Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has become the latest prominent Fianna Fáil figure to back Jim Gavin to be the party’s presidential election candidate.
All of the party’s senior Cabinet members, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, have now indicated support for the former Dublin Gaelic football team manager.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has declared his support for his European Parliament colleague Billy Kelleher to be the party’s candidate.
Fianna Fáil’s parliamentary party will meet on Tuesday, September 9th to choose who it will put forward to be on the ballot paper in the race to succeed Michael D Higgins.
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Nominations for those seeking to enter the contest to be Fianna Fáil’s candidate close at 5pm this Friday, with parliamentary party members entitled to nominate just one person. Contenders need five nominations from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party to be considered as a potential candidate.
A spokeswoman for Mr O’Callaghan on Monday said the Minister had spoken to Mr Gavin and Mr Kelleher.
“He believes FF is lucky to have two such outstanding people seeking its nomination,” she said.
“It has been a difficult call for him because both would be excellent in the office of Uachtarán na hÉireann.
“He has decided to support Jim (Gavin) as he believes he would be a uniquely qualified candidate.”
In an online post, Mr Andrews said he was supporting Mr Kelleher saying he has “over 30 years of service to Fianna Fáil, was a leading pro-choice voice during that referendum, and has stood up for the defence of Ukraine and justice in Palestine as an MEP”.
Speaking on RTÉ radio on Monday, Mr Andrews said Mr Kelleher would be an “excellent president”.
He predicted Mr Kelleher would receive five nominations while conceding that Mr Gavin already has enough support among the parliamentary party to enter the internal contest.
“Obviously people are being a bit cagey and a bit coy. When you get a call from the leader it can really concentrate the mind,” he said. Mr Martin has been calling Fianna Fáil politicians as he seeks support for Mr Gavin.
Mr Andrews said: “I think what we need to do is really look into the relative capabilities of people.
“I have a very strong view that if somebody from the parliamentary party with Billy’s vast experience comes forward then you’re going to have a very good reason to outside the parliamentary party for a nominee or indeed outside the party,” he said. “So we can really ventilate all of those ideas in the process next week”.
In a letter to Fianna Fáil TDs at the weekend, Mr Gavin said he was “very honoured” to be approached by members of the party and parliamentary party to ask if he would be willing to put his name forward.
He set out his agenda for the presidency, saying it will be “an active and positive one based on reaching out to every community at home as well as promoting and representing Ireland’s values abroad”.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald on Monday said the party had gone through a “painstaking process” to consider possible candidates that would conclude shortly.
She said the parliamentary party would discuss the issue next Monday and its ard chomhairle would make a final recommendation shortly afterwards.
