The chairman of the Progressive Democrats has criticised Fianna Fail backbenchers who oppose a proposal from the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, to ban TDs and senators from holding local authority seats.
Mr John Minihan said he was "shocked and dismayed" to hear that Mr Dempsey's proposal in the Local Government Bill, 2000, was being resisted by members of his own parliamentary party.
"It would now appear that many Fianna Fail TDs want to cling on for dear life to their local authority seats and stand in the way of an important political reform. In doing so they are also blocking the path of many young people into politics. It is this sort of short-sighted me fein thinking that has given politics a bad name," he said.
Mr Minihan said the Progressive Democrats were in favour of ending the dual mandate and would resist any attempts by Fianna Fail to back-slide on it.
Following protests, Mr Dempsey had agreed to reverse his proposal to down-grade five urban centres from city borough to town council status.