Ó Ríordáin and Humphreys selected by Labour for Seanad elections

Two ministers of State who lost their Dáil seats in the general election, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Kevin Humphreys, have been announced as the Labour Party's nominations for election to the Seanad.

The party’s central council and parliamentary party decided the nominees through a postal vote.

Mr Ó Ríordáin, who lost his Dublin Bay North Dáil seat in the general election, competed with outgoing Senators Lorraine Higgins and John Kelly for a single nomination to run for the Seanad's industrial and commercial panel.

Mr Humphreys, who failed to retain his Dublin Bay South seat last month, saw off a challenge from former TD Joanna Tuffy and unsuccessful Kildare South general election candidate Cllr Mark Wall, son of retired TD Jack Wall.

Mr Humphreys will contest on the administrative panel.

Labour is endorsing two other party candidates who have secured nominations from outside bodies.

Minister of State Ged Nash, who lost his Dáil seat in Louth, was nominated by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to the Labour panel.

Senator Denis Landy has been nominated to the agriculture panel by one of 11 outside nominating bodies with agriculture and fisheries interests. Labour can expect four seats at most in the election for the Upper House, five if Senator Ivana Bacik retains her University of Dublin panel seat, whose electorate is graduates of Trinity College Dublin.

Ms Tuffy said she was “disappointed” but hoped Labour did well in the Seanad elections.

Meanwhile, Ms Higgins said it was “regrettable” that there would not be an opportunity to have more women in the parliamentary party but she respected the decision of the electorate. “For me it was the last throw of the dice and I probably won’t be involved in representative politics again,” Ms Higgins said.