Tipperary County Council to meet next week to consider presidential election nomination

The 16 people who have so far contacted Tipperary County Council interested in securing its nomination to contest the Presidential election as a candidate are being invited to make a presentation before a special meeting of the local authority in Nenagh next Tuesday, September 16.

The meeting in the Council's Nenagh Civic Offices at 10am that day is being convened to consider whether the local authority should nominate one of these prospective candidates to run in the race to find a successor to President Michael D. Higgins.

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People wishing to become a candidate in the presidential election must secure the nomination of four local authorities or 20 Oireachtas members. The meetings of local authorities to consider nominating prospective candidates for the elected started  (today, Monday, September 8) with Kerry County Council the first to hear pitches from presidential hopefuls.

The date for the special meeting was fixed at today's monthly meeting of Tipperary County Council in Clonmel.

The Council's Meetings Administrator Ger Walsh told councillors the Council's Corporate Policy Group met last Friday and agreed to propose September 16 as the date for the special meeting.

This suggested meeting date was proposed for approval at the meeting by Mayor of Clonmel Cllr Pat English of the Workers & Unemployment Action Group and seconded by Fine Gael Cllr Mark Fitzgerald.

Mr Walsh said 16 people expressing a wish to address the Council to seek its nomination to contest the election as a candidate had so far been in touch with the Council.

He anticipated the eventual number of people that will come before next week's special council meeting and make a presentation will be lower because the special meetings of local authorities around the country to consider presidential election candidate nominations were starting today. 

Mr Walsh said the prospective candidates will be required to attend the special Council meeting in person to make their presentation and will be required to submit their passport to the Council three days in advance of the special meeting.

The Council will only be able to nominate one prospective candidate to run. 

The deadline to get on the ballot paper as a presidential candidate is September 24 and the election will take place on October 24. 

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