Fourth council vote makes Dana official candidate
Dana Rosemary Scallon has received her fourth and final nomination from Offaly County Council.
The former singer is now the sixth official candidate for the Presidential election, after earlier in the day having received the backing of Donegal County Council.
The spotlight now turns to Senator David Norris, who has the backing of three of the four local authorities needed to add his name to the ballot paper.
Senator Norris earlier received his third nomination from Waterford City Council.
Senator Norris is aiming for support from Dublin City or Cavan tonight, or Kilkenny or Kildare, which meet tomorrow.
The deadline for submitting documentation to get on the ballot paper is midday tomorrow.
Senator Norris had refused to be downbeat following two disappointing results in Cork and South Dublin.
“This is the way the democratic process works. This is the party system in action. I have no complaints because I’m a democrat,” he said.
“I’m not a member of any party but at the end of the day I believe that it’s important that the people should be allowed to decide.”
The Senator insisted he believes that questions over clemency letters he wrote for an ex-partner convicted of statutory rape have been dealt with.
Mr Norris said he believed the controversy over his appeals to Israeli authorities on behalf of Ezra Nawi, who was found guilty of the rape of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy in the late 1990s, are a diversion.
But he also said he was not making accusations against anyone.
Dana, who was the last candidate to try to enter the race, earlier thanked the councillors in Donegal for supporting her bid.
“The fact that all of the parties represented on Donegal County Council came together and unanimously gave me the right to go forward on behalf of the people is so much appreciated,” she said.
Senator Norris failed to secure a nomination in Cork after councillors voted by more than two to one not to support his bid for the Aras.
He had been nominated by Independent David Boyle and seconded by another Independent, Declan Hurley, but secured the votes of only nine councillors while 20 voted against and seven abstained.
