Tánaiste Micheál Martin claims Bertie Ahern will not run for presidency

Mr Martin made the comments amid ongoing speculation about the intentions of the former Fianna Fáil leader who was readmitted to the party earlier this year more than decade after Mr Martin tried to expel him.

Mr Ahern has repeatedly refused to rule out a tilt at the Áras in recent months.

Appearing on RTÉ’s Late Late Show on Friday night, Mr Martin was asked if he would support Mr Ahern’s candidacy for the presidency of Ireland.

“I don’t believe Bertie will be going for the presidency,” he responded.

Asked whether he had any ambition to run for the Áras, Mr Martin said he was “very hungry to go forward in the next general election” and joked with host Ryan Tubridy that speculation about the broadcaster’s presidential ambitions was “scaring everybody off”.

He said “people will speculate away” but indicated he did not intend to take up any EU role in Brussels or run for the presidency.

"I’ll be fighting in the next general election, that’s the agenda,” the Fianna Fáil leader said.

Mr Martin again failed to categorically rule out a coalition with Sinn Féin after the next election, but said he had “real problems” with the possibility.

“I think they’re anti-enterprise and they need to sort that out. They’re anti-European and they need to sort that out and think also that what they definitely need to sort out is the narrative around the past and the consistent attempts to justify the past. I’ve a problem with that,” he said.