Independent Ireland plans to run its Councillor Noel Thomas, who left Fianna Fáil over a planned IPAS centre dispute two years ago, in the upcoming Galway West by-election.
Party TD Michael Collins confirmed that Mr Thomas will be the party's candidate in the race to win the seat vacated by president-elect Catherine Connolly.
Ms Connolly will become head of state on 11 November when outgoing President Michael D Higgins's 14-year tenure ends.
From that date, the Government will have six months to call a by-election, with the coalition likely to use all of this time period due to the current political climate, meaning the by-election may not take place until May next year.
While a number of parties have said they intend to run a candidate in the by-election, Mr Thomas is the first candidate to have publicly confirmed their plans.
Mr Thomas left Fianna Fáil in the aftermath of facing disciplinary action for comments he made in the wake of a fire that destroyed the Ross Lake House Hotel in Rosscahill in December 2023.
The hotel had been earmarked as a planned IPAS centre.
He subsequently narrowly missed out on a seat in last year's general election, taking 9.4% of the vote in the five seat constituency where Sinn Féin's Mairéad Farrell(13.5% first preferences), Fianna Fáil's John Connolly (11.9%), Independent Ireland's Noel Grealish (11.4%), Independent Ms Connolly (11.2%) and Fine Gael's Hildegarde Naughton (10%) won seats.
While Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are also highly likely to run candidates, with recently retired Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív not ruling out a return and Fine Gael's senator Seán Kyne also being rumoured, the by-election will also be the first real test of the united left platform which supported Ms Connolly's presidential bid.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has already confirmed her party intends to run a candidate in the constituency where Ms Farrell last year topped the poll, although the party has not yet confirmed who will run.
While Labour and the Social Democrats are also yet to confirm a candidate, councillors Helen Ogbu and Alan Curran are also the subject of early rumours that they could contest.
Meanwhile, Aontú has also confirmed it will run a candidate in the by-election when it takes place.
