Former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley (66) wreaked revenge on the party in the Laois constituency in the 2024 general election, where he retained his seat as an Independent republican.

After months of mutual recrimination that saw him leave the party in October, his retention of the third and final seat in the constituency has left Sinn Féin without a TD in Laois.

First elected to the Dáil in 2011 and returned ever since, he topped the poll for Sinn Féin in Laois-Offaly in 2020.

He became the first Sinn Féin TD to be appointed chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in July 2020, but lost the role on his departure from the party.

A Sinn Féin member for more than 40 years, his first electoral success came in 1999 when he won a seat on Portlaoise Town Council.

He is married to Sinn Féin councillor Caroline Dwane Stanley, who has said she will refuse to resign from the party until she gets answers from senior members regarding the events that led to his resignation.