SENATOR FRANCES BLACK has said that she is 98% sure that she will not be going forward with a presidential run following speculation. 

Earlier this year, Black told The Late Late Show that she was “open to the conversation” of a potential run, though she cautioned that she was not “actively seeking” a nomination for the office. 

Today, she told Anton Savage on Newstalk that she was approached by a number of the smaller parties within Leinster House some months ago who asked if she would be interested in putting her name forward.

She said she was open to the conversation, Black said today.

“And after that, nothing has happened. I haven’t heard anymore. There’s been no discussions,” she said.

“It’s not something I’m seeking. It’s not something I’m actively looking for. I’ve seen how other campaigns have been run, and they have been, I could only describe [as] blood baths. So it’s not something that I would want, to be honest with you.”

Last month, Dana Rosemary Scallan spoke out about her experience contesting the presidential election for the second time in 2011. Describing her campaign as a “truly terrible time”, she grew emotional throughout her interview and said it still felt like a “well of grief”.

Black said that at the beginning she had felt it a “privilege” to be considered, but as rumours took off, “it was overwhelming”.

“It’s very late in the day,” she said. She added that her focus remains on the Occupied Territories Bill, which she said she would love to have signed into law by incumbent President Michael D Higgins, who will end his second and final term in November.

Asked about the 2% of uncertainty on her potential contesting of the presidency, Black replied: “I suppose there’s a part of me that feels, if I’m the right person – I’m not sure I am – but if I am the right person, then that’s the 2%. And I do feel I have a responsibility to consider it. That’s really what it is. That’s all it is.”

There is no front runner for the presidency at present. A number of people have ruled themselves out of the race, including Heather Humphreys and Michael McDowell.

A candidate still understood to be vying for an Áras bid is Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan.