Sligo-Leitrim TD lends key support to Maria Steen’s presidential bid

Sligo-Leitrim TD Marian Harkin has announced that she will support Maria Steen’s bid for presidential candidacy this morning.

As a member of the Oireachtas, Harkin has two votes that she can give to nominate potential presidential election contenders; her first went to her “preferred candidate” Heather Humphreys, and now her second has gone to Maria Steen.

Steen, the right-wing campaigner and barrister, has until tomorrow to accumulate the 20 nominations from TDs and senators that she needs to officially join the presidential race. She met with Independent Ireland’s four TDs, and with their support, along with support from Aóntu, and other independents like Michael Healy Rae, she is thought to be within a few votes of achieving her goal.

Harkin, who is Minister for Further Education, said while she does not endorse Maria Steen’s views on many issues she believes that she would “defend her right not only to have those views but also to articulate them in a presidential election.”

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“She is a credible candidate and reflects all or some of the views of a significant portion of the Irish people,” said Harkin.

“I believe we should see a respectful, considered debate with different viewpoints in the upcoming presidential election and by not giving a voice to different viewpoints certain groups of people become further polarised, believing they are being sidelined in the discussion about the person we want to represent us as president for the next seven years. That leads to a fracture and polarisation. We have an opportunity to stop this happening, for now at least, by giving voters a wider choice.”

She also highlighted the need for a candidate that was not nominated by a political party as many Irish people vote for independents, and that it was “within the gift of independents” to make that happen.

“In the longer term we need a debate about how presidential candidates get their names on the ballot paper but for now we must work within our constitutional and legal limits.

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“In this regard the political parties have blocked alternative avenues through the county councils but we, as Independent members of the Oireachtas, have the freedom to provide that pathway. I have faith in the Irish electorate to select the most suitable candidate as our next president, my only role for now is to help give them the opportunity to make their choice from a more diverse group of candidates.”

Earlier this week Gareth Sheridan dropped out of the presidential race following his failure to secure the support of enough county councils.

If Maria Steen manages to gain enough support, she would join Catherine Connolly, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, and Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin in the presidential race.