Presidential candidate move 'tough day for party' says Martin

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Reuters Micheál Martin said he would be leading Fianna Fáil into the next election

Gabija Gataveckaite BBC News NI Dublin correspondent and Catherine Moore BBC News NI

Today has been a "tough day" for Fianna Fáil, Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin has said. He was speaking after the party's candidate Jim Gavin announced he was withdrawing from the Irish presidential election with "immediate effect". The taoiseach said despite Fianna Fáil now having no candidate in the presidential vote, his intention is to lead the party into the next election. Gavin, the former Dublin gaelic football manager was set to be one of three candidates standing for election on 24 October, alongside Independent TD Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys.

However, on Sunday evening he said in a statement he had "made a mistake that was not in keeping with my character and the standards I set myself". Gavin did not elaborate on the reason for his withdrawal in his statement but it followed a news report in the Irish Independent newspaper on Saturday alleging he owed €3,300 (£2,870) to a former tenant. "This is a tough day for us as a party, it's not something I anticipated or wanted, in any shape or form," Martin told Irish broadca