SINN FÉIN HAS picked general election candidates in all but five constituencies as the party hopes to have its selection process wrapped up by the end of next month.
Gerry Adams’s party appears to be far more advanced than any of the other main political parties with 35 out of 40 selection conventions held so far and a total of 42 candidates selected.
Party sources believe the election will be called before the end of this year despite the government officially maintaining that it will go its full term to spring 2016.
Sinn Féin has held a total of 37 selection conventions in recent months with two additional conventions in Dublin constituencies to add candidates.
Councillor Catherine Carney Boud was added to the ticket along with sitting TD Dessie Ellis in Dublin North West. Councillor Máire Devine was added in Dublin South Central where the party already has incumbent TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh.
Sixteen of the 42 candidates selected so far are women. At 38 per cent, this means the party is is currently over the requirement that a third of its Dáil hopefuls must be female.
It is party policy that in any constituency where it is running two or more candidates then one of them must be female with the exception of Donegal where two sitting deputies, Pearse Doherty and Padraig MacLochlainn, are running again.
Sinn Féin would not comment on how many candidates the party will eventually run in the general election and intends keeping this under review until the close of nominations.
“We anticipate most conventions will be completed prior to the end of July,” a spokesperson said.
Conventions are still be held in East Galway, Limerick, Tipperary, Carlow-Kilkenny and Cork East.
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