A TD who voted against the sale of Aer Lingus has been allowed to rejoin Labour's parliamentary party.
Michael McNamara lost the party whip when he voted against selling the Government's Aer Lingus shares in the Dáil in May. He was the only Government TD to vote against the sale.
However he has now been permitted to rejoin the party, and is likely to be nominated to run for re-election in his native Clare.
Labour's Chief Whip Emmet Stagg made the announcement, saying “I was happy to be in a position today to inform Party Leader Joan Burton that Michael McNamara has been readmitted to the Parliamentary Labour Party." He will inform the party's TDs and Senators at the next meeting of the parliamentary party.
Deputy McNamara said, “Labour has a huge amount of work to do in the coming months, and in the run-up to the election and I want to play a full part in that work. I will be making it my priority to seek to reform Dáil procedures to ensure that it reflects the priorities of those who vote at elections.
“I am proud of the record of this government and, in particular, I am proud of the role that Labour has played in this," he added.
Deputy McNamara missed Labour's think-in earlier in the week, as he was on honeymoon. He recently married Sarah Hillery - whose father John ran against him for Fianna Fáil in 2011.
