Martin confirms candidacy for leadership

Former foreign affairs minister Micheál Martin has confirmed he is to contest the leadership of Fianna Fáil.

Speaking this afternoon following the earlier resignation of Brian Cowen as party leader, Deputy Martin said he commended the approach of the Taoiseach, saying he had put the country - and the party - first.

Deputy Martin said that he expects the leadership issue to be resolved this week, and confirmed that he is interested in the job.

"I will be putting my name forward before the party," he told Newstalk radio.

"And over the next couple of days I will be entering into discussions with my colleagues and setting out my vision for the party and for the country."

The 50-year-old Cork TD has long been tipped as a potential successor to Mr Cowen at the FF helm.

However his credibility was dented in some respects when he failed to bring the parliamentary party with him last week in an unsuccessful leadership bid.

However, he was the only minister to publicly call for change ahead of a secret ballot and subsequently paid for it by being sacked from the Cabinet by Mr Cowen.

A former secondary school teacher, one of the biggest highlights of his career was enforcing a workplace smoking ban when he was health minister in 2004.

His profile soared in 2009 when his diplomats secured the freedom of kidnapped aid worker Sharon Cummins from a compound in the town of Kutum, north of Darfur, in Sudan. He dispatched the Government jet to fly her home.

Again, he spoke out against Israel when an aid flotilla to Gaza carrying several Irish activists, including Noble Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, was attacked by armed commandos.

Last year, he became the first European foreign minister to enter Gaza since the Israeli blockade was enforced in 2007.