There has been further division and unhappiness in the Green Party after Councillor Hazel Chu secured a nomination to run in the upcoming Seanad by-elections.
Dublin's Lord Mayor is not an official party candidate but secured the backing of five members of the Oireachtas - including deputy party leader Catherine Martin.
The Green Party Executive, which includes Hazel Chu as a member, had voted not to run a candidate in the upcoming Seanad by-elections.
It was well-known in the party that Dublin's Lord Mayor had an interest in the nomination.
However, it was accepted by most that - as a price of being government partners - they had agreed to a voting pact to ensure Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil candidates will win the two vacant seats.
The big surprise came when Mayor Chu managed to secure the nomination - with Minister Martin signing her papers.
Martin's husband - TD Francis Noel Duffy - and her brother Senator Vincent P Martin also signed the papers, along with TD Neasa Hourigan and Hazel Chu's partner TD Patrick Costello.
In a statement, Minister Martin said: "As founder of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus and the Green Party's Women's Group Mná Glasa I am delighted to nominate Cllr Hazel Chu, Lord Mayor of Dublin to run in the upcoming Seanad by-election.
"I have spoken on countless occasions over the years about the barriers facing women's participation in politics.
"The barrier that Hazel faced was that of getting her name on the ballot paper as she sought an opportunity to run in this election.
"She needed nine Oireachtas members to nominate her, to give her that opportunity to run in this election and I believe it will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I was more than happy to nominate such a formidable woman in politics and be one of those nine to nominate Hazel.
"Nominating Hazel reflects the spirit of the Green Party, one that supports and embraces diversity and inclusion in politics."
There has been a private backlash from some members of the party and, in a statement, Green Party headquarters said she is not an official candidate representing them.
Internally it is being seen by many as more undermining of the Government by a group within the Greens that never supported going into government.
A number of councillors who would have contested a party convention, but stood down after the decision of the executive, are said to be furious at Hazel Chu's decision to run.
She will run as an independent candidate - and said it is important that women and minorities are represented in the election.
On the day the Government's new updated climate bill is launched, it is very clear that the decision to enter government has left lasting divisions in the Green Party.
