John Perry seeks debate on non-selection for Fine Gael

Former minister of State John Perry is attempting to have his failure to secure a place on a Fine Gael general election ticket debated at a meeting of TDs and Senators. Mr Perry has tabled a parliamentary party meeting motion calling for an explanation from TDs who sit on the party's executive council, which issues directions on selection conventions.

Mr Perry failed to secure a place on the party ticket for Sligo-Leitrim after the executive council issued a directive to select one candidate from each county.

The motion also names Mark Mortell, who is one of Taoiseach Enda Kenny's closest advisers, and asks about the role he had in the chain of events which saw him lose out at a recent convention. While Mr Mortell is a senior strategist, it is understood he plays no role in the details of candidate selection.

Mr Perry's motion calls on "the Oireachtas members, who were elected to represent the interest of the parliamentary party on the national executive, to come before the parliamentary party and explain their role and actions on the executive in serving the interest of parliamentary members".

He is also seeking to discuss what role the executive council had in “reaching a decision whereby an elected member to Dáil Éireann was deselected and, in turn, set a new precedent in Fine Gael, that for the first time in its history an elected member was not allowed to go before the voters in the general election and what decisions they had with the key strategist Mr Mark Mortell in arriving at this decision”.