AMID INCREASING SPECULATION that the general election will take place next year, Fianna Fáil is to begin its selection of candidates next week.
The main opposition party will begin holding selection conventions in the south-west and in Dublin over the next fortnight as it steps up its plans for the next election.
The Taoiseach has maintained that the government will go to full term and the election will not take place until spring 2016, but opposition parties believe an autumn 2015 vote is now likely.
Speaking to Newstalk earlier, Limerick City TD Willie O’Dea said that the party would begin selecting candidates in the coming weeks and roll out detailed manifesto policies in the new year.
TheJournal.ie has learned that Limerick TD and justice spokesperson Niall Collins will be putting his name forward for selection at a convention in his constituency on Thursday, 11 December.
The following evening party leader Micheál Martin and finance spokesperson Michael McGrath will be putting their names forward for selection as the party’s candidates in Cork South-Central where they are both currently sitting TDs.
On Monday, 15 December, the party’s health spokesperson Billy Kelleher will be putting his name forward for selection in Cork North-Central where he is the incumbent TD.
The following evening, Tuesday, 16 December, the Fianna Fáil’s leader in the Seanad, Darragh O’Brien will be putting his name forward as the candidate for the Dublin-Fingal constituency. He is a former TD for Dublin North but lost his seat in 2011.
Fianna Fáil is aiming to have all of its general election candidates selected by May of next year at the latest.
Meanwhile Sinn Féin is aiming to have its candidates selected within the coming weeks.
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