Catherine Connolly vows to serve only one term if elected president

Galway TD says she would give her all for seven years before moving on, while balancing Dáil duties and campaigning

Presidential candidate Catherine Connolly formally launches her presidential election campaign at The Complex, Smithfield in Dublin. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Independent candidate Catherine Connolly has said she would only serve one term as president if elected next month.

The Galway TD said she cannot see herself serving a second term in Áras an Uachtaráin and would likely move on after seven years.

“It’s taking all my effort to get to stand. I don’t see myself serving a second role,” Ms Connoly said.

“I se myself giving my all for the next seven years.” 

Pressed if this meant she would only serve a single term, Ms Connolly said: “That’s what I hope.” 

However, she added she had not seriously considered the prospect of a second term and had been “forced” to do so by media questions.

“The best answer I can give is, I will give my all for seven years and hopefully will then do something else in my life, as I have done previously,” Ms Connolly said.

As the only sitting TD on the ballot, Ms Connolly acknowledged the challenge of balancing her Dáil duties with a presidential campaign.

She said she had managed to attend the Dáil over the past two weeks but was unsure if that would remain possible.

“I will do my best, but obviously I will be giving all my time to the presidential campaign,” she said, adding she would attend the Dáil for “important issues.”

On competing against Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, Ms Connolly said she chose to stand because it was the “right decision” based on her experience and skills.

She declined to say whether Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had deliberately blocked independent candidates by urging councillors not to use the local authority route.

Asked about Maria Steen’s failure to secure enough nominations, Ms Connolly said there should be a debate after the election on whether the system should change.

“I tend to be conservative myself on that issue, which is unusual for me, but I think it’s very good that somebody has to get four local authorities behind them or 20 members of the Seanad or the Dáil,” she said.

“But I’m open. Issues have arisen, is it too narrow and if it’s opened up, how do we stop people that we mightn’t like. What should be the criteria for a discussion and a debate?”