Wife of former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley in new EU role

The wife of former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley has been appointed to an EU committee for local representatives.

Councillor Caroline Dwane-Stanley was among the nominations approved by the Cabinet to go forward as Ireland's representatives on the EU Committee of the Regions for the next five years.

Mr Stanley recently left Sinn Féin saying he had been subjected to a seriously flawed complaints process which he likened to a kangaroo court.

Ms Dwane-Stanley is now Sinn Féin's only councillor on Laois County Council after Councillor Aidan Mullins resigned from the party in August.

The Committee of the Regions is a consultative body representing local and regional government at EU level.

Ireland has an allocation of nine full members along with nine alternate members.

The places are allocated based on the local election results and take in account gender and regional balance.

Other nominations included Councillor Michael Cahill for Fianna Fáil and Councillor Emma Blain for Fine Gael.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of Laois County Council yesterday, Ms Dwane-Stanley said she "definitely" would not be making a bid to win a Dáil seat.

Asked by the Leinster Express/LaoisLive if she will remain in Sinn Féin, she said: "I'm not commenting on that at the moment. I don't have any announcement to make. If I do it will be the local press that I will be contacting straight away."