Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has called on Independent Ireland to get involved with his party in the Presidential Election nomination process, in order to get another candidate into the race for the Áras.

It comes after a party hustings was organised by Aontú in Leinster House yesterday which saw ten votes committed to nominating Maria Steen for the Presidential race.

Ms Steen, a barrister and conservative campaigner, requires ten more votes, or alternatively, nominations from four county councils.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Deputy Tóibín said: “This has been a really good initiative. I don’t think it has ever happened in Leinster House before where we have managed to get disparate politicians, bring them together and achieve a nomination process.”

Mr Tóibín said it is worth trying, adding that a lot of politicians in Ireland sit on the sideline because they “do not think anything is going to happen”.

“The difference between us is that we will bloody try. We will make a damnable effort to see if we can pull every lever that is there to make something happen,” he said.

“I respect Independent Ireland and they have their own process but I would encourage them to get involved, to pull those levers, to see can we get another person in that race.”

He described the presidential race as “one-dimensional” at the moment, saying that there are two government candidates “who are very similar” and Catherine Connolly.

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“It will be a debate with a lot of people in Ireland whose voices won’t be included in that debate,” Mr Tóibín said.

The Meath-West TD stressed that “as a democrat we should be able to select people we don’t necessarily agree with”.

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“The Presidential Election is the competition of ideas, it is where this country nearly decides on its values at a given time and the president should embody those values coming into the next seven years,” he said.

Mr Tóibín said there is a big chunk of people who voted against the family and carers referendum last year who agree with Ms Steen on “a lot of things”.

“I think she is a very articulate, intelligent candidate and would make a great impact on that election,” he added.

On two anonymous votes of support for Ms Steen within Aontú’s hustings, Mr Tóibín said they participated, gave a commitment to support Ms Steen’s nomination but “have to go back to their team”.

He added that he hoped they would be making their support for Ms Steen’s nomination public “soon”.

When asked if Ms Steen can get the ten more votes required, Deputy Tóibín said there are ten people within the Oireachtas who would have similar platforms to Ms Steen or have previously stood up to be democrats to select individuals “even when they don’t agree with them”.

“I am asking anybody who hasn’t nominated anybody at this stage to use their vote… this is a constitutional power that TDs have,” he said.

“It is a really important one and they should exercise it. They shouldn’t squander it at this moment in time.”
On why he did not run himself, Mr Tóibín said it was because his party is doing “very well”.