Labour to ‘seriously’ consider backing former member Connolly for presidency

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Labour will “seriously” consider whether to back former party member Catherine Connolly as a presidential candidate.

Nominees are finally emerging to replace Michael D Higgins this autumn, after he served the maximum, two seven-year terms as President.

Independent Galway TD Ms Connolly has already received the backing of the Social Democrats and People Before Profit and is expected to garner the support of several independents.

Mairead McGuinness, who was a TV presenter and farming journalist before becoming an MEP and EU Commissioner, is expected to be confirmed as Fine Gael’s candidate on Tuesday.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has also refused to rule herself out of running for the presidency.

Prospective candidates need the support of 20 Oireachtas members to get on the ballot paper.

Fianna Fáil, the party with the most TDs in the Dáil, has not clarified if it will run a candidate.

Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said that the party was “assessing our options” and a decision would be made by the parliamentary party in the early autumn.

Asked about Taoiseach Micheál Martin as a possible candidate, Mr Chambers said he was “very focused on the job of government”.

Labour TD George Lawlor said on Tuesday that Ms Connolly had approached Labour party leader Ivana Bacik seeking the party’s support and they would “consider very seriously” their decision.

“We will speak with our members, and our members will be contacted, and a decision will be made after that. No decisions will be made today.”

He added: “We will be asking Catherine to outline her vision for the presidency and where she sees her role in that. It’s a position that the Labour party has promoted very strong candidates for in the past.”

Left-wing independent Ms Connolly worked as a barrister and a clinical psychologist before becoming a councillor for 17 years and spending a term as a Galway mayor until 2005.

She resigned from the Labour party in 2006 after being turned down to run as a running mate of then-incumbent TD Michael D Higgins.

She was first elected to the Dáil as an independent candidate for Galway West in 2016 and has been an outspoken advocate for Palestine and against US army aircraft refuelling at Shannon Airport.