Fianna Fail is facing difficulties in securing the nomination of one of its candidates in next month's by-election for the Seanad.
The Labour Party yesterday moved the writ to have the by-election on June 23rd to fill the vacancy created earlier this year when Mr Sean Ryan was elected to the Dail.
Labour was joined by Fine Gael, Democratic Left and the Green Party in supporting the candidacy of the former senator, Mr Sam McAughtry. He is being nominated by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
However, Fianna Fail sources last night expressed concern that the party might not be able to win the support of the other nominating body, the Irish Conference of Professional and Service Associations. This arises from the fact that the Garda associations are among the 10 bodies affiliated to the conference.
Mr Terry Leyden, a former minister for trade and marketing, has emerged as one of the prospective Fianna Fail candidates. Mr Leyden supported the Garda Representative Association protests for better pay last year when Fianna Fail was in opposition.
The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, described Mr McAughtry as "a unionist who supports the [Belfast] agreement. His election to the Seanad, albeit on the limited franchise of Oireachtas members, would represent further proof that we in this part of Ireland are determined to engage in a constructive fashion with the unionist tradition." He called on the Government leaders to support the nomination.
The Government has a comfortable majority in the upper house and it is understood that as many as 20 people may be interested in securing the seat for Fianna Fail.