LABOUR IS TAKING legal advice over the contents of an email sent to every TD and Senator about its Seanad by-election candidate Mairia Cahill.

The email was written by another candidate in the race, independent Jerry Beades, and makes a number of claims about Cahill’s past membership of the Republican Network for Unity (RNU) group, which opposes the PSNI.

Cahill, a victim of abuse and a subsequent cover-up within Republican movement, has previously confirmed she was the National Secretary of the RNU.

But she said she only held the post for “a period of a few hours” and continued to attend “a series of meetings for a period of a few months”. She said she has always been opposed to violence and never opposed the police in Northern Ireland.

Beades email, which has been seen by TheJournal.ie, makes a number of claims about Cahill and her membership of the RNU.

It has been circulating on social media in recent days and was sent to every Oireachtas member in the early hours of this morning.

Only TDs and senators are allowed vote in the by-election which Cahill is expected to win as she has the support of Fine Gael and Labour.

Cahill referred all queries about the email to the Labour press office. A spokesperson for Labour confirmed that the matter has been referred for legal advice.

Contacted today, Beades, a former member of Fianna Fáil and spokesman for the New Land League, said that he stood by the contents of the email and said he would “welcome” any legal challenge.

As well as Beades and Cahill, Fianna Fáil is running GP Keith Swanick and Sinn Féin is running Meath councillor Sinead Burke for the Seanad seat that became vacant following the retirement of Labour senator Jimmy Harte.

The result of the by-election is expected on Friday week.

Read: Everything you need to know about the strangest election in Irish politics