Former MEP Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon failed to secure a nomination from Mayo County Council for the presidential election.
The Fine Gael councillors discussed the issue for two hours this afternoon before saying afterwards that legally they could not bring the motion before the council because the Environment Minister has not signed an order for the date of polling the election.
Ms Scallon described the situation as "ridiculous".
"The whole country knows the date of the election that the minister knows that in announcing it on Thursday they actually made it impossible for some county councillors to exercise their consitutional rights," Ms Scallon said.
Ms Scallon is in the process of writing to four county councils to determine whether they would support her nomination. Over the weekend she sounded out a number of councillors in advance of a possible bid for the presidency.
Fine Gael councillor Mr Paddy McGuinness said: "It has nothing to do with Dana, it has to do with the right, in my belief, that no one should be deprived of standing."
The current President, Mrs McAleese, is expected this week to nominate herself for a second seven-year term in Áras an Uachtaráin.
Meanwhile, the Labour party is expected to make a decision on running a presidential candidate when it meets in Wexford tomorrow and Wednesday.