TD wants councillors to have free vote to nominate presidential election candidates

Malcolm Byrne: 'A possible contender should be allowed on the ballot paper if our council groups around the country feel he or she has a good grasp of the Constitution and the role of the President, as well as respect for the institutions of the State and where such a candidate hasn’t been dismissive of Fianna Fáil.' File photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

A Fianna Fáil TD has said party councillors should have a free vote for nominating presidential election candidates.

Wicklow-Wexford TD Malcolm Byrne told the Irish Examiner that enabling a candidate to run does not mean councillors need to back their campaign.

It comes as Nick Delehanty suggested that, like Gareth Sheridan, he has the support of a sufficient number of councillors to propose and second his bid.

To date, only two candidates for the upcoming presidential election to replace Michael D Higgins have been declared: Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness and Independent TD Catherine Connolly, who has the support of Labour, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit.

Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin will announce their election approach next month.

To secure a nomination, a candidate needs 20 Oireachtas members or four councils to back them. With several Independents now vying to get on the ticket, Mr Byrne said he is “not opposed to the idea of allowing Fianna Fáil councillors a free vote”.

“It doesn’t mean you have to support them in the election,” he said.

“I back the idea that Fianna Fáil should run or support a candidate. But a possible contender should be allowed on the ballot paper if our council groups around the country feel he or she has a good grasp of the Constitution and the role of the President, as well as respect for the institutions of the State and where such a candidate hasn’t been dismissive of Fianna Fáil.

Local councils have lost so many powers over the years, and I trust our councillors will use this one that is provided in the Constitution with their good political judgement. They won’t just nominate anyone. He or she will have to show that they are credible.

The Fianna Fáil Press Office did not respond to queries on whether councillors will be told not to vote for Independents. It comes as two potential Independent candidates suggested they have council support.

Mr Sheridan, aged 35, has said he is “very confident” he has “at least four proposers and seconders to secure a nomination”.

Mr Delehanty, also 35, ran in local and general elections in Dublin under the tagline “make crime illegal”. He told the Irish Examiner he has the same number.

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Mr Delehanty said the challenge will be receiving the backing of councillors in areas dominated by the big parties.

“It’s going to come down to the parties and, if that happens, everyone needs to cause a big fuss over that,” he said.

That’s purely anti-democratic. I’m hoping that the councillors will fulfil their obligation. They want to fulfil it, and they don’t want to have to serve under a diktat from headquarters.

Mr Delehanty has been accused of being “far right” and “dog whistling” on immigration. He says he does not consider himself right or left, but a “Danish social democrat”.

He added: “Denmark has strict immigration laws, but then, they have very good climate laws. They have great freedom of speech laws. They have a progressive and functional criminal justice system, and they’re social democrats.”