Labour¿s Mr Eamon Gilmore has announced his intention to run for the leadership of the party.
In a statement released this afternoon he said he wanted to become the first Labour Taoiseach. "For a leader to aspire to less, is to consign Labour to the status of the permanently also ran."
He also spoke of his determination to "haul the Labour Party out of third place in Irish politics" and to make it "the main alternative to Fianna Fail".
Mr Gilmore is the party's spokesman on communications and is the fourth candidate to throw his hat into the ring, joining Pat Rabbitte, Brendan Howlin and Róisín Shorthall.
Nominations close on Wednesday and the election will be held on November 25th.
