President Mary McAleese will receive Fine Gael support for a second term if she announces she will run as a non-party candidate, the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, has indicated.
Showing little appetite for a presidential election, Mr Kenny told The Irish Times: "We are 20 weeks from the locals and the European. (The Presidency) does not rank in the same category at all as the locals or the preparations for the general election."
Former Fine Gael Taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald, has repeatedly insisted that he would not run, while other Fine Gael figures, such as former minister, Mr Alan Dukes, are equally unenthusiastic.
Expressing respect for President McAleese, Mr Kenny said: "If she does decide to nominate herself, as is her right, as a non-party candidate, I would certainly give serious consideration that the Fine Gael party should decide not to oppose her," he said.
"I just think that if President McAleese does decide to nominate herself she has done a very good job for the country and in those set of circumstances I would certainly go back to the parliamentary party and say: 'This has changed the usual business'.
"I say that against the background that my focus is to get candidates for the locals who are going to win Dáil seats and move on to serious preparation for the general election," he declared. However, Mr Kenny's desire that President McAleese will be awarded a second seven-year term of office without a contest could be scuppered by Labour's determination to field a candidate.
The party's Galway West TD, Mr Michael D. Higgins, has already indicated to colleagues that he intends to seek the party's nomination.
"That is a matter for Pat Rabbitte and the Labour Party about what it is that they want to do. I wouldn't want to interfere in their business in that sense at all," said Mr Kenny.
He effectively conceded that Fine Gael would lose significant numbers of seats in the local elections, due in June along with elections for the European Parliament.
In 1999, Fine Gael - which had major losses in the May 2002 general election - won 32 per cent of council seats even though it secured little over 28 per cent of the first preference vote.
"The last time the people voted for Fine Gael we got 22 per cent of the vote. I was honoured with the leadership after that. That is the base that I am working from. That is my base.
"That is what I was left with and what I have got to work with and I am working off that," said Mr Kenny.
He also voiced his intention to reshuffle his front bench, which includes a number of newly-elected TDs such as Laois/Offaly's Ms Olwyn Enright and Waterford's Mr John Deasy, during the year.
