A county Cavan councillor has said he thinks Mary Lou McDonald would be a fantastic candidate in the presidential election, but Sinn Féin's decision will ultimately be influenced by grassroots views.
Stiofán Conaty was reacting to the Sinn Fein party leader refusing to rule herself out of the presidential bid.
Yesterday morning, Deputy McDonald was asked about her party's candidate and said no one, including her, has been ruled out of the running.
Sinn Féin has yet to decide whether it will run a solo candidate or back a united left candidate.
Mary Lou MacDonald has said her party's strategy will become clear in the coming weeks.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan show this morning, Cllr. Conaty said, he can't speak on behalf of the entire party.
"I would love to come out here and speak on behalf of the entire Sinn Féin party, but I can't, unfortunately, do that. I can only speak from the local grassroots Well, look, I do think someone of the ilk of Mary Lou MacDonald is, she's our party Uachtarán, and she has the confidence of the party as leader. First and foremost, I'd love to see her as Taoiseach, but I think she would be a fantastic candidate. She'd be a brilliant Uachtarán na hÉireann, but so too would many on the left."
