election to be announced

Minister for Housing and Local Government James Browne is to confirm a bye-election for the remaining vacancy in the Oireachtas.

He will move the writ for the contest to fill a seat on the Seanad's Cultural and Educational panel, which has been vacated since Fine Gael's Sean Kyne returned to the Dáil after winning the Galway West bye-election in May.

The close of nominations for the ballot is Tuesday, 6 October, with ballot papers to be issued to those voting on Friday, 23 October. The poll closes on Friday, 6 November.

There are 234 members of the Dáil and Seanad who are eligible to vote, of which 51.2% are representatives of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.