Nolan offers support to Maria Steen bid for Presidential candidacy

Independent TD for Offaly Carol Nolan has confirmed her full support to barrister and referendum campaigner Maria Steen in her bid for Presidential candidacy.

This makes her the first nationally prominent politician to back Ms Steen who played a central role last year in delivering a shock defeat to Government following the referendums on family and care.

“I am delighted to offer Maria my full support in her bid for Presidential candidacy. To my mind, she is a formidable unity candidate who can bring all strands of authentically independent voices together. Maria has demonstrated a remarkable ability and passion for the best of Irish constitutionalism and Irish tradition. I am strongly urging all Oireachtas members and indeed council members to give Maria the support she needs.

“There is a real sense out there that a substantial section of the population feels politically disenfranchised and politically homeless. They look to the party candidates and the perhaps rightly feel that the parties have acted for far too long as if the Presidency was there’s by right and that only a party candidate should sit in the Áras.

“It is my firm belief that we need to restore the Presidency to the people. Indeed, last year Maria demonstrated a powerful and intuitive grasp of where the Irish people’s views really lay with respect to protecting the integrity of the constitution and the principles which underpin it.

“I believe she can also be successful this time around.

“Áras an Uachtaráin must become the home of the people once again and not merely the glorified equivalent of a political party’s constituency office,” Deputy Nolan said.

Following the confirmation of Deputy Nolan’s support, the Aontu Party also agreed to assist Ms Steen at council level.