Kerry and Longford County Councils will decide later today whether to nominate Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon to run for President, with the former MEP now the only obstacle to an unopposed return to Áras an Uachtaráin by Mrs McAleese, writes Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent.
An effort by members of the 11-strong Fine Gael group, which controls the 21-seat Longford County Council, to nominate Ms Scallon today was last night knocked on the head by party leader Enda Kenny.
The group had met to discuss their view on the motion to nominate Ms Scallon but the eleventh hour intervention by Mr Kenny instructed them not to proceed with the nomination. As of last night it appeared that the county councils in Kerry and Carlow could yet decide this week to nominate Ms Scallon. She needs the support of four councils, and has 10 days from today in which to secure it.
Nominations for the presidency close on October 1st and the weekend withdrawal of Mr Eamon Ryan of the Green Party and Labour's decision last week not to run Mr Michael D. Higgins leaves Dana as the only person seeking a nomination to run.
Party whips on Kilkenny and Carlow County Councils meet separately at lunchtime today to consider whether to call special meetings later this week. Kilkenny County Council seems unlikely to provide Dana with a nomination, although she appears to have a better chance in neighbouring Carlow, which nominated Mr Derek Nally in 1997. The Fianna Fáil whip in Kilkenny, Cllr Bobby Aylward, said yesterday that he would be opposed to nominating Dana but emphasised he was speaking personally, and that the Fianna Fáil group had yet to discuss the matter. Fine Gael sources said their members were unlikely to support her.
The party whips on neighbouring Carlow County Council meet today to decide whether to call a special meeting for later this week. Fine Gael Cllr Declan Alcock said yesterday he believed such a meeting would be called, and that "if she is proposed and seconded the council won't stand in her way".
Several members of Kilkenny County Council remarked yesterday that while council HQ had received a faxed request from Dana seeking a nomination, she did not appear to have contacted any councillors to seek their support. Ms Scallon could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
Ms Scallon is expected to travel today to Tralee where Kerry County Council will meet at lunchtime to consider a motion to nominate her. The 11-member Fianna Fáil group in Kerry meets this morning to decide whether to join the two Labour and one independent councillors likely to vote to nominate her. If they all did so there would be a one-vote majority on the 27-member body in favour of nominating Dana.
But the Fianna Fáil group appears divided on the issue, and unless a whip is imposed the motion to nominate her could fall short of a majority.