FF set to withdraw from Áras race

FIANNA FÁIL will opt to stabilise its finances before the 2014 local elections instead of putting a candidate forward for the costly presidential race later this year.

A six-man sub-committee to decide its strategy for the presidency is meeting today and hopes to reach a unanimous verdict, despite deputy leader Eamon Ó Cuiv still believing it should contest the election.

Sources said the biggest issue informing the decision is likely to be the “scarce resources” in the party which is €2.3 million in debt.