Fianna Fáil will decide on Tuesday who its candidate will be in the upcoming presidential election.
A special meeting of the party’s 71-strong parliamentary party is taking place to decide whether to choose former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin or Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher.
The party’s TDs, senators and MEPs are holding a meeting in Leinster House where Mr Gavin and Mr Kelleher will make their pitches, followed by a secret ballot.
Mr Gavin enjoys the declared support of more than 30 members of the parliamentary party, including Taoiseach and party leader Micheál Martin, and all senior Cabinet Ministers.
Jim Gavin arrives at the Dáil before a vote to decide Fianna Fáil’s candidate for the presidential election. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni/The Irish Times
Mr Kelleher has just five party colleagues who have publicly declared support for him – MEP Barry Andrews, TDs Pádraig O’Sullivan, James O’Connor, Peter Cleere and Senator Paul Daly. However, his supporters said in advance of the vote that they believed he would have the backing of 27 parliamentary party members.
However, a source said there are 12 proxy votes from parliamentary party members not present at the meeting. It is understood at least half are expected to be cast in favour of Mr Gavin.
Taken with the 32 public declarations of support for Mr Gavin- assuming those declarations are matched by votes – that would take him past the 36 votes he needs for victory.
Speaking as he arrived at Leinster House, Mr Gavin said: “competition is really good”.
In brief remarks to reporters Mr Gavin said he had a “great two weeks” visiting Fianna Fáil members “up and down the length of the country” and there has been “great energy” wherever he went.
“I’m just looking forward this morning to putting my view towards the party. I think competition is really good and I hope to talk to your afterwards,” he said.
When Mr Kelleher arrived he said he was feeling “excellent”.
He said he has been engaging with colleagues, “highlighting my credentials, how I feel the presidency should go in terms of the values our party promotes across the country, the type of campaign we would be running”.
He also said he would seek “to ensure that they understand the importance of the presidency not in terms of just the constitutional powers it has but more importantly the soft power the president has in terms of speaking for citizens, advocating for citizens and those on the margins is an important aspect of the presidency as well as obligations constitutionally and ceremonial as well.
“I’m just looking forward to presenting that to my parliamentary colleagues.”
He said “good robust debate” is positive and that the party would make a “democratic decision”.
Mr Kelleher said he did not know what level of support he will get in the vote but also said: “The secret ballot is there for a reason. It allows people to go and cast their vote unhindered or without fear or favour.”
He cautioned: “It can work both ways of course. They have that freedom and I think that’s a very valuable exercise so I’m looking forward to the meeting, the debate and finally the vote.“
Billy Kelleher arrives at the Dáil before a vote to decide Fianna Fáil’s candidate for the presidential election. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni/The Irish Times
The mood within the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party in advance of the vote was taut, with some TDs leaning into the suggestion that the result would carry weight for Mr Martin and even influence the future leadership of the party.
One TD known to be supportive of Mr Kelleher argued that the result would be a broader indication of who was ahead in a race to succeed Mr Martin – Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, who has been a key figure in the Gavin campaign, or Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.
Mr O’Callaghan has also backed Mr Gavin, but was the last Cabinet Minister to do so.
Others were more positive about the potential fallout, scotching suggestions that the vote signified a divide within the party. A source backing Mr Gavin said that there was “strong and widespread” support for the former Dublin GAA manager.
Another TD predicted that Mr Kelleher would poll north of 20 votes – but that if he moved closer to 30, it would be due to a good campaign from the Ireland South MEP and a poor performance in front of the parliamentary party by Mr Gavin.
They said that there is a sense among some TDs, Senators and MEPs that Mr Martin takes backbenches “for granted” and that there is “annoyance” about how the Taoiseach handled the process but it was not clear that this would translate into votes for Mr Kelleher.
The presidential election will take place on Friday, October 24th.
Nominations opened last Friday and will close on Wednesday, September 24th.