There is a high noon deadline for nominations to enter the presidential election but in reality we may know a little bit sooner if it will be a three-horse race, or if conservative campaigner Maria Steen will have secured enough names to enter the fray.
Senator Aubrey McCarthy confirmed on Wednesday morning that he would nominate Ms Steen.
As of Wednesday morning, she had 18 of the 20 nominations from TDs and Senators she needs to get on the ballot paper, but time is running out.
The deadlines for nominations is noon and in reality she needs to have the 20 signatures before then in order to have time to lodge papers at the Custom House.
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Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín – who has been spearheading efforts to generate Oireachtas nominations for Steen – set out the very tight timescale left last night.
He said he understood Steen was still talking to a number of Independents “and there’s a possibility that one or two might come on tonight and there’s rumblings that maybe some people in Fianna Fáil might like to add their names to it too”.
But he also told Virgin Media’s Tonight Show “people are leaving it late in the day”.
He added that she has an appointment to lodge nomination papers at the Custom House at 11am “so people need to make up their minds”.
Tóibín also argued that there is a “democratic deficit” in the election currently with three candidates officially in the race – Heather Humphreys of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin and Independent TD Catherine Connolly.
He said the two candidates for the Government parties are “very similar” and that Connolly is “a good candidate but she appeals to a certain demographic”.
However, he added that as things stood “there’s a whole section of Irish society who simply won’t have their voices heard in this election and won’t have a runner in the race and a bad thing for democracy”.
As Ellen Coyne reports this morning, Steen remained “very hopeful” she could make it on to the ballot paper, despite key Independent politicians declining to offer her their support.
Steen received a boost to her campaign on Tuesday when four Independent Ireland TDs and Independents Marian Harkin and Danny Healy-Rae publicly said they would support her bid to get on the ballot.
However, more endorsements failed to materialise later in the day, with a number of Senators declining to agree to sign Ms Steen’s nomination papers.
Steen said last night there were “still a few Independent Senators that I haven’t yet met, and if there are other party members who are willing to break ranks, I’m more than willing to meet them too”.
In her column, Miriam Lord writes that Steen, an opponent of marriage equality and abortion, was being championed as a symbol of choice by some on Tuesday.
Coyne, meanwhile, wrote a profile of Steen setting out how the Iona Institute barrister was group’s foremost debater during marriage equality and abortion referendums.
We will know for sure later today if Steen will also feature in the high-profile TV debates leading up to next month’s presidential election.
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Playbook
Dáil
9am: Dáil proceedings: Topical Issues
10am: Debate on Labour Party motion on child poverty and homelessness
12pm: Leaders’ Questions. Deadline for nominations to enter presidential election2
2.18pm: Government Business: Statements on pension autoenrollment; Statements on the use of vapes by young people
9.08pm: Weekly Dáil votes
Seanad
9.30am: Committee on Health update from Health Service Executive
12.15pm: Committee on Sport will examine matters relating to safeguarding policies and procedures within the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). Representatives of the FAI and Sport Ireland are due to attend
3.30pm: Minister for Public Expenditure and Infrastructure Jack Chambers will be before the Committee on Infrastructure to discuss the priorities in the National Development Plan.
4pm: Mental Health Bill 2024 debate.
6.30pm: Pre-budget report 2026.
