Mairia Cahill has been criticised for refusing to take part in election debates - days ahead of her expected election to the Seanad.

Ms Cahill is Labour's candidate in the Seanad by-election, and is set to become the newest member of the Seanad when votes are counted on Friday.

A Labour spokesman said Ms Cahill had not taken part in public debates because she was instead canvassing TDs and Senators, who are the only voters.

A statement from the party this evening said Ms Cahill has "addressed her brief involvement with RNU on numerous occasions in the past, and on the public record.

"Mairia Cahill is fully committed to the Good Friday Agreement, to peace, to democracy, and to the rule of law. If elected to Seanad Eireann on Friday, she will use her position to promote these issues, alongside her own priority areas of youth unemployment and continuing to campaign on behalf of victims of abuse.

"The Labour Party is proud that she is our candidate in this bye-election."

However today she was criticised by Senator David Norris over her failure to take part in debates, in order to face scrutiny for her previous links to a dissident Republican group.