Catherine Connolly is running against Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys in a race to become Ireland’s next president.

It comes as flags have been flown across Ireland in a move interpreted as expressing concern around immigration into the country.

‘I don’t think Keir Starmer should have any say about Hamas. It’s up to the Palestinian people’, Catherine Connolly said.

14 members of the county council voted against a proposal to nominate the entrepreneur, with 13 backing the proposal.

A heavy security cordon was erected along the main routes outside Leinster House on Wednesday as politicians returned from the summer recess.

There are just two confirmed candidates in the race so far.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said Catherine Connolly is the ‘best-positioned progressive left candidate’ to stop Fine Gael or Fianna Fail.

The former head of the GAA said the decision not to stand had been 'one of the biggest decisions' of his life.

It is based on the experience of the 2024 general election in Ireland.

The Electoral Commission said it was ‘deeply concerned’ about legacy accuracy issues in registers maintained by local authorities across the country.

Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane accused the Government of attempting to create a narrative that their housing policies were working.

Just 31 votes separated the Greens’ Ms Chu and entrepreneur Aubrey McCarthy

The vast majority of the public do not have a vote in the Seanad.

A draft programme for government will be distributed later on Wednesday to the TDs

Ivana Bacik and Ged Nash said the next government would be of the ‘status quo’

The Sinn Féin leader was nominated by two party members, Pearse Doherty and new TD Joanna Byrne.

‘We have to see does Donald Trump essentially decide to start a trade war with us,’ one TD said.

But they said that ‘not a single’ bit of Christmas shopping had been done.

Ms Murphy is widely expected to emerge with the most votes following a deal between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael with the Independents.

The next government is expected to be made up of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and a group of independents

The Sinn Fein president said her party may not have won the recent Irish election, but in some ways ‘won the campaign’.

Simon Harris said he has a duty to speak to independents and parties who want to form a ‘stable government’

Talks about forming a new government following the general election are continuing

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said they have not yet had a ‘substantive’ response to their policy priorities outlined during formation talks.

Ivana Bacik said notes taken during a meeting and shared with the media were inaccurate.

The Taoiseach said he did not doubt the sincerity of the eight independents vying to be in government.

Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch won more than 3,000 first preference votes in the general election, narrowly missing out on a Dáil seat.

It is expected that independents will form the third part of a coalition government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil

The New York businessman will become the 47th president of the United States on January 20th

Ivana Bacik held separate meetings with Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin on Tuesday.

Here, we have a look at the issues likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come

Analysis of data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union also reveals that the incoming Dáil will rank among the lowest in the world

Sinn Féin president Mary-Lou McDonald said her party is the only one that Fianna Fáil has not spoken to in terms of a new coalition government.

Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the recent poll, securing 48 of the Dail’s 174 seats, ahead of Sinn Fein on 39 and Fine Gael on 38.

Fianna Fáil's Catherine Ardagh has encouraged people to report any remaining posters to politicians, who can be reached via email or social media.

Simon Harris said he was open minded as to whether Fine Gael and Fianna Fail secure a majority with the support of independent TDs or a smaller party.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with a combined 86 seats, are just short of the 88 required for a majority.

The Independent TD for Kerry said the meeting lasted an hour and it was “productive and positive”.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said she had set up meetings with Green leader Roderic O’Gorman and the Social Democrats

Leader Mary Lou McDonald said it is ‘still very much game on’

Micheál Martin said his party had now mandated him to begin negotiations with others to form a government that ‘can last the full term’

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin also said it was unlikely that a new government would be formed before Christmas.

What are the options available to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael? And could a coalition be formed without them?