Fine Gael’s Seán Kelly has said he “could do a lot” as president as he continues to consider a bid for Áras an Uachtaráin while stopping short of declaring he will enter the race.
The Ireland South MEP also highlighted comments from Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, who described the presidency as a “makey-uppy job”.
Mr Kelly said while the remarks were “a bit cynical” – and he did not agree with Mr O’Leary’s approach – “the makey-uppy is what I would like because what that actually means is flexibility to look at it and to do a lot of things”.
Fine Gael is set to open its nominations process for the presidential election next month.
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Former European commissioner and MEP Mairead McGuinness has also been tipped as a possible candidate but is yet to confirm any intention.
Mr Kelly has been mulling over a possible run in recent months.
His latest remarks came during a questions-and-answers session at a lunch jointly hosted by the Association of European Journalists and the European Parliament’s Dublin office.
He said he has been asked to run mainly by Fine Gael colleagues but also by people he knows through sport andwas “thinking about it”, but noted there were arguments “for and against”.
“It’s obviously the highest honour in Ireland but also it’s a big change of lifestyle,” he said.
“It’s a seven-year commitment, which I think is pretty long. It’s unique, probably in elected politics, to be elected for that long.”
On the qualities he could bring to the job Mr Kelly expressed a reluctance to be “blowing my own trumpet until I have my mind made up”.
“I’d ask those who were asking me to go forward, what do they see in me that might make me a good president?”
“I’d be thinking – I could do a lot actually – but I won’t spell it out.”
In March Ryanair chief executive Mr O’Leary backed Ms McGuinness, saying he would be “very proud” to have her as Ireland’s next president. He also indicated he would not want the “makey-uppy” role himself.
Mr Kelly expressed hope there would be multiple candidates seeking the Fine Gael nomination as he believed party members would like to have their say on who would contest the election.
On what can be bruising campaigns he said people were “surprised and some maybe not too pleased” with the tone of the last two presidential elections and there were “very fine people who were destroyed”.
