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Fianna F\u00e1il TD Eamon O Cuiv has officially ruled himself out of the presidential election race, saying he never had any intention of seeking a nomination if Michael D Higgins decided to run for a second term.<\/p>\nFianna F\u00e1il TD Eamon O Cuiv has officially ruled himself out of the presidential election race, saying he never had any intention of seeking a nomination if Michael D Higgins decided to run for a second term.<\/p>\n
Speaking as 10 potential candidates sought the backing of Galway city council and just 24 hours after Independent senator Padraig O Ceidigh also ruled himself out of contention, Mr O Cuiv confirmed he is backing out and will not enter the contest.<\/p>\n
Last month, it emerged that Mr O Cuiv had ignored the view of party leader Micheal Martin and met with a number of councilors who wanted him to be Fianna F\u00e1il’s presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
However, asked about the controversy and his subsequent month-long silence on Galway Bay FM, Mr O Cuiv said he will not be entering the already crowded contest and never seriously considered the move.<\/p>\n
“The councilors did meet with me at the end of July, and it was at their request.<\/p>\n
“They asked me to meet them and I will be writing back to them, to the councilors, as a courtesy, but I never indicated I was standing,” Mr O Cuiv told The Keith Finnegan Show.<\/p>\n
“I had a discussion with the councilors, they know the tenor of that conversation, and it was at their request that I had that discussion.<\/p>\n
“I said I would come back to them at the beginning of September. I think the circumstances are very clear now, and I’ve a letter drafted that I will be sending them [the councilors] in the next day to say so,” he said, adding:<\/p>\n
“I couldn’t believe how much publicity you could get by not doing anything.”<\/p>\n
The decision by Mr O Cuiv to back out of mooted plans to enter the presidential race will be seen as a welcome relief to Fianna F\u00e1il leader Micheal Martin, whose decision not to run a candidate is likely to be raised at the party’s pre-D\u00e1il think-in next week.<\/p>\n
However, the unofficial support a series of councilors and some national politicians privately gave to Mr O Cuiv’s rumored run has again underlined the ongoing divisions between some section of Fianna F\u00e1il’s grassroots and the party’s hierarchy.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, 10 potential presidential candidates sought the support of Galway county council on Thursday afternoon in the latest stage of the race to win nominations to enter the contest.<\/p>\n
The pitches came as one of the candidates, journalist Gemma O’Doherty, hit out at the fact potential runners have to attend a number of councils on the same day.<\/p>\n
President Michael D Higgins’ next public appearance will be at the Kennedy summer school in Wexford on Saturday.<\/p>\n