Galway Bay fm newsroom - President Michael D. Higgins had indicated to the Government that he is to seek a second term in office.
During the 2011 campaign, Michael D. Higgins said on many occasions that he would only serve a single term in the role - despite being entitled to seek a second term.
However, he's made a number of comments in recent months which have strongly suggested that he has changed his position.
According to the Irish Times, President Higgins has now informed a number of senior Government Ministers that he will officially seek a second term.
So far, it seems unlikely that President Higgins will face any real opposition if this is the case - Michael Martin has indicated Fianna Fail will not field a candidate.
While Leo Varadkar said he would wait until Mr. Higgins publicly declared his intentions but believed there would be strong support for a second term.
Senator Gerard Craughwell is the only person to have officially thrown his hat into the ring to date - though Sinn Fein has said it will also be fielding a candidate.
President Michael D. Higgins is expected to make an official announcement on his intentions in the coming weeks.
