Micheál Martin defends Jim Gavin as strong Fianna Fáil choice for presidency
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has revealed that “up to 20 names” were suggested as potential presidential candidates for Fianna Fáil.Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr Martin said, “People came to us and suggested Jim Gavin. We then met him and engaged with him.”“Jim gave it great thought, as is his wont. I mean he didn't rush into this. He is a person of considerable substance, experience”.Mr Martin said choosing a candidate for the presidential election had to be strategic. He described Mr Gavin’s background as impressive and called him a “potentially strong candidate.”“My own sense was he had the breadth and the depth to be a very serious candidate. I'm somewhat struck that people seem to think nowadays that you have to have party political experience to be a candidate for the presidency. That's a new development really, in a sense, because that would restrict the presidency to just one cohort and category of people. I actually think that he has very significant experience that covers all the various capacities that are required to be president.“I think, above all, he will be an active president. People I speak to, after having spoken to him, I spoke to quite a number of people who worked with him, who knew him, and who spoke very, very highly of his character and his integrity and his capacity to get things done.” Mr Martin dismissed recent opinion polls suggesting a potential backbench revolt over Mr Gavin’s nomination. “Forget about the polls until about the last week, okay? They're not going to really be a barometer or a metric for what's going to happen. I think the last ten days will tell a lot.” He said the selection of Mr Gavin had been “a legitimate exercise in democracy” and praised Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher for energising the party with his support.“Jim Gavin made the point that he was very struck by Billy's character in the immediate aftermath of the election in declaring his support for Jim and urging the party to get behind him.” When asked about his visit to the Oval Office in March and the subsequent meeting between President Donald Trump and Conor McGregor, Mr Martin said he “was not impressed” but acknowledged there appeared to be “a strong MMA component” to the electoral base in the US.“The views of Conor McGregor are ones I clearly do not share.” “I had a job to do when I visited the President, we had a very courteous, very hospitable engagement with the President and we had a good meeting and as far as I'm concerned, I focus on the objectives I have for the country and the national interest. We have a very strong relationship with the United States economically. Politically, family-to-family. It underpins very significant jobs in this country and that's important for people in terms of bread and butter on the table.”
