Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has said he believes Jim Gavin has a better chance of winning the Presidential Election than Billy Kelleher.
Speaking on Today with Claire Byrne, Mr O’Callaghan said he is extremely pleased that there are two "outstanding candidates" seeking the Fianna Fáil nomination for the Presidential Election.
He said he was not put under any pressure by Taoiseach and party leader Micheál Martin to support Jim Gavin.
The Minister for Justice said he felt that Jim Gavin's standing in Dublin, his achievements in terms of GAA and Óglaigh na hÉireann gave him a better chance of winning than Billy Kelleher.
"I took my time. I spoke to Jim Gavin. I spoke to Billy Kelleher.
"Billy Kelleher is an enormously impressive politician. He's had a huge influence on Fianna Fáil. He is a really consequential person and a fine person and it was a very difficult call for me to make and to speak to him.
"But having spoken to both of them, I just thought that because of Jim Gavin's association in Dublin, his achievements in terms of the GAA in Dublin and within Óglaigh na hÉireann, I thought, and listen, I could be wrong about this, I thought he has a better chance of winning than Billy."
Mr O'Callaghan acknowledged that Jim Gavin has no experience in terms of debates and interviews but said the decision to back him is a calculation that he has made.
Alan Kelly says he won't support Connolly’s Áras bid
Labour TD Alan Kelly has again said he will not support Catherine Connolly in the election, nor will the Labour councillors in his area.
Speaking at Labour’s meeting ahead of the autumn Dáil and Seanad session, which is being held in Nenagh in his constituency, he said that he respects the position of the party in backing the Independent Galway-West TD and the issue is not festering.
He added that this is the best parliamentary party he has ever been a part of and it is able to have open debates.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that Mr Kelly and herself had frank discussions on the matter but 86% of the party’s decision-making body opted to support Catherine Connolly.
Ms Bacik said the talks with Mr Kelly would remain private and she would not say if she had threatened to change the location of the party’s annual think-in after his intervention last month.
She described Ms Connolly as a standard-bearer for the left in this election, which Ms Bacik said was the "most immediate" next step in the long-haul project of getting a left government elected in 2029.
Earlier, speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ms Bacik said there was a robust engagement with Ms Connolly before Labour endorsed her and these questions included questions about her trip to Syria in 2018.
"We had a robust engagement with Catherine. We asked her extensively about past connections she'd had with people," Ms Bacik said.
The Labour leader said she did not agree with Ms Connolly's stance that NATO was warmongering ahead of the Ukrainian invasion.
Ms Bacik said that while there are clearly issues on which Ms Connolly and the Labour party differ, the presidential campaign is an opportunity for the party to put forward an alternative vision for the country.
Senator criticises Humphreys for role in disability proposals
Independent Senator and member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters Tom Clonan has said that Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys "pushed" changes to disability payments proposed in a Government Green Paper which spread "huge fear and consternation" among the disability and caring community.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said that the proposal was a "cut and paste" of a UK proposal.
"This proposal, which was very strongly pushed by Minister Humphreys, spread huge fear and consternation and upset into the disability and caring community.
"And I took part in marches in the summer of 2023, Disability Pride, where we protested very loudly against this initiative, but at no point was Minister Humphreys for turning."
Mr Clonan said he introduced a private member's bill into the Seanad, which debated the Green Paper, which he said was a "cut and paste" of a "very discredited austerity measure in the UK called the Workplace Capacity Assessment".
In relation to a meeting with the then minister for social protection Heather Humphreys, he said that she "was not for turning" and "robustly defended" the proposal in the Seanad.
"I can tell you that she set out very clearly to me at that meeting that she was not for turning, that the Green Paper was the roadmap, was the pathway for reform of disability payments."
Mr Clonan said that he was not engaging in a "personal attack on Minister Humphreys" but rather a "political critique".
"I believe that this Presidential Election will be a referendum on this Government's performance on disability rights.
"And I would say all of the candidates, whether it be Catherine Connolly or Heather Humphreys, they should all be taken to task and asked about their record on disability rights."
Kerry, Fingal councils to hear from prospective candidates
Meanwhile, Kerry County Council will hold a special meeting on Monday afternoon to hear from candidates hoping for a nomination for President.
Sixteen names have been provided to councillors, with all being given a five-minute slot to present their pitch.
Nick Delehanty, Gareth Sheridan and Maria Steen are on the list of speakers, along with 13 others.
Independent Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae said he would consider all of the candidates, but felt that they should require a sponsor, as he understands that at least one person is a "joke candidate".
Kerry County Council is unusual in its political makeup, as it has 11 independent members out of 33 councillors, meaning it is more likely an Independent candidate could get a nomination.
Fine Gael Councillor Aoife Kennelly said she was backing Heather Humphreys, but that the party had not told councillors how to vote.
Ms Kennelly said she was interested in hearing presentations, and when asked if she could support an Independent candidate, she said "never say never".
Candidates wishing to run for president must get four councils to support them, or 20 members of the Oireachtas.
Fingal County Council will hold a special meeting on Friday 12 September to hear from aspiring presidential candidates.
However, individuals will only be invited to address councillors if they have already received the sponsorship of four councillors.
Additional reporting Juliette Gash
