The leaders of left-wing Opposition parties will meet at Leinster House on Wednesday to consider a possible agreed candidate for the presidency, though there is little expectation that a consensus will emerge on a name.
While the leaders of Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, the Greens and People Before Profit are due to meet at Leinster House, sources involved say they do not expect any decisions for some time.
One person involved in the process said they expected the name of Catherine Connolly, the Galway West Independent TD, would be floated at the meeting, though added: “We won’t be agreeing to anything tomorrow.”
Ms Connolly has said she would keep an “open mind” about running if she could “unite the Opposition”.
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The chief uncertainty surrounds the intentions of Sinn Féin, the largest Opposition party. It is as yet undecided on whether it will stand its own candidate or throw its weight behind an agreed left-wing candidate.
Speaking earlier on Tuesday, the party’s finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said the party is “in the middle of a process” but added that he did not expect a decision soon.
“We have consulted with the party across the length and breadth of Ireland and we have that feedback now. That’s being considered now by the party leadership,” he said.
“We are also obviously in talks with the other parties in relation to a joint candidate. So we’re in the middle of this process, and as soon as there is clarity internally in terms of the options and all options are on the table, we’ll provide that to the media and public as well.”
Following speculation that party leader Mary Lou McDonald may put her name forward, Mr Doherty said he expected different parts of the organisation might propose different names.
“I think Mary Lou has made very clear is nothing is off the table. Look, for some people it would be very exciting, the idea of Mary Lou McDonald contesting the presidency, but we’re too early to speculate on whether that’s going to be a factor or not. We are in the middle of the process and we’re ruling nothing out, and indeed nothing in, at this point in time.”
Asked if parts of the organisation had sought for Ms McDonald to be the candidate as part of the consultation, Mr Doherty said the consultation process was wide and varied and that a report was with the party’s leadership and under consideration.
“There is no one option in relation to that report. Mary Lou made it clear that we are under active consideration in terms of our strategy ... we’ll see how it goes.”
But with Kildare Street a hotbed of rumour about potential candidates, the speculation took another turn on Tuesday when the twice former Independent candidate for the presidency Seán Gallagher was seen in Leinster House for the second time in recent weeks. Sources said he was in discussions with Independent TDs and senators, though Mr Gallagher did not respond to queries.
Yesterday, former TD and MEP Mick Wallace also said he would not rule out a presidential run, though he said he would not run against Ms Connolly.
“We never say never, I mean let’s see. I don’t know anything. I don’t know. We’ll see,” he told South East Radio.
Mr Wallace was effusive in his praise for President Michael D Higgins, who he said had been “powerful”.
