Rónán Mullen, an independent senator, has set up a new pro-life political party called Human Dignity Alliance. It was formally established on Friday when Peter Finnegan, the registrar of political parties, added it to the list of entities that can contest Dail, European and local elections. The party’s official address is listed as Mullen’s home in Glasnevin, Dublin.

The senator, who is on a leave of absence from his job as a lecturer in the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, predicted yesterday that the party would grow over time: “It will be a slow burner.”

Mullen is interested in hearing from prospective electoral candidates. The party will “promote human dignity against a background where there’s too much opportunism and insincerity in politics”, he said. “We need