Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys has thanked Taoiseach Micheál Martin for saying he will vote for her in the Presidential Election, while Independent candidate Catherine Connolly said Mr Martin's support for Ms Humphreys shows the electorate now has a "clear choice to make".
Yesterday, the Taoiseach said that he will be voting for Ms Humphreys in the Presidential Election, but added that his party would not be "directing" its supporters to vote for either of the two candidates still in the campaign.
Speaking at an Fianna Fáil event, Mr Martin ruled out campaigning for Ms Humphreys.
Asked about suggestions that people in Fianna Fáil are going to vote for Jim Gavin, even though he is not campagining anymore, Mr Martin said it was up to individuals to make up their own minds.
The two presidential candidates are continuing to canvass today across the country as polling day approaches.
Catherine Connolly was canvassing in Co Waterford while Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys campaigned in Co Tipperary.
Accompanied by Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane in Ballybeg in Waterford city this morning, Ms Connolly met representatives of the Brill Family Resource Centre and local voluntary groups before departing for Waterford city centre's Apple Market.
Speaking to reporters, Ms Connolly said Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is entitled to support her rival and Mr Martin confirming his position clarifies the situation for people.
She said: "He is entitled to do that and I think he probably has actually clarified the situation - that for the leadership of Fianna Fáil there is very little difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, so the people of Ireland have a clear choice to make now."
Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins said that he will vote for Ms Humphreys but he was not asking anyone else in the party to follow in his viewpoint.
Mr Collins said that there will not be a recommendation coming from the leadership in Fianna Fáil for the rest of the campaign.
Asked if she stands over a poster which appeared on poles in north Cork criticising Heather Humphreys' opposition to fox hunting bans and attendance of Orange Order parades, and which have since been taken down and are now the subject of a garda complaint, Ms Connolly said her team are above dirty tricks.
"My team are certainly above dirty tricks. If a mistake was made, we certainly say sorry. I didn't know that. If they have been removed that’s great, I wouldn’t stand over any type of that action.
"From day one I have concentrated on myself and my campaign. I have stood as honestly as I can. I have stood before many, many forums, including yourselves over and over again and tried to answer as many questions as possible."
Connolly says former FG minister 'did us a favour'
Ms Connolly said that the former Fine Gael minister Ivan Yates had done her a favour by saying what he said about negative campaigning but "that doesn’t mean I wasn’t absolutely shocked".
Mr Yates said on Newstalk this week that he would "smear the bejaysus" out of Ms Connolly if he was involved in the Fine Gael campaign.
In response, Ms Connolly said: "He did us a favour because he has exposed what is happening in a strategy, and that strategy to say, actually, 'smear the bejaysus out of her’.
"That is truly unacceptable.
"Since the day I started, I have never used negative campaigning."
She also believes the momentum behind her campaign is growing exponentially and people will come out and vote.
"I think people want hope, and I got hope out of that room (at the Brill Family Resource Centre), I got hope as a presidential candidate that people are engaging, and they want a voice".
She said that as of yesterday, over 13,000 people had signed up as volunteers to help out with her campaign.
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Humphreys accuses Connolly of not following rules regarding Dáil hire
Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys was in Co Tipperary this morning.
Ms Humphreys walked along the main street in Cashel and called into several businesses, including a butcher's shop, a boutique called Uptown Girl, a Credit Union branch and the local SuperValu.
She then travelled on to Upperchurch Drombane GAA club where she spoke to journalists.
Ms Humphreys said she appreciated Taoiseach Micheál Martin saying he would be voting for her.
"I know Micheál Martin very well. I've worked with him in government, and I particularly supported him when he announced the Shared Island Fund.
"What I would say is I'm a centreground candidate. We live in a divisive world. We live in a world that says far left, far right, and we know that it is causing divisions."
Ms Humphreys also accused fellow presidential candidate Catherine Connolly of not following the rules on security clearance in the Dáil when employing a woman who been convicted of firearms offences.
Speaking to reporters, Ms Humphreys said "there are rules around access to Dáil Éireann".
"It's very clear you must have garda clearance before you can work in Dáil Éireann.
"And you know those are the rules. And you have to abide by the rules as an employer in Leinster House. And I had to abide by those rules.
"My staff had to be garda vetted before, and this lady was coming in on a day pass. A day pass for six months. You can't do that."
Asked about her position on fox hunting, Ms Humphreys said she supports rural pursuits as long as regulations are in place.
Speaking in Tipperary, she said: "There's many controls and there's many regulations in place, and they have to be adhered to as part of any rural pursuit. But I do support ours."
Ms Humphreys also said she wanted to put a focus on climate if elected president.
The candidates are set to take part in a debate on This Week with David McCullagh on RTÉ Radio 1 at 1pm tomorrow.
The debate will also be broadcast on the RTÉ News channel.
Voters will go to the polls for the Presidential Election on Friday, 24 October.
