INDEPENDENT SENATOR David Norris inched closer to getting a nomination to contest the presidential election yesterday, securing additional support from within the Oireachtas and renewing his appeal to county councils.
Waterford Independent TD John Halligan and Senator Marie Louise O’Donnell were among those to back Mr Norris yesterday, bringing his total support within Leinster House to 15 TDs and Senators.
Dana Rosemary Scallon is also attempting to persuade councils to back her, and councillors across the State will meet in the coming days to vote on the last-minute requests for support.
Presidential candidates require the support of 20 Oireachtas members or the backing of four county councils to secure a nomination.
Mr Norris’s papers were also signed by Senators Fiach Mac Conghail and Katherine Zappone yesterday. He is expected to talk to Independent TD Thomas Pringle, Senator Mary Anne O’Brien and others today.
He already has the support of Fingal County Council.
The deadline for nominations is next Wednesday. The names already on the ballot paper for the October 27th poll are the Fine Gael candidate Gay Mitchell; Labour’s Michael D Higgins; Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin and Independents Mary Davis and Seán Gallagher.
Mr Norris withdrew from the contest at the beginning of August. Some supporters of his initial bid withdrew their backing after it emerged he wrote a letter of clemency to an Israeli court on behalf of his former partner Ezra Nawi in 1997. Mr Nawi was convicted of the statutory rape of a 15- year-old boy and spent one month in prison.
At about the same time, Ms Scallon said she was considering an attempt to get on the ballot paper.
Other TDs who have committed to Mr Norris are four members of the United Left Alliance: Joe Higgins, Clare Daly, Richard Boyd Barrett and Joan Collins, along with Catherine Murphy, Maureen O’Sullivan, Stephen Donnelly and Mick Wallace. From the Seanad, Mr Norris can also rely on NUI Senator John Crown and Seán Barrett from Trinity College, as well as his own vote.
Kilkenny County Council will meet at 9am to consider the nominations of both Mr Norris and Ms Scallon, with Carlow County Council meeting at 11am and Roscommon County Council meeting at 2.15pm. Laois County Council will consider Mr Norris’s request at its meeting on Monday at 11am, with South Dublin County Council expected to consider a proposal from him on Monday evening.
Other councils with the potential to offer late support for Ms Scallon or Mr Norris include Longford, Offaly, Waterford city and Donegal.
Mr Halligan, who withdrew support from Mr Norris in July, said he was encouraged to back him again by constituents. “I did feel in hindsight that he deserves another chance,” he said.
Ms O’Donnell, a Taoiseach’s Seanad nominee, was persuaded to support Mr Norris after meeting him yesterday, although she said she would not campaign for him.
