Independent junior minister Marian Harkin has become the second government minister to sign presidential nomination papers for barrister Maria Steen, bringing the conservative campaigner closer to securing a place on the ballot.
Ms Steen now has 12 of the required 20 Oireachtas nominations, with two more TDs and senators expected to sign today according to sources. The development comes as Independent Ireland meets on Tuesday morning to decide whether to endorse her candidacy.
If Independent Ireland provides support, Ms Steen would reach 18 nominations and need just two more Oireachtas members to qualify for the presidential election. The timing proves crucial after Gareth Sheridan ended his campaign on Monday following his failure to secure four local authority nominations, having won backing only from Kerry and Tipperary county councils.
Ms Harkin, like junior minister Michael Healy-Rae who previously signed nomination papers, clarified that her support is for ballot access rather than electoral preference. She stated she would vote for Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys in the actual election.
“I have signed the presidential election nomination papers for Maria Steen,” Ms Harkin said. “As a member of the Oireachtas I have two votes in the presidential election and will use both — one to nominate a candidate whose name can appear on the ballot paper, in this case Maria Steen, and the other to vote for my preferred candidate, Heather Humphreys.”
The Sligo-Leitrim TD justified her decision on several grounds, describing Ms Steen as “credible” and arguing that she represents views held by “a significant portion of the Irish people.” Ms Harkin emphasized the importance of diverse viewpoints in preventing political polarization and fracturing.
She noted that all candidates nominated so far have come through political parties, despite many Irish voters supporting Independents. Ms Harkin argued that providing alternative pathways falls largely to Independent Oireachtas members, particularly after political parties “blocked alternative avenues through the county councils.”
While acknowledging disagreement with Ms Steen on various issues, Ms Harkin defended the candidate’s right to articulate her views in a presidential contest. “This is an important space where different views can be discussed, we shouldn’t just leave it to social media,” she said.
The minister called for longer-term debate about how presidential candidates access the ballot, but emphasized working within current constitutional constraints. She expressed confidence in the Irish electorate’s ability to select the most suitable candidate from a diverse field.
Ms Steen’s campaign represents a test of whether conservative viewpoints can gain sufficient political support to reach the presidential ballot, with Tuesday’s Independent Ireland decision potentially proving decisive for her prospects.