The Independent TD for Kerry South, Mr Jackie Healy-Rae, has said he is "under colossal pressure" to allow his name to go forward in Munster for the European election in June.
Following yesterday's report in The Irish Times that the Derry-born singer, Dana (Mrs Rosemary Scallon), was preparing to stand as an independent candidate in Munster, Mr Healy-Rae confirmed yesterday that he was also "very seriously considering this".
"If I do run, I'm not one bit worried about who else will run. I have not made up my mind yet. I'm under colossal pressure from around the entire constituency to run and I have huge offers of assistance," he added.
He would not come to a final decision for a couple of weeks, and his support for the minority Government would be a factor in his choice, he said.
"We are in a tight voting situation in the Dail. The Government won one [division] a month ago by just two votes. I have made a commitment to support them. They have been honourable with me and I with them."
He intended to investigate the impact of winning a European seat on his availability for Dail votes.
Candidates for the European election are required to present themselves at the returning officer's office in the relevant constituency with a £1,000 bank draft as deposit. This is lost if the candidate fails to secure a certain percentage of the overall vote.
According to the Independent MEP, Mr Pat Cox, he had not expected Dana to throw her hat into the Munster ring but was not surprised that she was presenting herself as a candidate for Europe.
"I have a rather relaxed view at the prospect," he said. "Democracy is a wide open space. Between now and the end of April, we will have a fair share of people making declarations and expressing an interest."
But he said one could not compare presidential elections with European Parliament contests. One could not simply count on moving a result "in a linear way" from one election to another.
Dana finished third in the presidential election in November 1997 with 14 per cent of the vote. She took 17.68 per cent of support in Connacht-Ulster and a 12.81 per cent share in Munster.
But, Mr Cox said, while the presidential campaign was mainly concerned with "broad symbolic brush strokes", the European election would involve "bread and butter issues".
"It is a very different style of campaign from the presidential one," Mr Cox added.
Mr Jackie Healy-Rae: support for Government a factor