FORMER LABOUR PARTY leader Pat Rabbitte has said he is open to considering a run for president.

Rabbitte was leader of the party between 2002 and 2007 and served as minister for communications, energy and natural resources between 2011 and 2014.

The Co Mayo man is currently chairman of Tusla.

Asked on Newstalk radio today if he would rule out running for president, Rabbitte said: “No, one should always keep one’s options open.”

He went on to say he would “entertain” a bid if he was approached by a “broad cross-section of moderate opinion”.

However, he added: “I better kill this quickly before it gathers feet: I am very, very happy to leave this challenge to others.”

The Labour party has yet to formally back a candidate.

Meanwhile, The Irish Mail On Sunday reported former chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has also not ruled out seeking a nomination.

The newspaper reported today that “plans are in progress” for Holohan to announce his candidacy as he refused to “confirm or deny” whether he would enter the race. It is unclear whether he will be backed by a political party, although it was reported that he has a cordial relationship with both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

Fine Gael’s candidate Mairead McGuinness was confirmed by the party, but has yet to be formally ratified. Fianna Fáil have yet to back a candidate.

Former minister Mary Hanafin yesterday said that the party should be running a candidate, coming after she expressed her own desire to represent Fianna Fáil in the election.

Public Expenditure minister Jack Chambers told RTÉ’s This Week that he was “not aware of any engagements” between Fianna Fáil and Holohan regarding his potential candidacy.

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The face of Riverdance, Michael Flatley, didn’t rule out his own potential bid yesterday. Michael Healy-Rae said that he would not be contesting the election after broadcaster and former Fine Gael TD Ivan Yates told BreakingNews.ie that the Kerry TD could be a “dark horse”.

Independent TD Catherine Connolly is the only candidate to have formally announced her campaign, having been backed by the Social Democrats and People Before Profit.

An opinion poll conducted by The Irish Times showed that Mairead McGuinness is currently the most popular candidate in the mix, followed by Catherine Connolly, but that many voters are not engaged in the Áras race.

With reporting by Press Association