Overview

• Voting on October 24 will proceed under the single transferable vote, and due to timing Gavin’s name is expected to remain on the ballot.
• The contest now centers on Fine Gael’s former minister Heather Humphreys and independent TD Catherine Connolly, who is backed by Sinn Féin and other left parties.
• Gavin’s withdrawal followed debate questioning about a 2009 tenancy that was not registered with the RTB and an overpayment he had failed to return, which he described as a mistake.
• Fianna Fáil is under pressure over candidate vetting as Taoiseach Micheál Martin called the decision correct, Jack Chambers cited contradictions with tenant records, and Billy Kelleher said due diligence was lacking.
• With the field narrowed, Connolly is appealing to Fianna Fáil voters as Humphreys declines to say if she will seek the party’s endorsement, and pre-withdrawal polling showed Connolly leading.