Former minister and Dún Laoghaire councillor Mary Hanafin has announced her intention to seek a Fianna Fáil nomination for next year's European Parliament elections.
The elections are set to take place between May 23rd and 26th 2019 and will probably coincide with the Irish local elections.
Cllr Hanafin was previously a Fianna Fáil senior minister for seven years. Her roles included minister for education from 2004 to 2008, minister for social and family affairs from 2008 to 2010 and minister for tourism, culture and sport from 2010 to 2011.
Speaking in Blackrock, Co Dublin on Monday, Cllr Hanafin described the upcoming European elections as "the most important ever as we face a period of uncertainty not only in relation to Brexit but for democracy throughout Europe".
"The only democratic voice of the people is through the European Parliament and Ireland needs to elect our strongest and most experienced people as your MEPs," she said.
Ms Hanafin noted that there had not been a Fianna Fáil MEP for Dublin since 2009 and that a convention would be held in January on a one member vote system. “I aim to meet and speak with as many delegates as possible over the next few weeks to win their support to represent Dublin in the European Parliament,” she said.
Former Fianna Fáil TDs Barry Andrews and Conor Lenihan, and Tiernan Brady, a leading figure in the same-sex marriage referendum in 2015, have already begun canvassing for a nomination in the 2019 European elections. Mr Andrews, who currently heads the Institute for International and European Affairs, a pro-EU thinktank, is the slight favourite at this stage.
Ireland was allotted two additional seats when the European Council decided in June to redistribute 27 of the UK's seats for the next parliament. However, these two additional Irish MEPs will not be allowed to take up their seats if there is any delay in Britain leaving the European Union.
