‘This is about the presidency, its not about Fianna Fáil,’ the party leader said.

He insisted that he had a “very professional relationship” with Mr Martin going back many years.

The presidential candidate also said she had been energised by a visit to the Electric Picnic music festival.

The final decision on the nomination will be made by the party later.

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he was not ruling himself out of the race.

The Ireland South MEP said 100 years after independence, the time was right for Irish people to debate ‘the type of Ireland we want’

Cork MEP Billy Kelleher is seeking the support of colleagues in a bid for the Fianna Fáil presidential nomination

Cork MEP Billy Kelleher is expected to seek the Fianna Fáil nomination for president

Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher has said that a meeting of his party’s parliamentary party should be "convened urgently" to discuss the forthcoming presidential election

Wallace represented Cork North-Central in the Dáil for more than 25 years

Despite Taoiseach Simon Harris insisting the Government will serve its full term to March 2025, November remains the most likely time for the next general election, according to former minister for agriculture Ivan Yates

The Cork man was re-elected after the 18th count in the 10-county constituency.

Kathleen Funchion got 61 per cent of transfers from her running mate Paul Gavan’s eliminated share.

‘We are extremely careful,’ returning officer Martin Harvey said on the fourth day of counting in Cork.

Returning officer Martin Harvey said that once candidates are eliminated, each count will take around an hour.

Sinn Féin TD Kathleen Funchion said that transfer votes will be ‘a key part’ of how the count plays out.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have held steady at 23 per cent of first preference votes in the local elections

Former RTÉ presenter Fianna Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has been announced as a Fianna Fáil candidate for the European Parliament Ireland South Constituency.

Green Party MEP Grace O’Sullivan said: ‘This is a dark day for the European peace project’

Here, we have a look at the political issues that will dominate Dáil proceedings over the coming week