Mr Pat Rabbitte last night dismissed claims that Labour is split over the presidential election after its national executive voted by only one vote not to contest the poll.
The Labour leader indicated that the party would provide the signatures required by the Green TD Mr Eamon Ryan to receive a nomination to fight an election. However, he ruled out giving Labour Party money to Mr Ryan's campaign.
Mr Rabbitte made little of the strong vote in favour of contesting the election, despite his recommendation that Labour should absent itself from the contest.
"People held different views on this issue from the point of view, I think myself, motivated very largely by the availability of Michael D. Higgins. I think that members of the executive, like the party throughout the country, hold Michael D. in the kind of esteem that says that we're very fortunate to have somebody who would be a standard bearer for the party of his calibre."
Speaking to reporters after a three-hour meeting of the executive in Leinster House, Mr Rabbitte indicated that he would not prevent Mr Ryan from entering the race. He noted, however, that the Greens had not made a formal request for Labour signatures in support of his nomination.
"The Labour Party would not ever take a dog in the manger attitude towards a like-minded candidate wanting to present in an electorate contest like this one," he said.
Mr Rabbitte said there was no question of Labour helping to fund the Green TD's campaign. "If you're asking me if I would contribute finance, for example, in the name of the Labour Party to the candidacy of another candidate, I would not.
"For God's sake, if I was prepared to do that I would be supporting Michael D. Higgins and we would be running a Labour campaign."
Mr Rabbitte added: "It's a simple question of priority for the party. We have two by-elections that are imminent, we have the business of trying to replace this combination of parties in office.
"You know, those pragmatic questions motivated my own decision. Because I think it's important to say that insofar as one can reasonably foresee these things, there seems to be broad popular support for the incumbent."
