INDEPENDENT Ireland has called for an overhaul of the presidential election nomination process after they backed Maria Steen but she failed to secure the 20 Oireachtas nominations needed to enter the race.

The party’s four TDs, including Cork West TD and party leader, Michael Collins, backed her on Tuesday but she was two shy of the quota having secured 18 nominations by Wednesday’s deadline.

It means that Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphries and Independent Catherine Connolly will contest the election on Friday October 24th in what is one of the shortest ballots in recent years.

Independent Ireland is calling for reform of the presidential nomination system because it is ‘convoluted’ and places far too much power in the hands of too few people.

The party said that recent events around this year’s presidential election have highlighted ‘an affront to democracy’ which they say can no longer be ignored.

Meanwhile, Cork County Council voted not to nominate any candidate for the presidential election at their meeting on Monday.

Six hopefuls including West Cork’s William P Allen and Cork city Cllr Kieran McCarthy alongside Walter Ryan-Purcell, Ian Doyle, Aidan Harrington and Padraig Ó Dúinnin pitched to councillors.

When it came to voting, 11 councillors voted for Maria Steen, nine voted for Cllr McCarthy and four voted for Allen, while 26 councillors voted ‘none of the above’ which meant that no candidate was selected because a majority vote was needed.

Cllr Peter O’Donoghue (Ind) said it was a ‘disgraceful situation’ and said there is ‘no democracy’ following the vote.