Members of the extended Mitchell political dynasty are understood to have firmly ruled themselves out of contesting the Dublin South-Central constituency at the next general election.
Fine Gael is seeking a high-profile candidate following the decision by sitting TD and MEP Gay Mitchell to opt for Europe after the next general election.
Mr Mitchell, a formidable electoral performer, who secured a safe seat for the party in the constituency, is brother of the late Jim Mitchell, a former minister and an equally outstanding votegetter. However, it is believed that no member of either family is interested in a nomination.
No date for the selection convention, postponed from December 8th, has been fixed.
Three candidates had declared for that convention: Catherine Byrne, former lord mayor of Dublin, Crumlin-based councillor Anne Marie Martin and Ballyfermot-based Peter O'Neill. Postponing the convention, following Mr Mitchell's announcement that he was remaining on as an MEP, was seen as giving the party time to find a high-profile candidate to replace him.
Although Mr Mitchell's vote fell from 25 per cent to 16.9 per cent at the last election, he still took the first seat on the ninth count.
The other TDs representing Dublin South-Central are Fianna Fáil's Seán Ardagh and Michael Mulcahy, Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Labour's Mary Upton. Labour's Eric Byrne, a former TD, could also pose a threat to a weakened FG ticket.
