FINE GAEL MAY have to find two new candidates to stand in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency in the case of a general election. Longstanding TD Seymour Crawford has announced his intention not to stand at the next election.

Crawford is currently the only Fine Gael TD in the five-seater constituency, although Senator Joe O’Reilly just missed out on a seat for the party in the 2007 elections. As such, he is expected to run again for FG – but they now have to find a replacement runner for Crawford. His resignation comes only a day after local newspaper The Anglo-Celt reported that they would be increasing their number of candidates at the polls from two to three. The paper had suggested that “a Cavan town-based candidate would scoop up maximum votes in the area”.

Sinn Fein are also expected to increase the number of their candidates in Cavan-Monaghan to two and Labour “is hoping to make a breakthrough, buoyed by good performances in last June’s local elections in Cavan town and Cavan Electoral Area”.

Seymour Crawford is currently the only Presbyterian member of Dail Eireann and is Vice-Chairperson of the British-Irish Parliamentary Body.