Fine Gael has moved the writ for the holding of the by-election to fill a vacant Dáil seat. The seat was left vacant by the death of Tipperary South deputy Teresa Ahearn. Polling is expected to take place in late June. So far four candidates have been selected. They are Michael Maguire of Fianna Fáil, Senator Tom Hayes of Fine Gael, Denis Landy of Labour and Phil Prendergast of the local Unemployed Action Group. The date of the poll will be announced later by the Minister for the Environment but it is likely to be held towards the end of June.
Fine Gael's decision to opt for a June poll in South Tipperary was taken after detailed consideration at the highest levels of the party. It will be Michael Noonan's first real leadership test since taking over from John Bruton in February. It will also follow two controversies which dogged his early months in the job. They are the $50,000 Telenor payment to his party and the row over under-the-counter payments to some of its staff.
Mr Noonan is gambling that a victory in South Tipperary would boost his leadership at the start of the Dáil summer recess. He is betting that senator Tom Hayes, runner up in last year's by-election, will go one better this time and hold the seat for Fine Gael.
