THE Republic's foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney is not ruling himself out as a candidate to replace Phil Hogan as Ireland's next European commissioner.
Mr Coveney is understood to be most likely nominee for the role.
However, he said yesterday that he would need to add "significant value" to Ireland's chances of increasing its profile within the commission.
He said he was aware that Taoiseach Micheál Martin was trying to establish if that would be the case.
Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness confirmed she was interested in succeeding Mr Phil Hogan and suggested it would be “unwise” for the government not to put forward both male and female candidates.
Mr Hogan resigned following controversy over his attendance at an Oireachtas golf society dinner and questions around his movements in an apparent breach of Covid-19 guidelines.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Coveney said he was part of a discussion taking place within government on Mr Hogan's successor.
"I'm not ruling myself out but this is subject to a decision of the taoiseach and party leader," he said.
"I would need to have a very good reason to move away from the focus that I have at the moment, which is a privilege and hugely important.
"I would need to be convinced that I would add significant value to our chances of increasing the profile within the commission of Irish influence."
Mr Coveney would not comment on whether the government should send two names - one man and one woman - to commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
He said the taoiseach and party leaders would make a recommendation to the cabinet adding that a decision would be made "in the coming days".
