A developing dispute in the Labour Party over its candidates in next year's European election in Leinster has been defused after the ICTU general secretary, Mr Peter Cassells, announced that he would not be seeking a nomination.
The possible involvement of Mr Cassells had provoked an angry response from the chairman of the parliamentary Labour party, Mr Michael Bell, who warned that nobody from outside the constituency should be put on the ticket.
Mr Bell had already indicated to his party that he intended to seek the party's nomination for Leinster at the selection convent on September 20th.
In a statement issued yesterday, Mr Cassells said he had been asked a few weeks ago by the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, to consider seeking a nomination as the party's Leinster candidate.
However, he had decided not to accept the invitation. With Congress deeply involved in implementing the current Partnership 2000 agreement at national level and in developing new models of workplace partnership for the future, it was not an appropriate time for him to move into the political arena, he said.
According to Mr Cassells, who was also asked by former Labour leaders to consider seeking a nomination for both Dail and European elections, as a member of the Labour Party for more than 20 years it was an honour to receive these invitations.