Independent Senator David Norris has announced he has the support of 13 members of the Oireachtas out of the 20 required to secure a nomination to run for the presidency.
Mr Norris was joined by his colleagues as he made the announcement at Leinster House today, and the Senator said he was “certain” he would obtain further signatures and that his name would be on the ballot paper in October.
Going further, the Senator said it was a “significant milestone” in his campaign and he was “confident” he would go on to win and become the 9th president of Ireland.
Including his own, Mr Norris has secured the support of Independent TDs Finian McGrath, Maureen O’Sullivan, Catherine Murphy, Mick Wallace, Stephen Donnelly, Thomas Pringle, John Halligan and Luke "Ming" Flanagan.
He also has the support of Senator John Crown, Sean Barrett, Mary Ann O’Brien, and Marie Louise O’Donnell.
Asked today where the other signatures would come from, Mr Norris said he was in "discussions" with other members of the Oireachtas to secure signatures.
Mr Norris said he would be concentrating on obtaining the further signatures required during the month of August, when local authorities do not sit and the Oireachtas is in recess. In September, he will once again be targeting local authorities.
He opened his campaign on March 14th.
Potential presidential candidates need the support of 20 Oireachtas members, or four county councils, to get a nomination. So far Mr Norris has secured the support of just one council.
Prof Crown became the eighth member of the Oireachtas to indicate publicly he would back Mr Norris’s candidacy.