Frontbench committee recommends against fielding FF candidate for presidency

A recommendation is to go to the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party later this week not to field an internal candidate in the upcoming presidential election.

The decision was taken today by a committee of the party's frontbench set up to examine fielding a candidate in the election.

The committee of six met for more than 90 minutes this afternoon to discuss the issue of fielding a candidate for the October poll.

It is understood that the party's deputy leader, Eamon O'Cuiv, was the only one present who was adamant that a candidate should be put forward, but that the others decided on balance that there should not be a candidate.

The recommendation not to field an internal Fianna Fáil candidate will now go to the 36-member parliamentary party on Wednesday.

Should that be accepted, it would still leave it open to Fianna Fáil to endorse any other non-party candidate in the weeks ahead.