Byelection ordered to replace Deirdre Clune in Seanad

A byelection has been ordered to fill a vacancy arising in Seanad Éireann following the election of Fine Gael's Deirdre Clune to the European Parliament.

Members of the Dáil and Seanad are the only people entitled to vote in the byelection which means the Government, given it has a majority, can ultimately select the winner.

Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly today said the deadline for nominations for the election would be at noon on September 18th.

He said the Seanad returning officer would rule on nominations on September 22nd and that ballot papers would be issued on September 26th. The poll will close at 11am on October 10th.

Ms Clune was elected to the Cultural and Educational Panel of the Seanad in 2011 after losing her Dáil seat in Cork South-Central in the general election.

She was elected to the European Parliament in May for the Ireland South constituency - taking the last seat ahead of her party colleague Simon Harris.

Brian Crowley (elected for Fianna Fáil), Liadh Ní Riada (Sinn Féin) and Seán Kelly (Fine Gael) were also elected in Ireland South.

Byelections are also required to fill seats in three Dáil constituencies. There are vacancies in Dublin South West and Roscommon-South Leitrim following the election of Brian Hayes (Fine Gael) and Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (Independent) respectively to the European Parliament. These are expected to be held on October 10th.

A vacancy arising in Carlow-Kilkenny following the nomination of former minister for the environment Phil Hogan (Fine Gael) as Ireland's European commissioner is unlikely to be filled until early next year.