Three people hoping to secure nominations to contest the Presidential Election have made presentations at a special meeting of Waterford City and County Council.
Independent Senator Joan Freeman, businessman Gavin Duffy and former general election candidate in Galway West, Patrick Feeney, are each hoping four councils will support them.
Mr Duffy said he will highlight youth unemployment and will step away from his business if he is elected as the next president.
"Waterford is one of the blackspots as regards to youth unemployment in the country and we need to address that," the Dragons' Den entrepreneur said.
When asked about his position on a united Ireland, he said: "I am somebody who was brought up in a border county and I am very concerned of what might be happening to the border.
"There has been great progress and that could be lost."
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Ms Freeman said she is excited about the journey ahead.
"I think this is just the start of something that can be absolutely wonderful for this country and obviously for me.
"I’m here in Waterford today. It’s the very beginning of the process, looking for nominations. So I’ve a massive journey ahead of me," said Ms Freeman.
Those interested in running for the presidency must be nominated by four local authorities or 20 members of the Oireachtas.
However, candidates cannot be formally nominated until the official Presidential Election order is passed by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.
FF senator says party should have run Áras candidate
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil Senator Mark Daly has said he believes the party should have run a candidate for the Presidential Election.
However, speaking on RTÉ's Today with Miriam, Senator Daly said the parliamentary party was the supreme authority on the matter and the decision had been made at that level not to run a candidate.
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He said he had declared an interest himself in running and would have put himself forward if Fianna Fáil had decided to run a candidate.
In relation to Galway Councillor Ollie Crowe's belief that the party should run a candidate, Mr Daly said he did not think this was a solo run on Mr Crowe's part and that there were Fianna Fáil councillors and members of the party around the country who believed they should run a candidate.
But he said the decision had been made by the parliamentary party and as a democrat he would support that decision.
Mr Daly described fellow party member Éamon Ó Cuív as very hardworking and one of Ireland's greatest public servants.
He claimed that 95% of councillors and grassroots members believe the party should contest the Presidential Election in the autumn.
Cllr Ollie Crowe says he’s not acting on behalf of Eamon O’Cuiv in calling for grassroots to back him for president. He has sent letter to cllrs seeking support for the Galway West TD @eamonocuiv @rtenews @PresidentIRL @rtenews #PresidentialElection #Aras18 pic.twitter.com/w7UmML6G4M
— TERESA MANNION (@TeresaMannion) July 31, 2018
It comes as Councillor Seán Ó Tuairisg, Chairperson of Galway County Council, said he believes that the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party was too hasty in its decision not to put forward a candidate for the Presidential Election.
Speaking on Adhmahdin on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, he said there are many councillors in Galway, and many of the grassroots members, who would like the party to reconsider.
He said that a group within the party intended writing to the leader Micheál Martin to ask him to reconsider the decision.
He said that he was not sure if Mr Ó Cuív was going to run as he was not giving them a direct answer about his intentions at the moment.
"I'm not 100% certain, he is not giving us a direct answer on the matter at the moment, but I think he would be an excellent candidate."
Sinn Féin to confirm its nominee in September
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said she does not believe her party is leaving it too late to announce its candidate for the Presidential Election.
The party will announce its nominee for the election on 16 September.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Miriam, Ms McDonald said anyone putting their name forward is undertaking a very testing and important campaign, adding that no one should be rushed into it.
She said she had a number of people in mind who would all make very fine candidates but she was not going to be picking favourites.
Following a meeting of the party's Ard Comhairle earlier this month, Sinn Féin announced it is to contest the Presidential Election.
A committee, chaired by Waterford TD David Cullinane, has been put in place to oversee the selection of a candidate.
Ms McDonald had already given a strong indication that the party would put forward a candidate.
Michael D Higgins has already announced that he will seek a second term as president as an Independent candidate.
Mr Higgins was a Labour candidate in the 2011 presidential campaign.
He is supported by Fianna Fáil and Labour, while it is expected he will also be supported by Fine Gael.
The election is expected to be held on 25 or 26 October.
Voters are also due to be asked to give their view on two referendums - on blasphemy and on the Constitutional article on a woman's place in the home - on the same day.
