Lenihan to be deputy leader of Fianna Fáil

FIANNA FÁIL leader Micheál Martin has announced that former minister for finance Brian Lenihan is to be the new deputy head of the party.

Shortly after his election as leader, Mr Martin named then-minister Mary Hanafin as deputy, but she has since lost her Dáil seat.

The new Fianna Fáil chief whip is Kildare South TD Seán Ó Fearghail, who succeeds John Curran, who also lost his seat.

Mr Martin has also issued a list of 10 Fianna Fáil candidates and is asking councillors to give them priority to in the forthcoming Seanad elections.

They include former minister of state Seán Connick, Donegal Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill, who stood in last November’s byelection, Senator James Carroll, and Cllr Mary Fitzpatrick from the Dublin Central constituency.

Also on the list are former Meath East TD Thomas Byrne, Senator Darragh O’Brien, who lost his Dáil seat in Dublin North, Cllr Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, party frontbencher Averil Power, Senator Marc MacSharry and Cllr Kenneth O’Flynn.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald TD has announced her party will be standing four candidates: Eoin Ó Broin on the National University of Ireland panel, David Cullinane on the labour panel, Kathryn Reilly on the industry and commerce panel, and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh on the agriculture panel.