The President, Mrs Mary McAleese, this morning confirmed her candidacy for a second term in office in Áras an Uachtaráin.
Mrs McAleese has chosen to exercise her right as serving president and nominate herself for a second term and says she is "up and ready" for the challenges of another seven years.
"These last seven years have been personally deeply, deeply fulfilling and after consultation with my family I have decided to seek election for a second term," she told reporters.
"It is my desire and my ambition to serve my country and to serve it well for a further seven years, for a further term as President. I hope that my record of service this past seven years as President will encourage a wide spectrum of support for my independent candidacy," she added.
"The Constitution allows me to nominate myself and that is what I intend to do. I have written this morning to the Government, to the Cathaoirlach of the Seanad, the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil, the chief justice, the Cathaoirlach of the County Councils and to each of the political parties and groupings, informing them of my decision.
Mrs McAleese added that she is seeking support from a broad political spectrum but not looking for a nomination from Fianna Fail. She then received the backing of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste who released separate statements immediately after the her announcement. Mrs McAleese however, says she had no consultation with Fianna Fail prior today's decision.
In spite of a flurry of activity yesterday, it is still uncertain if any other candidates can secure a nomination and force an election, though Mrs McAleese said that she would welcome a "good and energetic" election campaign.
Yesterday, two local authorities, Clare County Council and Wicklow County Council, who supported former Independent MEP Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon's nomination in 1999 refused to do so again.
Senior figures in three more, including another of her 1999 strongholds, Tipperary North Riding County Council, indicated they would not back her campaign.
Green Party Dublin South TD Mr Eamon Ryan may also struggle in his bid to win 20 Oireachtas signatures for his nomination papers.
The Green Party announced his candidacy hurriedly yesterday at lunchtime, amid fears the information was about to leak out.
Meanwhile, the Labour party meets for a two-day conference in Wexford starting today, at which the party will decide on whether it will field a candidate or not. Should there be a Labour nomination, Michael D. Higgins is favourite for the candidacy.
The President refuted suggestions that a 14 year term was too long for one person but maintained that is was up to the electorate to decide.
"The next seven years will be a very exciting time for Ireland," said Mrs McAleese. "Ireland over the next seven years is going to be having a very big debate with itself, about how we handle this new emerging Ireland. I would like very much to be apart of that.
"It's up to the people to decide whether 14 years is too long. We haven't actually had that debate, interestingly, since 1937. So if you want to start one, now might be good time."
In the event of an election being contested Mrs McAleese said that a she would not be against public debate, but made it clear that, unlike her opponents, she would be hindered in political discussion due to her role as president. A fact that she claims has not frustrated her over the term, despite much being made of the office's political impotency.
"I have always been comfortable in the role, I have never really found myself frustrated to any extent at all. I have been very challenged in it in many ways and very tested in it, but no, never really frustrated," she insisted.
Though not referring specifically to any potential opponent the President said that in comparison to them, she is "an open book" that the public can judge, on how she has dealt with the past seven years.
In terms of what to do in the event of an unsuccessful campaign, Mrs
McAleese admitted that she "hasn't given it a thought."
