Independent Ireland has confirmed its support for Maria Steen’s presidential bid, bringing her tally of Oireachtas nominations to 16, while Danny Healy-Rae TD has also supported her, bringing the tally to 17 – a stone’s throw from the 20 required.
The deadline for nominations is 12 noon tomorrow on Wednesday.
The party’s four TDs agreed this morning to back her candidacy following a meeting at Leinster House. The decision makes Steen the closest contender yet to reaching the 20 nominations required to secure a place on the ballot paper.
Addressing the media, party leader Michael Collins said the party was “impressed” by Steen’s “honesty”, “candour”, and “ability to articulate her views and vision for the Presidency.”
“We were particularly struck by her determination to be a genuine voice for the people of Ireland who feel ignored and unrepresented by the political establishment,” he continued.
“As elected parliamentarians, we believe it is our duty to ensure that voters are given a real choice in this election. Yet the process of securing a place on the ballotpaper has been deliberately made more difficult by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael at council level, which we regard as an affront to democracy itself.
“It is in that spirit, after careful consideration, the Independent Ireland party has agreed this morning that four Independent Ireland TDs will sign Maria Steen’s nomination papers today. We now ask independent members or others of the Oireachtas who have yet to commit to consider doing the same, and facilitate democracy by signing the nomination for Maria Steen.”
He added: “…Maria Steen deserves the opportunity to represent her case, and the people of Ireland deserve the right to choose.”
Minister of State Marian Harkin also announced her backing for Steen earlier today, though she indicated that her preferred candidate remains Heather Humphreys. It is not yet clear whether Harkin was among the previously anonymous Oireachtas members who had signed Steen’s nomination papers, or whether hers represents an additional endorsement.
To date, Steen has secured the public support of a number of Oireachtas members. These include Peadar Tóibín TD, Paul Lawless TD, and Senator Sarah O’Reilly of Aontú, as well as Independents Mattie McGrath TD, Carol Nolan TD, Senator Joe Conway, Senator Rónán Mullen, Senator Sharon Keogan, and others.
Junior Minister Michael Healy-Rae has nominated her but will cast his vote for Heather Humphreys, while his brother Danny has also just announced he will be backing Steen.
With the addition of Independent Ireland’s four TDs, Steen’s confirmed support now stands at 17 confirmed nominations, with one more expected by the end of the day according to Aontú leader Peadar Toibín.
Collins told Gript this morning that the party had concerns about Steen’s candidacy, and that its deliberations took into account a wide range of issues including neutrality, climate policy, the assisted dying bill, abortion, and same-sex marriage. He added that the party had sought assurances from Steen that she would represent “ordinary people” affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
“We want someone who can reach out to everybody, even those not in her agenda, or those she’s reached out to up to now in her life,” he said.
Collins rejected criticism that Independent Ireland had been slow to commit to Steen, saying: “We told her at a very early stage, ‘If you’ve 16 votes, come to us.’ There’s no point coming to us otherwise.”
Confirmed candidates so far include Independent Catherine Connolly, backed unanimously by left-wing opposition parties, Heather Humphreys of Fine Gael, and Jim Gavin of Fianna Fáil. The deadline for nominations is tomorrow.
Meanwhile, entrepreneur Gareth Sheridan yesterday announced he was withdrawing from the race after failing to secure four local authority nominations. Sheridan had won backing from Kerry and Tipperary county councils but was defeated in Meath and Offaly. He said he respected “the democratic process and the decisions made by our councils” and wished the remaining candidates well.
Steen’s campaign now hinges on securing the final two or three nominations required. Potential support remains under consideration from Independent TD Paul Gogarty, who has indicated he will nominate if Steen is close to 20. Senators Michael McDowell and Victor Boyhan have not declared their positions.
Senator Gerard Craughwell has ruled out backing Steen due to her views on abortion.
If Steen succeeds in reaching the threshold, she will join Connolly, Humphreys, and Gavin on the ballot for the presidency.