Senator Cecilia Keaveney will not seek nomination for General Election

Senator Cecilia Keaveney has confirmed this evening that she will not be seeking a nomination to contest the General Election for Fianna Fail in Donegal North East.
In a statement the Senator says the decision was taken over Christmas but re-enforced after she was asked to continue the very significant investigation she is involved in for the Council of Ministers.
Ms Keaveney says to fight an election campaign now would ‘fly in the face of the international recognition and respect that I have attained on the issue of preserving the Integrity of Sport’
The announcement was made off the back of a widening division within Fianna Fail in Inishowen. Many felt Senator Keaveney had been frozen out as the party on the Peninsuala pushed for Fianna Fail to add an Inishowen based candidate to the ticket to run along side Deputy Niall Blaney.
This was underlined in a press release from the party ahead of an unofficial selection convention – it stated ‘Senator Keaveney is a regular attender of Inishowen Comhairle Ceantair Meetings.She was however absent for the last three meetings. In the first instance apologies were received. Despite being notified by mail, by telephone, by mobile and by text message – she was not present at the last two meetings.’
The contact for the press release was listed as Councillor Charlie McConalogue who went on to be selected by the party for athe forementioned selection convection.