FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Peter Casey has announced his intention to stand as a general election candidate in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s constituency.

Casey, who has already filed papers to stand in Donegal, nominated himself to stand in Dublin West this morning.

The businessman finished second behind Michael D Higgins in the 2018 presidential race, when he drew controversy over his remarks about the Travelling Community.

He also unsuccessfully stood for European Parliament in the Midlands-North West constituency last year.

Announcing his candidacy, Casey said he was standing in the constituency to give people an opportunity to register “an obvious protest vote” against Varadkar.

“The Taoiseach’s string of failures is recorded for all to see,” he said.

“There’s the swing-gate and fobgate scandals, the National Children’s Hospital disgrace, the broadband spending debacle, the unprecedented crises in health and housing – list goes on and people have had enough… 

“People are right to be angry and that’s why I’m giving them the opportunity to voice their anger directly by voting for me in Dublin West.”

Speaking at the registration office this morning, the 62-year-old said he believed Varadkar was not fit to be Taoiseach, but said he would not canvas there, adding that his primary goal would be to represent the people of Donegal.

Candidates for this year’s election have until midday to submit their paperwork to be nominated. They are permitted to stand in more than one constituency under election rules, but can only take one Dáil seat.

The Taoiseach is also expected to file his papers to stand in the Dublin West constituency this morning.

Varadkar and Casey will face competition for the constituency’s four seats from outgoing TDs Joan Burton of Labour, Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers, and Solidarity-People Before Profit’s Ruth Coppinger.

Others standing in the constituency include Fine Gael’s Emer Currie, Sinn Féin’s Paul Donnelly, the Green Party’s Roderic O’Gorman, Social Democrats’ Aengus Ó Maoláin, Aontú’s Edward Mac Manus and independent candidates Stephen O’Loughlin and Sean O’Leary.

With reporting from Press Association.