Any doubts about the presidential candidacy of Dana (Mrs Rosemary Scallon) appeared to have been removed last night when councillors in North Tipperary unanimously endorsed their earlier decision to nominate her.
Doubts over that decision, taken yesterday week, centred on whether sufficient notice had been given to councillors that she was to be proposed at that meeting. However, at a meeting yesterday of the council's roads committee, the county secretary, Mr Risteard O Domhnaill, said sufficient time had elapsed since notice had been sent out for the decision of September 15th to be endorsed.
Yesterday's vote means that Dana has been nominated properly by Donegal, Longford, Kerry and Tipperary North Riding councils. However, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Council last night voted against her nomination. O Domhnaill, pointed out that the proper legal procedures under the Presidential Act had not been followed and as a result Dana had not yet been formally nominated by the council.
But, he said, the council could now nominate her Mr O Domhnaill added that Mrs Scallon had not as yet been formally nominated but the council could now do so because the statutory three-day notification, which was not given last week, was now in place.
Subsequently An independent, councillor, Mr Joe O'Connor, then nominated her, seconded by Mr Councillor Tom Ryan of Fine Gael. The vote was unanimous. She was endorsed unanimously.
The Fine Gael cathaoirleach (chairman) of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Council last night used his casting vote to block her the nomination.
of Dana (Mrs Rosemary Scallan) for the Presidency. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council last night rejected a motion to nominate Dana, Rosemay Scallan, as a candidate for the presidency. The motion was defeated on the casting vote of the cathaoirleach, Mr Donal Marren (FG).
Proposing her nomination at the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown meeting, Mr Richard Greene (Independent) said a vote for the motion in no way committed the members to supporting her as a candidate. "We were only asked to support her right to run," he said.
It was, he added, a simple test: "If you vote for this you are saying that the Constitution works."
Mr Greene received the support of the Fianna Fail group on the council, with the Fianna Fail leader, Ms Betty Coffey, saying, "Dana has bucked the system and central government should realise that we can buck the system too."
Ms Coffey urged that councillors behave "in a democratic way and allow that lady to run".
Senator Helen Keogh (Progressive Democrats), said: "It would be undemocratic not to allow her name to go forward."
However, a Democratic Left councillor, Mr Pat Fitzgerald, objected to the idea that he was being anti-democratic in refusing to support the nomination. "I entered politics to change society for the better and in relation to the motion I have to ask would it change Ireland for the better and I have to say that it would not."
Another Democratic Left councillor, Mr Denis O'Callaghan, said that while "Dana has a perfect right to come before us, it does not mean that we are undemocratic if we refuse to nominate her for the highest office in the land".
For Fine Gael, Ms Olivia Mitchell said: "Dana does not live in the country, pay taxes here or send her children to school here." Any suggestion that Fine Gael was being anti-democratic by not supporting the nomination "simply doesn't add up", she added.
The vote was tied, with 11 for and 11 against, and three abstentions. The cathaoirleach, Mr Donal Marren, used his casting vote against.
Mr Derek Nally has abandoned plans for a legal challenge to the imposition of a Fianna Fail whip preventing its county councillors supporting his nomination.
After taking legal advice, Mr Nally conceded yesterday that a constitutional challenge was "out of the question" for practical reasons. He renewed his call on the political parties to "allow the democratic process filter down to their councillors" by allowing a free vote.
In spite of this setback, Mr Nally says he has had indications of support from councillors from across the political spectrum.
Motions calling for his nomination as a presidential candidate will be taken at five county councils, starting with Clare on Saturday. On Monday - one day before nominations close - similar motions will be considered by Cork, Louth, Wexford and Carlow councils, Mr Nally said.
He requires the support of four local authorities in order to join the four women candidates in the race.
Last week, the 13 Fianna Fail members of Galway County Council voted en bloc to defeat his nomination. The vote there was 13-10.