Fine Gael members in Dún Laoghaire have passed a motion calling for an urgent review of general election candidates by the party's executive council, increasing pressure on sitting TD Maria Bailey.

It follows a secret ballot of party members at a meeting in the Royal Marine Hotel.

While Ms Bailey was not named, the motion was widely viewed as a move against her.

It followed her controversial decision to sue a Dublin hotel after falling off a swing at the property.

Speaking after the vote, Ms Bailey said she would not comment on "an internal matter".

Ms Bailey was one of the last to speak at the one-hour meeting and received a round of applause.

Edward Kennedy, chair of the local party executive, declined to announce the result of the vote.

However, he said: "The motion has been carried and the members of the Dún Laoghaire constituency executive have had their say.

"We had a robust debate ... members were invited to speak in favour of the motion and against the motion. The debate proceeded for 30 minutes and then voting took place."

Mr Kennedy said he could not comment on Ms Bailey's political future, saying the matter would be addressed by the party.

Ms Bailey, Minister of State Mary Mitchell O'Connor, and local councillor Barry Ward were selected last year to contest the general election for Fine Gael in the four-seat constituency.

Fine Gael's National Executive Council will now consider if changes should be made to the candidate list to try to maximise the party's chances.

Fine Gael members in Dún Laoghaire have passed a motion calling for an urgent review of general election candidates, putting pressure on TD Maria Bailey. Following the secret ballot, she declined to comment saying it was an 'internal matter' | https://t.co/t9wdnEuRPd pic.twitter.com/AS1Qo91urF — RTÉ News (@rtenews) October 31, 2019

Earlier, the Taoiseach said the candidacy of Ms Bailey as a Fine Gael election candidate in Dún Laoghaire was a matter for the local party organisation.

Leo Varadkar said: "I have full confidence in any candidate who is selected and ratified to run for our party.

"But we are a democratic party and it's the members in the constituency who make that decision.

"I don't want to say anything on that meeting...for that reason."

120 chairs ready for @FineGael Dun Laoghaire constituency delegates at the @royalmarine to vote tonight on whether to review their general election candidates - a motion widely viewed as a move against sitting TD @MariaBaileyFG @rtenews pic.twitter.com/hcbDLh8MCj — Paul Cunningham (@RTENewsPaulC) October 31, 2019

Minister for Health Simon Harris said: "There is a meeting taking place...we are a democratic party and our members have an opportunity to give their views and then we have a structure in relation to our executive council.

"I know as a grassroots member, let alone a Cabinet minister, I wouldn't appreciate somebody interfering in a key issue they are going to have in their constituency...

"Party members have a right to have their say and discuss the matter and I think it would be extraordinarily unhelpful and rude actually for anybody not a member of that constituency to interfere in a democratic process."

Speaking last month on RTÉ Radio, Tanáiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney defended Ms Bailey, saying she had "paid the price for making a mistake" - a reference, in part, to her loss of positions as chair of Oireachtas committees.

Additional reporting Mary Regan