After a narrow defeat for the county's final Dáil seat, Clare's former Labour TD has announced his intention to seek nomination to Seanad Éireann.
Farmer and barrister Michael McNamara hopes to stay in national politics by seeking a Labour Party nomination to the Senate's Agricultural Panel.
A farmer in East Clare, Michael McNamara has played a prominent role on the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food & the Marine during the lifetime of the last Dáil.
The former TD has joined with his fellow farmers on the blockade of beef factories and has been critical of the Minister for Agriculture's handling of live export problems and the ineffectiveness of the Beef Forum.
And, he has actively opposed the proposed acquisition of 50% of Slaney Foods by Allied Beef Producers, a deal which includes one of the last independent rendering plants in the country.
In a statement to Clare FM, Michael McNamara says he has "been very active on agriculture and rural development issues" and feels that he has "much to offer as a public representative on these matters".
The Scarriff man insists that "strong farmer participation in Seanad Éireann is essential to help Irish producers gain wider markets and fairer prices for their world class farm output".
