The frontrunner in the Dublin Bay South by-election says he is delighted to be facing veteran Labour Senator Ivana Bacik, who will be confirmed as her partys candidate tonight.
Cllr James Geoghegan of Fine Gael will be seeking to become a first-time success in his bid for the seat, whereas Ms Bacik has failed in a number of attempts to reach the Dáil.
Im delighted for Ivana and all the nominated candidates. Its going to be a competitive by-election, Cllr Geoghegan said. Im looking forward to the campaign and grateful for the opportunity to win the seat back for Fine Gael.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar would like the contest to be held in July, when the Government will hope to enjoy a vaccine bonus of its own through the accelerated vaccination programme, which has picked up pace in recent weeks.
A feel-good factor in the height of summer is seen as the greatest chance of ensuring a smooth Fine Gael succession to the seat being vacated by Eoghan Murphy.
Sinn Féin spokeswoman Louise OReilly said yesterday her party would announce its candidate in due course, amid suspicions that Sinn Féin might not now risk a high-profile candidate like Lynn Boylan in probably the most right-wing constituency in the country and where Chris Andrews already holds a seat for the party.
He squeezed out Labours popular Kevin Humphreys, who is now director of elections for the party, which will select Senator Bacik tonight, joining Brigid Purcell of People Before Profit as the only other woman declared as a candidate by a major party.
Labour has only 40pc of a quota in the constituency, and Ms Bacik was not available for comment yesterday.
But a Labour Party source insisted the party was unified, in an apparent dig at Fine Gael, with former TD Kate OConnell having ruled herself out of the running.
A spokesman said: Its a fully united team in Labour in Dublin Bay South. Other parties are divided, but Labour is united behind Ivana.
Shes already hit the ground running. Were ready for a July by-election if Fine Gael go for that. Ivana is in the field already as the lead Opposition candidate.
Ms Bacik was an unsuccessful candidate in the Dun Laoghaire constituency in the 2011 general election. She also failed in a by-election in Dublin South Central in 2009, and did not succeed in a 2004 tilt at the European Parliament.
She is seen as having been a long-term advocate of womens reproductive rights, a platform that may have lost prominence as a result of the repeal of the Eighth Amendment, which the former President of Trinity students union campaigned for over many years.
Last week she switched focus to the development of sports amenities for local children, referring in a press release to much-needed playing fields in the Rathmines and Ranelagh areas.
We have a serious shortage of public playing fields locally, she said.