O’Dowd’s campaign to be President hits snag

IRISH publisher Niall O’Dowd received a knock to his campaign to compete for the Presidential election after Fianna Fáil declared it would be weeks before it decides on whether it will support a candidate.

Mr O’Dowd flew to Dublin this week to lobby Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin in the hope of receiving the backing of 20 Oireachtas members, the figure needed for a nomination.

The founder of the Irish Voice newspaper, who is based in New York, wants to run as an Independent candidate.

He has pledged to put job creation at the centre of his campaign.

Speaking to RTÉ radio yesterday, Mr O’Dowd, the brother of Fine Gael minister Fergus O’Dowd, said: “I would like to try and help with diaspora direct investment, getting Americans involved and investing in Ireland.”

But Fianna Fáil said that only a party official had met Mr O’Dowd yesterday. No meeting is scheduled with party leader Micheál Martin this week.

Mr Martin will raise the issue over whether the party should back a candidate for the Áras at FF’s parliamentary party meeting tomorrow evening.

But it will be a number of weeks at least before any decision is made on whether to back a candidate, the party said.

Meanwhile, Mr O’Dowd is scheduled to meet Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams today in a bid to receive support from the party’s 17 TDs and senators for a nomination.

Sinn Féin said last night that it would not make a decision on its preferred candidate until the party’s Ard Chomhairle on July 2.

The party also said it was allowing party councillors to back their preferred candidate, as long as that candidate gives their backing to Presidential voting rights for Irish citizens in the North.

The backing of four local authorities is needed by a person seeking a nomination for the Presidential election.

But Sinn Féin councillors do not have full control over any one city or county council, which means any prospective candidate willing to campaign for Northern voting rights will need the backing of other party or non-party councillors to secure the backing of a full local authority.

Meanwhile, former minister and MEP Avril Doyle is expected today to formally announce her decision to seek the Fine Gael nomination to contest the Presidential election.

The 62-year-old’s decision to enter the race comes after party TDs contacted her in recent weeks asking her to put herself forward.