Former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley, who resigned from the party last month, was elected as an Independent on the eighth county in the Laois constituency where he topped the poll in the last general election.
Mr Stanley, standing as an Independent Republican, was the third and final candidate elected after Willie Aird of Fine Gael and Sean Fleming of Fianna Fail.
The TD, previously chair of the Public Account Committee (PAC), announced his resignation from Sinn Fein in October after likening the internal disciplinary process to a kangaroo court.
In a statement at the time, Mary Lou McDonald said a complaint was made against the Laois TD at the end of July by a long-standing member of the party.
She said that a panel was set up under the party’s internal disciplinary processes to investigate the complaint.
Mr Stanley’s managed to pull in 6782 first preference votes, ahead of Sinn Féin’s Maria McCormack on 4914.
His wife, Carmel Stanley, still a party member and a Sinn Féin councillor, campaigned alongside her husband.
Speaking prior to the election of her husband, Mrs Stanley said this tsunami came our way five months ago”.
“As a family we have been dealing with it behind the scenes, but unfortunately that wasn’t to be,” she said. She will remain in the party but still wants from party leadership on the treatment meted out to her family.
