Labour leader hustings tonight at Mullingar Park Hotel

Photo - Former Labour TD, Willie Penrose, outgoing Labour leader Breandan Howlin, TD, and Alan Budda Mangan, the party's candidate for Longford Westmeath in the 2020 general election.

As part of the contest for Labour Party Leader, the third of five hustings for party members will take place tonight in the Mullingar Park Hotel from 8pm.

It will include an opening address from each TD followed by a Q&A session for members.

This husting is to cover members from the counties of Westmeath, Offaly, Longford, Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Kildare and Laois.

On the close of nominations, two candidates are contesting the election for a new Labour Party Leader - Alan Kelly TD and Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD.

A further two hustings are planned as follows:

•Thursday 12 March - Galway - 8pm, Harbour Hotel, New Dock Road covering Clare, Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim.

•Saturday 21 March – South Dublin – 2pm - Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan, covering South Dublin and Wicklow.

To qualify for a vote, Labour Party members must have been registered at Head Office as a member at least 18 months before the close of nominations (ie, before 28 August 2018), and their membership must be fully paid-up at least 21 days before polling day, that is by 13 March 2020.

A voting register will then be created on Friday 13 March 2020 and ballot papers will issue by post the week beginning March 16.

The close of poll will be noon on Friday 3 April and the count will be held later that day.