Independent TD Catherine Connolly is on course to secure the backing of enough TDs and Senators to formally enter the presidential election race, even if the Labour Party does not offer its support.
The Galway West TD needs 20 Oireachtas members to get on the ballot paper and is likely to meet that threshold in the coming days.
She has been invited to address Labour’s parliamentary party next week as she prepares her bid for Áras an Uachtaráin.
There are signs of division within Labour over whether or not it should support Ms Connolly, a former member who fell out with the party almost two decades ago.
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While Labour leader Ivana Bacik is said to be well-disposed to Ms Connolly’s candidacy, others in the party are unenthusiastic. One source said some members would vote for “anyone else but her”.
However, Ms Connolly is within touching distance of meeting the nomination threshold even without Labour.
The Irish Times has counted as many as 18 supporters in the Oireachtas already. She has the confirmed support of at least 16 TDs and Senators.
That includes the Social Democrats’ ten TDs and one Senator. Acting party leader Cian O’Callaghan said he was “delighted” Ms Connolly was running for president.
Dublin Bay South TD Eoin Hayes, suspended from the Social Democrats, also confirmed he will back Ms Connolly.
On Friday, Donegal TD Charles Ward of the 100 per cent Redress Party and Tipperary South Independent Seamus Healy told The Irish Times they would support her as did Independent Senator Eileen Flynn.
Mr Ward said he believed she would be a “true independent voice for Ireland” while Mr Healy said she would be an “excellent candidate” and looked forward to campaigning for her. Ms Flynn said she was hoping to sign Ms Connolly’s papers describing her as an “absolute powerhouse”.
During the week former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley – an independent deputy for Laois – also backed Ms Connolly.
People Before Profit’s steering committee recommended on Friday night that its two TDs, Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy, would support Ms Connolly before a final decision by the wider party later on.
“Catherine Connolly is a popular, principled figure on the left and we are pleased that she has put herself forward as a candidate. We welcome that the Social Democrats have also given their support to Catherine and we urge others on the left to join her campaign,” Mr Murphy said on Saturday.
Other left-wing politicians such as Independent Senator Lynn Ruane and Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger are yet to make a decision on nomination. Ms Coppinger said her party had not yet discussed the presidential election.
Green leader Roderic O’Gorman said his party has not been formally approached about Ms Connolly’s presidential bid but said “we are open to discussions and would consider any approach seriously”.
A former Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Ms Connolly left the Labour Party in 2006 when it denied her a chance to run in the 2007 general election as then-TD Michael D Higgins’ running mate.
The election to succeed Mr Higgins as president is set to take place in late October or early November.
A left-wing TD and barrister, Ms Connolly is an ally of former MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace and has been outspoken on issues including Ireland’s neutrality, women’s rights and the war in Gaza.
She told the Galway City Tribune she will formally launch her election campaign next week.
“My mind is made up to run,” she said, citing “support from across the spectrum” while adding “Labour and Sinn Féin are still completing their own internal processes which I fully respect”.
Fine Gael has opened its nominations process with former European commissioner Mairead McGuinness widely tipped to enter the race. Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin are still deliberating on their approach.
