US EditionSteen Criticises Political Consensus as Áras Bid Ends
Maria Steen has secured 18 of the required 20 Oireachtas nominations to appear on the presidential ballot with hours remaining before the midday deadline.
- With hours left before the noon cutoff, Maria Steen reported having 18 supporting Oireachtas signatures but remained two short of the 20 needed for the presidential ballot.
- Under current rules, party discipline and council refusals have tightened the path to the ballot, as candidates must have 20 Oireachtas members or four local authorities to qualify, but most councils declined to nominate and only three exercised authority.
- Senator Aubrey McCarthy said he would sign Ms Steen's nomination papers, saying `This is my first presidential nomination process`; nominators included Ken O'Flynn, Marian Harkin, Gillian O'Toole, Senator Joe Conway, Michael Healy-Rae and Danny Healy-Rae.
- With nominations closed at noon, Maria Steen failed to reach the 20-signature threshold, leaving only Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin, and Heather Humphreys on the ballot this year.
- Independent Ireland urged a referendum to overhaul the presidential nomination process after Ms Steen's failed bid and plans to table legislation easing ballot access.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Avowed Catholic falls short in Irish presidential bid
An avowed Catholic narrowly failed Wednesday in her bid to qualify for the Ireland’s presidential election.Maria Steen delivers a speech on ‘Pope John Paul II’s Gospel of Life at 30’ in Dublin, Ireland, on May 3, 2025. Screenshot from @IonaInstitute.Maria Steen, a barrister who publicly upheld Church teaching during referendum debates on abortion, same-sex marriage, and the definition of the family, fell just short of winning the support of 20 m…
Three-way race for presidency confirmed as Maria Steen misses out
Voting day is on October 24. Maria Steen has fallen short of 20 required signatures to enter the presidential race, as the nomination window closed with just three candidates confirmed. To be eligible to run, a candidate must be over the age of 35 and have been nominated either by 20 members of the Oireachtas or four local authorities. No candidate was successful through the local authority route after most councils decided not to nominate any c…
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