EGOTISM and vanity, the desire to do something for the community, the buzz of a constant challenge, the hunger for a direct hand on the levers of power, are all given as reasons for seeking election to the Dail.
For the candidates pounding the streets there is nothing more desirable than five years of long hours, incessant travel, erosion of private and family life and attendance at often tedious Dail debates concluded by predictable votes.
Despite the cynicism with which the public increasingly views politicians, most could have a quieter life and often a better paid job - if they stayed at home. Yet, apart from Ma ire Geoghegan Quinn and those who have reached retirement age, few incumbent TDs are bowing out and they are challenged by several dozen hopefuls who have never run before.
Further, there are many more who have run before only to be defeated, yet undeterred, face manic campaign schedules and considerable expense to do it again.
Noel Whelan, Fianna Fail's first time candidate in Dublin South East, where he seeks a second seat for the party, cannot claim he does not know what he is letting himself in for. He has worked for the party for the past eight years, since he left college. Now he wants to move from the backrooms into the public arena, personal life, the lack of personal space, you are at the beck and call of constituents - and rightly so. I have no illusions. But it you want to achieve something you must be a public representative yourself."
He has been knocking on doors since January. "It's a lot of fun. I've been meeting hundreds of people every day. People are happy to meet their politicians. You will only get the door slammed in your face, say, five times a day. That means 95 per cent of people are glad to see you.
If elected, the best he can hope for is to be a back bencher, with no real input into decision making. For now, he would be happy with that. "Every politician has a lot to learn, an apprenticeship to serve. As well as being a policy maker politicians do have a role as the voice of the people in their area.
"A lot of people don't have the luxury of worrying about `broader issues'. They might have a disabled child, for example, and that dominates their whole life. Access for that child will be hugely important to them."
He wants to take people's concerns to the centre of political power. These include the problems of families containing a member with a disability - something be never expected and which affects one in 12 people - tax concessions for child care for working parents, especially needed by single parents, and fears that the growth in house prices will put buying a house out of the reach of many.
Politicians and the media don't meet ordinary people normally. They meet each other and recycle the same concerns.
He is prepared for what the life entails. "My girlfriend is also involved in politics, which helps. You could not sustain it otherwise. It's very important to keep a balance. Any job can dominate your life if you don't organise it. I've pencilled in a couple of hours each day over the next three weeks where no one will know where I am. We can't just run on coffee, chocolate and adrenalin.
Kathleen O'Meara, Labour's candidate in Tipperary North, is also entering this arena with her eyes open. She left a journalist's career in RTE to work, first for the Labour Party, then as special adviser to Minister of State Ms Eithne Fitzgerald.
"I started seriously thinking about it last summer. I knew there was an election coming up and I could be out of a job. I was considering my next step. Would I go into something like PR? My decision was directly related to working with a Minister. I saw how decisions were made and how policy was changed. I saw the need to be involved directly.
"Then John Ryan decided to retire. It was my home county, and there was nobody obvious to walk into the constituency. I decided I could do it now or postpone it for to years. My youngest child is 4 1/2, which is a bit young, but I decided to run.
She could not do it without the support of her husband and the full, supportive awareness of her older child, who is 13. The family moved to Tipperary - her husband's employers were "very accommodating".
She knows the pressures involved. "When you walk out the door you're public property and so are your hush and children. I could not do it without their support."
Like Noel Whelan, if elected she expects her work to be mainly representational. "But I would be hopeful of a ministerial position down the line."
This is Liz O'Donnell's second election, and she had little idea what would be involved when she was elected on her first attempt five years ago. "It's been a huge learning curve for me. I'm not a very political animal. I learned to be very quickly. I feel very much like a punter who got elected. I'm still a bit bemused by it."
Much that is associated with the life of a politician does not come naturally to her. "I feet mortified, for example, canvassing outside churches. I feel it's inappropriate when people are coming out from prayer to have politician's literature thrust into their hands."
What about attending funerals? "I wouldn't dream of it, except of people I know personally."
It has been a strain, especially on her family. I try to ringfence my Saturdays and Sundays. And being in Dublin means you're more accessible to the media which has its own strains. It adds up in terms of stress levels."
So why is she running again? "I often wonder. We're quite a small party, and here in the constituency I'm part of a small but very committed team. People at constituency level put an awful lot of work into it. You can't walk away from that. I'm still of the view that it is a very great privilege to be in the 27th Dail.
"I suppose I do it for Mary Harney, really. But I don't see myself in it for the rest of my life."
Michael Ring, who won the Mayo West seat for Fine Gael in the last by election, is a political animal, as are all members of his family. "My wife is a better politician than I am, she does more political work than I do," he said. When The Irish Times called his home recently, his 14 year old daughter said he was at a funeral and took a message. This was the first of three funerals to be attended that evening.
He would not have it otherwise. "I love politics, I love people, I love the oul' buzz of politics. I love the Dail. I'll be the most disappointed man in Ireland if I'm not elected." He faces a tough fight because the constituency has been reduced from six to five seats.
This is Charlie McCreevy's 20th year in the Dail. Asked why politicians sacrifice so much of their time for politics he said: "They would all say they feel they should do something good for the country. And they will say there are in Fine Gael or Fianna Fail or Labour or whatever because it is the best party for that. That's all bullology.
"If a group of psychologists got all the politicians in the world on a couch they would only come up with one thing - egotism. Really what you're saying is that you're better than the other fellow."
People did come into the Dail first with some idealism, he said. "But after a while, especially in a multi seat milieu, you know no one is listening to you, especially as a back bencher. After a few elections you want to best the other fellow and stay there.
"It's part of my life now. It's my job and I want to keep it. After Maire Geoghegan Quinn went I know I'm not the only politician who thought, `I'd love to be doing that'. But if I did I'd regret it the moment after. I hope I'll be in the position that I pick the time when I'm going to step out of this. Most people are fired out.
"This game is a lot of things but it's not boring."