Deadline looms for Laois General Election candidates as new Portlaoise Count Centre confirmed

General Election hopefuls in Laois have just days to officially confirm their intention to run for the Dáil.

Mr Rory Hanniffy, the Returning Officer, has issued a notice of Dáil Election in Laois and also confirmed the location in Portlaoise where votes will be counted from Saturday, November 30.

The notice says a person may nominate himself/herself as a candidate or may, with his/her consent, be nominated by a proposer who is registered as a Dáil elector in the constituency which will return three TDs to Dáil Éireann.

A nomination paper from a candidate of a registered political party must have a certificate of political affiliation attached which must be produced to me with his/her completed nomination paper.

If no certificate is attached, the candidate must, before the latest time for receiving nominations, either-

• secure 30 assents to the nomination by way of statutory declarations by Dáil electors registered in the constituency (forms available from me or the registration authority), or

• make a cash deposit of €500 (deposit may also be made on the candidate’s behalf).

MORE BELOW PICTURE OF LAOIS CONSTITUENCY

Completed nomination papers may be delivered to the Returning Officer in the Portlaoise Courthouse in person by the candidate or his/her proposer at any time from 10am on November 14 2024 until 12 noon on the last day for receiving nominations which is Saturday, November 16. Candidates are requested to call in advance to arrange an appointment.

The Returning Officer is required by law to attend at the Courthouse on Main St to receive nominations between 10am and 12 noon and between 2pm and 5pm on November 15 and between 10am and 12 noon on November 16.

Mr Hanniffy also confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that the Count Centre for Laois is the Nano Nagle Hall at the Scoil Chríost Rí / St Mary's CBS secondary school complex on the Borris Road in Portlaoise.

It will be the first time the school complex will be used for a General Election. It was used in June 2024 to sort Laois votes in the European and Local Elections.

Its use marks a break with tradition in Laois where St Mary's Hall in Portlaoise has been the preferred Count centre when votes in the Laois Offaly General Election Constituency were counted in Laois.

A total of ten candidates have declared their intention to contest the General Election in Laois.

Willie Aird (Fine Gael), Seán Fleming (Fianna Fáil), Mary Hand (Aontú), Ken Mooney (People Before Profit-Solidarity), Maria McCormack (Sinn Féin), Aisling Moran (independent), Elaine Mullally (independent), Rosie Palmer (Green Party), Austin Stack (Fianna Fáil), Brian Stanley (independent).

Apart from the split from Offaly, the election also marks the end of an era for Fine Gael with Charlie Flanagan stepping away from politics.