MR Michael Lowry's constituency organisation begins door to door canvassing in North Tipperary this week, as he fights to retain his Dail seat following the controversy over his payments from Dunnes Stores and newspaper allegations yesterday about his private life.
Supporters of the former minister insisted yesterday that he would hold the seat as an independent candidate. Mr Lowry says his wife, Catherine, has expressed her support for him. Sources in his campaign team expect Mrs Lowry to join the canvass later in the week.
In a statement issued late on Saturday night, Mr Lowry said he and his wife were having "marital difficulties" and he asked the media to allow them "space and privacy" to resolve their problems.
"These difficulties have been acknowledged by both of us for some time. We have, while mindful of our responsibilities to our family, been discussing how best to resolve our personal problems in a manner least damaging to all concerned," he said. He remained committed to representing the people of North Tipperary, he added.
Sources close to Mr Lowry said that he would be making no further comment on the Sunday World report. Mr Michael Collins, public relations officer for Mr Lowry's campaign, said last night: "Catherine and her family are standing four square behind Michael."
He added: "In circumstances where a man's wife is standing behind him, I do not believe it is open to anybody else to comment on their marriage. As far as his campaign is going, he has huge support. I do not believe, over the course of the campaign, that these reports will damage him," Mr Collins said.
Mr Lowry and his wife held a meeting with his local campaign committee on Saturday night to discuss the implications of the impending newspaper report.
Shortly after 11 p.m. he issued a statement through his company, Streamline Enterprises.
Mr Lowry is expected to attend a public meeting tonight in Nenagh to boost his campaign. Observers in the constituency say that he will be inevitably damaged by the newspaper claims but that he probably has sufficient support to allow a drop in votes and still retain his seat.
Following his party's annual delegate conference at the weekend, the leader of Democratic Left, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, said that Mr Lowry should reconsider his decision to seek reelection but it was a matter for himself to decide.
"It is my view that there are issues which he failed to deal with in the course of his explanation to the Dail," he added.
Mr Lowry's explanation was so inadequate that matters remained to be cleared up, he said. However, according to Mr De Rossa, it was "grossly unfair" of newspapers to probe into the private lives of politicians. They had a right to privacy the same as any other citizen.