00:00Did the Irish government block people from running for president?
00:06Online users are falsely alleging that anyone seeking to run for president of Ireland requires government backing
00:13and that the government actively tried to block those it disagrees with.
00:17Ireland's presidential election is due to take place in late October,
00:21with three candidates seeking to succeed outgoing president Michael D. Higgins,
00:26the smallest field of candidates since the 1990 election.
00:29This video, which has been seen more than 100,000 times on X,
00:33claims that the ballot list could have been longer had the government not interfered
00:37and that the election won't be fair because citizens can't vote for who they want.
00:41In Ireland right now, the government is blocking any candidates they don't agree with.
00:47However, Ireland's electoral commission clearly sets out the criteria for who can become president
00:52and how candidates get nominated.
00:54To be eligible to run for the office, a person must be an Irish citizen at age 35 or older.
01:00There are then three different methods to get nominated.
01:03Firstly, a presidential candidate can be nominated by at least 20 members of the Irish Parliament,
01:09be they TDs, members of the lower house or senators.
01:12Failing that, someone who wants to run for president must be nominated by at least four local authorities,
01:18such as county or city councils.
01:20Finally, former or retiring presidents can nominate themselves if they've only served one term.
01:27So, it's wrong to suggest that the government can block potential candidates from running for president,
01:32and it appears that the video incorrectly conflates the government with parliament,
01:36which isn't the same thing.
01:37While some members of parliament who might also be government ministers may refuse to nominate a given person,
01:44they decide on an individual basis,
01:46and that person can seek nominations from other TDs or senators, whichever party they belong to.
01:52For more information, visit www.fema.org.
