AONTÚ HAS ANNOUNCED that it will stand 60 candidates in the upcoming local and European elections in May.

The party, which was launched by former Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín earlier this year, will reveal the identities of the candidates when it officially launches at an event in Dublin on Saturday.

The party intends to seek to reverse the abortion legislation was enacted at the end of last year, but also claims to have other policies.

Tóibín said that 20 candidates will run in the Northern Ireland, while 40 candidates will run in the Republic of Ireland.

However, it is not yet known how many candidates will run for local elections and how many will run for European Parliament.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Tóibín claimed that over 5,000 people have attended community meetings that it has held across the country in recent months.

“By any standards this is phenomenal grass roots development,” he said.

“Our party is unique in many ways. The largest portion of our membership is drawn from people who have not been involved in politics before.

“However, many of our elected reps and membership have left the establishment parties of Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the SDLP, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Greens.”

Tóibín also claimed that many of its members were “sick and tired” of being disempowered by traditional parties, and that it was different because it offered a diversity of views.

“There exists extraordinary division in Irish society, division to which many within the political establishment have become immune,” he added.

“Crisis fatigue has set in amongst many in the media establishment…. The political system is broken in Ireland and the people who are the collateral damage need a voice.

“Aontú will be that voice.”

Tóibín was suspended from Sinn Féin for six months last year because he voted against the abortion legislation in the Dáil.

He later decided to leave the party after 21 years, before forming Aontú.