Brendan Howlin: President Higgins will 'challenge us to be the best we can be'

Labour leader Brendan Howlin championed Michael D Higgins near-certain re-election as president, saying the "national grandfather" is "someone who will ask the best of us and challenge us to be the best we can be".

Mr Howlin made the comment as he separately hit out at presidential runner-up Peter Casey by saying he is not Ireland's answer to US president Donald Trump "because Donald Trump won".