The confirmed runners and riders for the upcoming by-elections in Galway West and Dublin Central have been announced.

The writs for the Dublin Central and the Galway West bye-elections were moved in the Dáil this evening.

Left-wing parties are aiming to defeat the government in the upcoming Galway West by-election, with candidates selected and canvassing underway ahead of the expected late May date.

The starting gun has been fired for the Galway West by-election, with Fine Gael selecting former government chief whip and Senator Seán Kyne as their candidate, facing tough challenges from both left and right.

By-elections for the Dublin Central and Galway West constituencies have been officially announced and are scheduled to take place on May 22. The race for these parliamentary seats has now begun.

The by-election in Galway West, Ireland's largest Gaeltacht, will not feature an Irish language debate on RTÉ RnaG or TG4 due to an insufficient number of fluent Irish-speaking candidates.

Senator Seán Kyne has been chosen by Fine Gael to contest the upcoming by-election in the Galway West constituency.

Galway Mayor Mike Cubbard has confirmed his intention to contest the upcoming Galway West by-election as an independent candidate, running on a 'Galway First' platform.

Sinn Féin has announced that Mark Lohan, the party's chairperson in Galway West, will contest the upcoming by-election in the constituency.

A Fine Gael senator has been chosen to run in the Galway West by-election, with the Taoiseach indicating that both the Galway West and Dublin Central by-elections are likely to be held in May.