The majority of Fianna Fáil parliamentarians want the party to run its own candidate in the forthcoming presidential election.
There was overwhelming support among the 25 TDs, Senators and MEPs who responded to queries.
Just two were conditional or negative with the remaining 23 in favour of a Fianna Fáil candidate contesting.
The party is currently completing an internal process to determine if it will run a candidate. Sources have said the leadership will make a decision at the end of August and put it to the wider party.
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Those who told The Irish Times they would support having a party candidate were: Niamh Smyth; Christopher O’Sullivan; Malcolm Byrne; Senator Teresa Costello; John McGuinness; Tom Brabazon; Cynthia Ní Mhurchú; Sen Ollie Crowe; Mary Butler; Eamon Scanlon: Erin McGreehan; Sen Shane Curley; Shay Brennan; Sen Anne Rabbitte; Padraig O’Sullivan; Séamus McGrath; John Connolly; and Pat the Cope Gallagher.
“I absolutely believe we should run a candidate,” said Ms Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for Artificial Intelligence. “We are the largest political party and should contest the election.”
Ms McGreehan, TD for Louth, said: “I would always believe that Fianna Fáil should stand up and be counted in every election. I would love to see a Fianna Fáil president for our 100th anniversary next year”.
Ms Ní Mhurchú, an MEP in the South constituency, said Fianna Fáil was the biggest party and the presidential election was extraordinarily important in the context of Irish politics.
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Shay Brennan, TD for Dublin Rathdown, said the party had been “at the heart of Irish democracy for generations”.
“It’s only right that we should offer a distinct vision for the Áras.”
John Connolly, TD for Galway West, said his preference was for a party candidate and said it would be to its advantage to run somebody with good experience of election campaigns.
Many of those who responded also pointed out that the party had not contested an election since 1997 and should not sit it out. Several acknowledged the difficulty in finding a suitable candidate.
“I don’t believe any of the names mooted so far will be the candidate,” said one.
Minister of State Niall Collins, one of the two who expressed some caution, said he would agree with running a candidate but pending two requirements.
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“Firstly we would need to have a candidate that is qualified to do the job well and secondly a candidate who has a very real chance of winning the election. Unless we can achieve that I’m more than happy to sit it out,” he said.
Another TD said privately that it was imperative for the party to run a candidate. “Whether we go with a former public representative as a candidate or whether we select someone from wider society, Fianna Fáil has people within its ranks that are more than capable of contesting. Supporting another party candidate is a non-runner for me.”
Some others expressed cynicism about the process and expressed the view the decision would be made by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and senior colleagues alone, and then presented to the party’s representatives as a done deal.
“We will have no real say on the matter and be told to rubber stamp,” said one TD.
One other member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the party would need to find a good candidate.
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“We need someone with a real shot. We cannot hand the presidency to Catherine Connolly. We will live to regret it if we do,” the person said.
“We are the largest party in the Dáil, Seanad and local government. We have to contest this.”
Another TD, speaking off-record, also doubted the party’s elected representatives would decide. “It is unlikely that the politburo will give the parliamentary party its opportunity to discuss the matter,” said the TD.
