The outspoken Galway West TD Michael D Higgins has confirmed he will seek the Labour Party nomination for the presidency.
Mr Higgins expressed an interest in running for the last presidency election seven years ago but now he feels he has the capacity to lead the country forward as the head of state.
He will have a battle on his hands to secure the Labour nomination, however, as Chief Executive of the Barnardos Charity, Fergus Finlay, announced he would also be throwing his hat in the ring.
Deputy Higgins says we need a discourse about what kind of country we want, the relationship between society and the economy, the rise of individualism and our role in Europe.
He says one of the central themes of his campaign would be about defining what active citizenship entails.
Deputy Higgins is the Party President and Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, and is a former Minister for Arts, Culture, and the Gaeltacht (1993- 1997).
