LAST UPDATE | 10 Oct

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has confirmed that he plans to vote for Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys in the forthcoming presidential election. 

Speaking during a visit to Millstreet in Co Cork today, Martin was coy in relation to whether it would be his first time voting for a Fine Gael candidate in an election. 

He said that he had “made his point” and anything else involved the “privacy of the ballot paper”.

Martin stated that his “personal position” was to vote for Heather Humphreys.

“In terms of my own personal position, and it will be a personal decision, I am pro European passionately, I am pro the European Union. I am pro the enterprise economy.

“Of the two candidates, the person that is closest to those perspectives is Heather (Humphreys) obviously. Heather is closest to that orientation. And that is important as the European situation is central to the transformation of Ireland over the last fifty odd years.

“There have been two things that have transformed Ireland in terms of education from the Minister Donough O’Malley years onwards and membership of the EU.

“I think a number of our MEPs have said something similar in that regard. It is the underpinning of our economic performance – and I think Catherine (Connolly) has been quite anti European in that regard.”

Meanwhile, Martin denied that the presidential election was a referendum on the government.

“It is not a referendum on the government. People will vote for the person that they think will serve the country best as president. People understand the constitutional basis of the presidency and the role of the presidency in terms of the functions of the presidency.

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“People actually do distinguish between a presidential election and every other type of election. So it (that it is a referendum on the government) is a false premise to put (to voters). 

“Obviously some opposition parties are trying to do that to create certain advantages, maybe electorally or politically. That sentiment actually undermines the office of the president.”

The Taoiseach also stressed that he would not be giving any direction to Fianna Fáil members on how they should vote on 24 October next following the withdrawal of party candidate Jim Gavin from the race.

“As I have said before, when you start telling people how to vote they generally go in the opposite direction.They don’t like being directed. A person’s right to vote is a very precious (thing) individually.

“We (Fianna Fáil) won’t be directing in any shape or form. If you try to say to people that I want you now to go to a candidate that may not be your first choice or second choice. I just know from political experience that it is not the correct approach.”