Ms Mary Banotti, Dublin MEP and grand-niece of Michael Collins, said her selection as Fine Gael's presidential candidate yesterday was "the proudest day of my life". Following her victory over Senator Avril Doyle for the party's candidacy, she criticised the "archaic, unfair and inadequate" system for selecting presidential candidates and called for a change in the selection process.
Ms Banotti also spoke of the public's "apathetic and cynical" attitude towards the institutions of the State, which represented a "real danger to democracy". "The body politic has allowed standards to slip," she said.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Bruton, said the President would have to make "subtle and complex judgements about the political situation" and play a key role at the centre of the political system.
Ms Banotti's experience in the European Parliament and her work on committees dealing with complex issues made her a strong candidate for the job.
As a grand-niece of Michael Collins, Ms Banotti was "someone who has a sense of Irish history" and who could "interpret its place in history for the Irish people in this generation", said Mr Bruton.
Of the 74 Fine Gael TDs, Senators and MEPs entitled to vote, 69 took part yesterday in the selection process in the Physics Theatre of Newman House on St Stephen's Green.
The votes polled by each candidate were not announced, but party sources indicated that the contest was "extremely tight".
Senator Doyle congratulated Ms Banotti and vowed to work hard for her election. She drew attention to her "breadth of life experience and political experience".
In her victory speech, Ms Banotti spoke of how she had returned to Ireland during the early 1970s as a separated wife and brought up her child alone.
She had played a central role in setting up the Women's Refuge in Harcourt Street in 1975, and later became chairwoman of the Rutland Centre, which treats people for alcoholism.
In 1984 she was elected MEP for Dublin and had served in the European Parliament for the past 13 years. She was appointed by two successive European Parliamentary presidents as a mediator on children's issues.
Ms Banotti said experience would be a key issue and it was crucial for the elected candidate to "respect the Constitution and act with dignity".
Her sister and the former minister for justice, Mrs Nora Owen, said after the announcement that it was an emotional day for her family. She expressed sadness that her mother, who died in January, did not live to see her daughter's selection as a presidential candidate.
Ms Banotti's experience and her warm personality made her "a match and better for the other candidates", said Mrs Owen.
"As the campaign goes on, her record, her experience and the fact that she, like many people, has had to overcome great adversity in her life, will commend her to the people," she told The Irish Times.
Mr Austin Currie, Fine Gael's candidate in the 1990 presidential election, said there was more demand for the position on this occasion.
Ms Banotti clearly had the experience for the job and there was a question mark over some of the candidates, he said.
Her experience in the European Parliament would be a distinct advantage to her in "projecting Ireland on the world stage" he said.
The transfer of votes would play an important part in the election, and Mr Currie added: "I hope Mary Banotti will be as lucky as Mary Robinson was in receiving almost 80 per cent of transfers, enabling her to win."