Sinn Féin is to issue voting instructions for the upcoming Seanad election to its councillors and TDs in coming days, following its failure to agree a voting pact with any other party, write Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent
An offer to support Labour Party candidates in the keenly-contested July election was rebuffed by Labour's director of elections, Joe Costello, and again later in contacts with some of Labour's Dublin councillors.
Sinn Féin had offered Mr Costello support in return for Labour backing one of its Dublin City councillors for Lord Mayor of Dublin. Sinn Féin hoped for support, particularly transfers, for its defeated Donegal South West candidate Pearse Doherty on the Agriculture panel.
Sinn Féin Dublin South Central TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh made the offer more than 10 days ago to Mr Costello, who was elected in Dublin Central despite competition from Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald.
Sinn Féin is now expected to support the candidature of the outspoken trade unionist Mick O'Reilly.
In addition, it will continue long-time support for outgoing Fianna Fáil Senators Mary White, Labhrás Ó Murchú and Camillus Glynn, Sinn Féin sources have told The Irish Times.
Sinn Féin's four TDs and 54 councillors each have votes in the election, though this gives them control of only about half a quota on the smaller panels, and less on the larger ones. Five senators are elected from the Cultural and Educational panel; eight from the Administrative panel; nine from the Commercial panel; seven from Administrative, while the largest, Agriculture, sends 11 members to the Seanad.
Meanwhile, the Data Protection Commissioner, Billy Hawkes, is to investigate a complaint by a Seanad candidate that Fianna Fáil has breached data legislation. Dan Sullivan is running on the National University of Ireland (NUI) panel.
In a letter last week seeking support for an Independent candidate, Prof John Hillery, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen attached a copy of the voter register for the NUI panel.
The database, he said, "may be useful to you in your own constituency and I would advise retaining the database for your own political campaigning once you have circulated anyone you think appropriate", he said.
Confirming receipt of Mr Sullivan's complaints, Mr Hawkes said: "The NUI register of electors is a public document. Data protection law provides a significant 'carve-out' in relation to information that is required by law to be made available to the public and, more generally, for use of personal data by political parties and candidates for election.
"The focus of our investigation of Dan Sullivan's complaint will be on whether all aspects of the actions allegedly taken by Fianna Fáil fall within the exemptions provided for by law," Mr Hawkes told The Irish Times.
Mr Sullivan said Fianna Fáil is "falling over itself" to reach out to NUI graduates because it fears it could lose its Seanad majority.
"The NUI should seek to recover the files in the possession of Fianna Fáil and if possible access their histories," Mr Sullivan said.