Three senior Labour Party figures have said they are considering making a bid for the vacant party leadership post following Pat Rabbitte's decision to step down.
Liz McManus takes over as Labour leader until party members vote for a new Labour leader. Image: Cyril Byrne.
Eamon Gilmore, Joan Burton and Tommy Broughan have all expressed interest in the position but have so far declined to declare their candidacies until after further discussions with colleagues.
Liz McManus, who is the current acting party leader until a successor to Mr Rabbitte is elected and new Leas-Cheann Comhairle Brendan Howlin are also likely to be touted as possible candidates.
Jan O'Sullivan TD for Limerick East said this evening she had not decided on whether to run or not, but said she was "keeping her options open".
A leading bookmaker today installed Mr Gilmore as favourite to win the contest at 4/6, with Mr Howlin next best at 4/1 and Ms McManus and Ms Burton both at 5/1.
The party's national executive will meet next Saturday to finalise a list of contenders. The executive will set a closing date for all nominations to the posts of leader and deputy leader.
Under party rules, candidates have to be elected through a ballot of party members, under a one member one vote system, no later than 45 days after the closing date for nominations. The process is likely to take up until mid-October, according to the party.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio earlier, both Ms Burton and Mr Gilmore said they was considering the possibility of running for post but wished to consult with colleagues prior to declaring their candidacies. Mr Broughan said he did not think anybody who had served in the Dáil would turn down the chance.
Ms McManus said yesterday she would allow the "hot seat", she now occupied, a chance to cool before declaring her intentions.
Mr Howlin is understood to be giving active consideration to contesting the leadership but this could not be confirmed.
Mr Rabbitte (58) resigned from his position yesterday, saying he was taking responsibility for the outcome of the recent general election, in which his party failed to gain new seats and failed to replace the outgoing government.
After the May election result, Mr Rabbitte said he would be staying on as leader of the party but accepted it needed to modernise and realise that people's attitudes had changed.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Rabbitte said: "Whereas the core values of Labour are timeless and immutable, we must accept that Irish society has changed, and we must change in how we relate these values to today's electorate."
