THE LABOUR PARTY may be on the verge of beginning the process of nominating a candidate for this year’s presidential election as early as this week – just three weeks after the general election.

The Sunday Business Post reports today that Labour’s parliamentary party will this week discuss the business of identifying its presidential nominee, attempting to capitalise on its election footing after last month’s general election.

The matter will be raised by Dublin Central TD Joe Costello, who this morning explained to TheJournal.ie that he felt the party should “not let grass grow under our feet” in terms of choosing its nominee.

“We did very well in the elections, and this is outstanding business from the elections. The sooner we get the show on the road, and we select our candidate, the better our prospects will be.”

Costello confirmed that he would personally be supporting the nomination of former Galway West deputy Michael D Higgins, who has expressed his interest in seeking the country’s highest office.

“I believe he has a very long-standing reputation within the Labour Party, both in terms as an activists and a campaigner on the frontline, as well as an intellectual, a poet and an academic,” Costello said. “That’s the type of person we need in the important position of representing the country.”

Today’s Sunday Business Post also speculates that Labour might agree a common unity candidate with Fine Gael, given that both candidates’ war chests are depleted following months of being on an electoral footing.

Costello said that while this might be a possibility, he felt Labour would immediately prioritise choosing its own candidate, and if that candidate was to be supported by other parties, Labour would embrace that support.

Support for Higgins, he added, would “traverse the political spectrum”.

Among the others tipped for Labour’s nomination are Bernardo’s chairman Fergus Finlay.

Fine Gael has a few hopefuls of its own, including MEPs Mairéad McGuinness and Seán Kelly, while former Taoiseach John Bruton has been previously mooted as a potential candidate, but only if he was unopposed by the party ranks.

A presidential election is due in October of this year, shortly before incumbent Mary McAleese’s second seven-year term expires in November.