking re-election this time.
Labour once held a Dáil seat in Laois-Offaly, but is facing into the election with no Laois county councillor. Mr Larry Kavanagh, who lost his Labour seat by the narrowest of margins in Borris-on-Ossory the last time, is seeking re-election.
The council's lone Independent, Mr Mick Turley, is seeking re-election in Emo and will be among those confronting the PD challenge.
Sinn Féin is hoping that Mr Brian Stanley will make the breakthrough in Portlaoise, while the Green Party's standard-bearer is Mr Matt Diskin.
Housing, planning, a shortage of school places at primary level and the implications of the Hanly report for Portlaoise hospital have been the main issues in the election campaign. The county has a significant body of prison officers and their families who have clashed with the Government and may decide to take their wrath out on FF and PD candidates.
