Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly has announced he will seek the Fine Gael nomination to contest the Presidential Election.

Mr Kelly said he believed the “time is right” to put himself forward, in light of the changed circumstances following Mairead McGuinness’ decision to withdraw from the race, and after discussing it with family and supporters.

Ms McGuinness said last week that she was stepping aside due to health concerns.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme, Mr Kelly said his original decision to decide not to run was “the hardest decision” he ever made.

“Now that it [nominations] is open again, I am delighted and enthusiastic about the prospect of running for president, reflecting what many people have said to me,” he said.

Mr Kelly said he underestimated the support he had at the grassroots level having been an MEP based in Europe.

“But in the last two to three weeks I have been at home and everywhere I went, people said to me ‘Seán, we are very disappointed you didn’t go forward.'”

“That momentum has been growing so that has convinced me that I have a lot of support if I can get the nomination,” he said.

Mr Kelly said there is “huge potential in the job”, which he described as “the highest honour in Ireland”.

“If you look at what the last presidents have done, there is huge flexibility there. I would avail of that flexibility, to do an awful lot of work, to reflect what communities I am embedded in for many years would aspire to,” he said.

Mr Kelly said he would be “very energetic” and would “bring the Áras to the people as much as people to the Áras”.

He said he looks forward to the nomination process and any contest that might follow, adding that Fine Gael members have said they would like a contest.

“Contests are good for parties, they are good for democracy, I would welcome a contest and I hope I will be part of it,” he said.

Nominations for the party’s presidential candidate reopen at midday today and will close at midday on 2 September.

The decision came following a meeting of the Fine Gael Executive Council last night.

Tánaiste Simon Harris said the decision to reopen nominations will enable the party to have a candidate in place by mid-September.

Heather Humphreys is believed to be reconsidering a presidential bid after having ruled herself out of contention earlier this year.


Heather Humphreys is believed to be considering putting herself forward for the Fine Gael nomination

Several TDs have expressed support for a potential run by Ms Humphreys.

Former Fine Gael MEP Frances Fitzgerald said Ms Humphreys would have her “full support” if she were to run for Áras an Uachtaráin.

In May, Ms Humphreys said while she had given it serious consideration, she wished to spend more time with family and friends and pursue other things.

MEP calls for FF to convene meeting over presidential candidate

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher has called for a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party to be convened “urgently” to discuss running a candidate in the Presidential Election.

Mr Kelleher said Fianna Fáil should either run its own candidate or support a candidate that represents the party’s values.

“In my opinion, Fianna Fáil, the largest party in the Dáil, the Seanad and in local government, should be actively involved in either running its own candidate or facilitating a candidate that represents our values and beliefs as a political movement,” Mr Kelleher said.

He said a meeting should be convened soon as the next scheduled meeting in September would come “too late in the day”.

He added that he has asked the chairperson of the parliamentary party, TD Brendan Smith, to convene the meeting to discuss “this most critical of issues”.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said on Sunday that his party would make its position on a candidate clear towards the end of the month, adding that Fianna Fáil would be making a “contribution” to the election.