The new Social Democrats party is unveiling five new election candidates today.

Ex- labour Senator James Heffernan and Dublin city councillor Gary Gannon are among those to be added to the ticket.

The other three are unelected and hail from Limerick, Galway and Dublin.

Stephen Donnelly.

Joint leader of the social democrats, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, said: "We are delighted to be joined immediately in the parliamentary party by Senator James Heffernan in Limerick county.

"We have two more candidates in Dublin, in Dublin Mid-West we have Anne-Marie McNally and in Dublin Central we have a sitting councillor, Gary Gannon.

"In Galway West, we have Niall O'Tuathail who is running for the first time. In Limerick city, we have Sarah-Jane Henley, who will be running in the General Election for the first time, and then James is the fifth."