Four Independent Ireland TDs, as well as Independent TDs Danny Healy-Rae and Marian Harkin have all confirmed they will sign nomination papers for barrister Maria Steen to get on the ballot for the Presidential Election.
The close of nominations is midday tomorrow and as things stand, Ms Steen has the confirmed backing of 17 of the required 20 members of the Oireachtas to get on the ballot paper.
The four Independent Ireland TDs met this morning to decide on support for Ms Steen after meeting with the prospective candidate last night.
The party is made up of deputies Michael Collins, Ken O’Flynn, Michael Fitzmaurice and Richard O’Donoghue.
Ms Steen said she was hopeful she can reach the required 20 backings and signatures.
However, even though the official deadline is 12pm tomorrow, Ms Steen said she believed she needed three more backings before tonight as it would not be “logistically possible” otherwise.
She said she is communicating with many TDs and senators, although she declined to name anyone.
Close to 100 Independent Councillors have written to TDs and Senators urging them to nominate Ms Steen in the hours ahead.
They have sent their request to Senators Michael McDowell, Gerard Craughwelll, Victor Boyhan and Tom Clonan as well as junior ministers Sean Canney, Noel Grealish, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran and Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy.
The councillors say that Ms Steen’s chances of getting on the ballot paper depends on a handful of senators and they were asked to be “a strong voice for Independents”.
They wrote that the personal preference of any one senator, TD or councillor is irrelevant, adding that “we are only facilitators in all of this”.
Mr Healy-Rae said it was important to have an independent voice in the election.
In a statement, Independent Ireland said it was impressed by Ms Steen’s “honesty, her candour, and her ability to clearly communicate her views and vision for the presidency”.
The party called on other Independent members of the Oireachtas, who have yet to commit, to consider nominating Ms Steen to get on the presidential ballot.
“This is not about party loyalty, but about upholding the democratic process.
“Maria Steen deserves the opportunity to present her case, and the people of Ireland deserve the right to choose,” the party said in a statement.
The full list of Oireachtas members supporting Ms Steen are: Michael Collins, Richard O’Donoghue, Michael Fitzmaurice, Ken O’Flynn, Michael Healy-Rae, Danny Healy-Rae, Gillian Toole, Peadar Tóibín, Paul Lawless, Marian Harkin, Mattie McGrath, Carol Nolan, Paul Gogarty, Joe Conway, Rónán Mullen, Sharon Keogan and Sarah O’Reilly.
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins said the party decided to nominate Ms Steen because she represents a viewpoint that the public should hear during the Presidential Election.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mr Collins said that Ms Steen assured him she had “promises” from other unnamed Oireachtas members to get her over the line and onto the ballot.
He added that during a two-hour meeting with the party yesterday, Ms Steen was “professional and well able to answer the questions put to her”.
“She came across to us as a president that will represent everybody and, on that basis, we met this morning as a party and we made a decision that we would [support her],” Mr Collins said.
Mr Collins said he was not fully convinced of voting for Ms Steen himself, but he is “almost convinced” and “could see himself voting for her”.
“We are in a situation in this country that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil try their best to block candidates from going through the process.
“I do respect there has to be a process, but not as rigorous as it was, and it unfortunately has left Maria and others that are genuine contestants, that have a viewpoint that we need to hear, whether people agree or not agree that’s the choice they make in October.
“But we’ve given them this choice today with our four TDs,” he said.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said the current presidential ballot was one of the “narrowest” he has seen.
He said: “If the ballot remains to the three contenders, there is a significant chance that many people simply won’t engage with the Presidential Election.
“There is a significant chance that people won’t turn out to vote on the voting day.
“We have 24 hours to bridge a very small gap in relation to TDs and senators who signed the papers that Maria Steen has.
“There is a long tradition of politicians, who even if they don’t agree with the policies of a candidate, will use their nomination policies to get that individual on the ballot.”
Minister of State Marian Harkin earlier described Ms Steen as a “credible candidate” that “reflects all or some of the views of a significant portion of the Irish people”.
“As a member of the Oireachtas I have two votes in the presidential election and will use both – one to nominate a candidate whose name can appear on the ballot paper, in this case Maria Steen, and the other to vote for my preferred candidate, Heather Humphreys,” she said.
Minister Harkin said she believes we should see a “respectful considered debate with different viewpoints” in the upcoming Presidential Election.
She said by not giving a voice to different viewpoints “certain groups of people become further polarised, believing they are being sidelined in the discussion about the person we want to represent us as president for the next seven years.
“That leads to a fracture and polarisation. We have an opportunity to stop this happening, for now at least, by giving voters a wider choice,” she said.
Minister Harkin added that while she does not agree with Ms Steen’s views on a number of issues, she said she will “defend her right not only to have those views but also to articulate them in a presidential election”.
“This is an important space where different views can be discussed, we shouldn’t just leave it to social media,” she said.
Speaking outside Government Buildings, Mr O’Flynn said Ms Steen was very “level-headed” on a range of issues and that she reminded him of Mary McAleese.
He said that following conversations with Ms Steen, he said she had given assurances that if elected president, she would with work with the LGBTQ+ community and be an “all-inclusive president”.
Independent deputy Barry Heneghan said he would not nominate her, as did Senator Tom Clonan and Senator Gerard Craughwell.
The position of some Oireachtas members is unknown, like Senator Michael McDowell and Senator Victor Boyhan.
Over the weekend, there was speculation that two Fianna Fáil politicians were considering backing Ms Steen – even if it risked expulsion from the parliamentary party as a result.
