Independent TD for Galway West Catherine Connolly has completed the launch of her bid for the presidency at a press conference outside Leinster House this lunchtime.
Flanked by 14 TDs and Senators who are supporting her bid, including members of the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Independents, she said she was standing for the office to make Ireland better and to make the country live up to its name as a Republic.
She said: "It's an important day for me, and I’m finally confirming I’m standing for the presidency of Ireland.
"I stand here, not as a politician seeking office, but as a citizen, to serve as the president of Ireland with the help of the votes and people of Ireland.
"I do so with humility and with hope. I do so with a deep conviction that together we can make this country better and that we can make this country live up to its name as a Republic, and show there’s a different way.
"I'm standing to enable people, empower people to find their own voices, to stand up and be counted and say there is a different way."
Watch: Independent TD Catherine Connolly launches Áras bid
She confirmed she had received the 20 nominations needed to stand in the election.
"I respect every single one of those nominations, and I will do my best to live up to the challenge and the faith that they are put in me," she added.
Ms Connolly said she was proud of President Michael D Higgins, but refused to describe herself as a "continuity candidate".
She said: "I'm from a family of 14 and we've all striven to have our own personalities and indeed we would take great exception to say we're following someone else.
"I've my own vision and support and values. However I will say Michael D has done us proud."
Read more: Who are the potential runners in the race for the Áras?
Connolly's difficult decision
Speaking on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's Adhmhaidin earlier, Ms Connolly said it was a difficult decision for her to make.
"I didn't make the decision overnight, I've struggled [with the decision] for a couple of months now.
"I couldn’t make my mind up because of the questions I was asking myself, 'who am I? Am I capable of doing the job?’ and questions like that. I was quite apprehensive," she said.
Ms Connolly added: "But I went back to the calls that I received, the emails and the letters.
"Someone advised me to go back and look at those messages. They implored me to stand, and that’s been happening for a year-and-a-half and I ignored them.
"But finally, I looked back and they implored me to stand as a person who isn’t afraid to speak out, someone independent, someone with years of experience in different roles and someone putting forward a different vision for the people of Ireland."
Fine Gael candidate confirmed, other parties mull approach
Former EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness will be Fine Gael's candidate, as her name was the only one put forward when nominations closed yesterday afternoon.
Fine Gael will ratify her candidacy in September.
Fine Gael leader Simon Harris told a meeting of his party tonight that Ms McGuinness is held in high regard across the country and the party will give it everything to have her elected.
Mr Harris said Ms McGuinness has an exemplary record as a public representative and is a "fantastic candidate for Fine Gael" in the upcoming presidential election.
While Sinn Féin's Spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty has said the party is still considering whether to run a candidate of its own in the election.
There has been speculation that Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill could be potential candidates for the party.
However, speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr Doherty said that all options are still under consideration.
"There's a number of options there. One is that we run somebody from Sinn Féin and back that, and we have the members [of the Oireachtas] to be able to nominate, thankfully.
"The other is that we look at supporting a candidate outside of Sinn Féin.
"Some of this is a bit fluid, because it depends on the candidates in the field. It's early days," he said.
"There may be other candidates yet, so we have to size that up as to who's available to endorse for it first of all, and then make the decision whether we run ourselves."
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has said Fianna Fáil is not going to be "rushed" into making a decision about a presidential candidate because other parties are making decisions.
He said he is pleased to see many excellent candidates have indicated that they would like to be nominated by Fianna Fáil.
"As the Taoiseach has indicated, nothing is going to happen in Fianna Fáil until the end of August. We’ll be looking at it in September," he said.
Additional reporting Jackie Fox, Mícheál Lehane
