Three Independent TDs 'offer to support McGuinness bid'

It is understood that three Independent TDs have agreed to support Martin McGuinness' bid for the Presidency.

The North's Deputy First Minister is returning from the US today. He is expected to be formally ratified as Sinn Féin's candidate in the presidential election at an Ard Chomhairle meeting tomorrow.

Sinn Féin currently has 17 Oireachtas members, meaning the backing of these three TDs will be enough to ensure his name will be on the ballot paper.

Meanwhile, Senator David Norris confirmed last night that he hopes to re-enter the Presidential race if he gets the necessary number of nominations to get him over the line.

He was speaking on last night's Late Late Show.

Senator Norris withdrew from the contest last month amid controversy about representations he made on behalf of a former partner. Mr Norris wrote a letter to an Israeli court in 1997, seeking leniency for his former partner, who was convicted of statutory rape.

The Senator wrote the letter on Seanad paper and described Ezra Yizhak Nawi as a "trustworthy, good and moral person".

Stepping out of the Presidential race on August 2, Mr Norris said he had been motivated by love.

“I do not regret supporting and seeking clemency for a friend, but I do regret giving the impression that I did not have sufficient compassion for the victim of Ezra’s crime," he said.

Last night, he refused to tell Ryan Tubridy how many of the required 20 signatures of support he had managed to secure so far.

"I'm an honest man, and I'm not going to tell you," he said.