FINE GAEL councillors are expected to abstain in upcoming council votes on presidential nominations, opening up the possibility of Independent Senator David Norris and Dana Rosemary Scallon becoming candidates.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said yesterday his party’s councillors would not back any candidate other than MEP Gay Mitchell. But he indicated they would not block the nomination of Independents who also wanted to get their names on the ballot paper.
“Fine Gael councillors around the country will not receive any further instruction from me; they have abstained on all of these so far. We are not supporting any other candidate other than our own,” Mr Kenny said.
A series of special council meetings will take place in the coming days to consider last-minute requests for support from Mr Norris and Ms Scallon. Potential presidential candidates require the support of four councils or 20 members of the Oireachtas to secure a nomination.
Mr Norris already has the support of Fingal County Council.
Carlow County Council will meet on Monday, followed by Roscommon County Council. Waterford City Council will meet on Tuesday, with Kilkenny County Council meeting on Wednesday. The deadline for receipt of nomination forms at the Department of the Environment in Dublin is noon on Wednesday. The names already on the ballot paper are Mr Mitchell, Labour’s Michael D Higgins, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness and Independents Mary Davis and Seán Gallagher.
Meanwhile, a number of councils will meet to discuss requests for support from Mr Norris. Dublin City Council will meet early next week, probably on Tuesday, according to lord mayor Andrew Montague. Laois County Council will meet on Monday at 11am, with South Dublin County Council meeting on Monday evening.
Councils which have arranged meetings to discuss requests for a nomination from Ms Scallon only include Donegal County Council, which will meet on Tuesday. Offaly and Longford County Council will also meet on Tuesday.
Limerick County Council is expected to formalise Ms Davis’s nomination on Monday, bringing to 13 her supporting councils, although Ms Scallon has also requested support from Limerick. Mr Gallagher withdrew his request for a nomination from six councils after securing the four required.
Senators Eamonn Coghlan and Mary Ann O’Brien, both Taoiseach’s nominees, backed Mr Norris’s bid yesterday, bringing to 17 the TDs and Senators who had signed his nomination papers.
Donegal South West TD Thomas Pringle told Mr Norris he “wouldn’t be in a position to sign his nomination papers”. Mr Pringle was among some supporters of Mr Norris’s original bid who withdrew their support in the summer. Mr Pringle said the reasons he withdrew his support still stood. “That really hasn’t changed,” he said.
Independent TD Shane Ross is undecided, while fellow Independents Michael Lowry and Mattie McGrath have also not ruled out supporting Mr Norris.
Other TDs who have committed to Mr Norris are: Joe Higgins, Clare Daly, Richard Boyd Barrett and Joan Collins, along with John Halligan, Catherine Murphy, Maureen O’Sullivan, Stephen Donnelly and Mick Wallace. Mr Norris can also rely on Senator Marie Louise O’Donnell, Senator Fiach Mac Conghail, Senator Katherine Zappone, Senator John Crown and Senator Seán Barrett and his own vote.
