Mairead McGuinness confirmed as Fine Gael nominee for presidential race

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Mairead McGuinness has been confirmed as the nominee for Fine Gael’s presidential candidate.

Her ratification as the party’s candidate is to take place at an event in September.

Tánaiste Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said Ms McGuinness, who was a former TV presenter and farming journalist before becoming an MEP and EU commissioner, “possesses all the attributes to bring our nation together”.

Ms McGuinness is the first official nominee in the presidential race to replace Michael D Higgins this autumn, after he served the maximum, two seven-year terms as President of Ireland.

Independent Galway TD Catherine Connolly, who is expected to officially enter the race on Wednesday, has already received the backing of the Social Democrats and People Before Profit and is expected to garner the support of several independents.

Labour said it would “seriously” consider whether to back Ms Connolly, who is a former party member, as a presidential candidate.

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 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 be 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.