Labour mayor for Dublin

Dublin City Council is set to elect Paddy Bourke, a Labour Party councillor, as the capital's mayor on 26 June. Bourke has already won the Labour Party nomination in a vote among labour councillors and Labour's partners in the so-called "Democratic Alliance", Fine Gael, will also back him on 26 June. In order to be voted in he needs the backing of one other councillor – Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the PDs and Independent councillors having an equal number of votes as the Labour/Fine Gael coalition. It is thought that some Independents will back him, in particular Wendy Henderman, the only PD councillor.

Kevin Humphries, the Labour leader on the council, said: "The numbers are extremely tight and no one group has an overall majority. If all the other councillors vote for another candidate then there is the possibility of a tied vote. However councillor Henderman has been largely supportive of the work of the Democratic Alliance. Nothing can be taken for granted and we will be seeking support for Paddy from everyone we can."

Bourke's previous attempt to win the city's highest office failed in 1997 due to the last-minute reneging of a deal between Labour and Fine Gael meant.

If elected, Bourke, 59, originally a tradesman but now working as a community employment supervisor, says he intends to raise the profile of the Lord Mayorship in campaigns concentrating on "social issues that the Celtic Tiger has passed by". Bourke will concentrate on illiteracy, the A&E issue, homelessness and the lack of housing. The outgoing Lord Mayor is Catharine Byrne, a Fine Gael councillor.

Scott Millar