The former President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox has said he expects to be in a position to clarify his intentions in relation to the Presidency in the coming days.
In a statement released this afternoon, the former Progressive Democrat TD said he was delighted that his application to become a member of Fine Gael was last night approved by the party.
Mr Cox said he will now begin an intensive round of consultations to assess what level of support he has for becoming Fine Gael's nominee for the Presidency.
Fine Gael MEPs Mairead McGuinness and Gay Mitchell are already seeking the party's nomination in the race for the Áras.