After much speculation, crime boss Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch has confirmed he will run in the general election.
He intends to lodge his electoral papers this week when he returns to Dublin from Lanzarote.
Mr Hutch told the Sunday Independent: "“I am running as a candidate in Dublin Central. I will be the people’s choice. They will vote for me. They have asked me to run, so I am."
Mr Hutch, 61, is currently out on €100,000 bail after being arrested in a money laundering investigation in Lanzarote.
He will be running against a number of sitting TDs in the Dublin Central constituency including Sinn Féin party leader Mary Lou McDonald, Fine Gael Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe, Gary Gannon of the Social Democrats and the Green Party's Nessa Hourigan.
Addressing Mr Hutch's possible candidacy during the week, Mr Donohoe said: "“I'll be making the case for the great dangers of organised crime, for the harm that drugs have done to the communities that I represent, that I'm lucky to represent in the Dáil.
"I'll be making the case for putting those dark moments behind us.
"For supporting the guards, for supporting communities that have been so grievously hurt by this crime... and making the case for supporting communities in combatting this kind of harm."
