Former junior minister Anne Rabbitte eliminated from Seanad bid

Ms Rabbitte lost her seat in the Galway East constituency in a significant surprise in the general election. The former minister of state for disability then launched a Seanad bid on the Labour panel.

But today the Fianna Fáiler was eliminated on the 17th and final count in race for eleven seats.

Meanwhile, Chris Andrews of Sinn Féin secured a seat on the same panel — having also lost out in the General Election. He was beaten in Dublin Bay South by Eoin Hayes, who has since left the Social Democrats after he had to defend his stake in a firm with connections to the Israeli military just days after the election.

He was suspended by the party, with Mr Andrews insisting that he would still be a TD if the electorate had known what Mr Hayes had concealed.

Successful in landing seats on the Labour panel were Margaret Murphy O’Mahony, Robbie Gallagher and Pat Casey of Fianna Fáil, along with Patricia Stephenson of Social Democrats and sitting Independent Gerard Craughwell; Fine…