HUNDREDS OF Labour Party supporters from Kerry who had been denied votes in this weekend's selection of the party's European Parliament candidates in Munster have been granted a last-minute reprieve.
Arthur Spring, nephew of the former Labour leader Dick Spring, and Senator Alan Kelly will fight it out for the nomination at a selection convention in Cork, which is being held early to give the party a better chance in the constituency.
Three hundred and six people from Munster counties whose membership had lapsed, including the former party leader, had appealed the decision to deny them a vote to an independent appeals committee led by former party chairman John O'Brien.
Of these, 282 were deemed eligible, including Dick Spring, and 24 were refused. However, 238 of those granted a vote are from Kerry - the heartland of the Spring political machine.
The decision has infuriated the Kelly camp. "I am very disappointed that the party has taken this decision just four days from the convention, and with 238 people coming from one area," Mr Kelly said last night.
However, party general secretary Mike Allen insisted that the appeals system is independent, and was introduced to get rid of allegations of last-minute strokes.
The battle for the nomination has been quietly heating up since Mr Kelly (33) and Mr Spring (31), who unsuccessfully sought party nomination last year to run for the Seanad, lodged their nominations.
Arthur Spring initially sought to have the European nomination decided by postal ballot - which would have benefited him because the party's Kerry membership is older, and less likely to travel to a convention; the party's national executive committee ruled against him.
Last night, senior party figures said the selection will "be decided by turn-out", since Mr Kelly is credited with having improved the party's membership lists in Tipperary North since he was elected.
Last week Mr Spring, in an e-mail to party headquarters, complained that the July 1st deadline for the registration of members eligible to vote in Saturday's convention was incorrect because 14 days' notice had not been given.
Under the party's new membership rules, those eligible to vote must have been members for six months and have paid membership for the year. Under the previous rules, potential voters had to have paid by March if they wanted to be able to vote in any election in the year, though this was relaxed in the changes to allow party members to pay at any point in the year.
Those who appealed this time had to satisfy Mr O'Brien and his colleagues that they had passed on their €20 membership to their local branch secretary, but that the money had not been sent on to party headquarters in time.
The rule changes meant some of those who appealed were able to argue that fewer reminders are now being sent out and, therefore, it is more difficult to remember to pay the membership dues in time.
The Ireland South constituency's three seats are currently held by Brian Crowley (Fianna Fáil), Colm Burke (Fine Gael)and Kathy Sinnott (Independent).