The Progressive Democrat senator and former TD, Ms Helen Keogh, has been informally asked by Fine Gael if she will contest the next general election for the party in the Dun Laoghaire constituency.
Ms Keogh was approached by Ms Monica Barnes, a Fine Gael TD in the constituency, recently and asked if she would be interested in running for Fine Gael.
Neither of the Fine Gael TDs in the constituency, Ms Barnes and Mr Sean Barrett, is contesting the next election and the party is seeking suitable candidates.
Sources confirmed that there were some tentative "inconclusive" discussions between Ms Keogh and Ms Barnes. While Ms Keogh said she was not interested in joining the party at present, a Fine Gael source said the door was not completely shut on the matter.
When contacted yesterday, Ms Keogh said she was not in talks with Fine Gael about joining the party. She said she was assuming she would be a candidate for the PDs in the next general election in the Dun Laoghaire constituency but added that a selection convention has not yet been held.
There is speculation that if the Attorney General, Mr Michael McDowell, decides to contest the general election for the Progressive Democrats in Dublin South East, the party may seek to run Ms Fiona O'Malley in Dun Laoghaire along with Ms Keogh. It is understood that Ms Keogh would be opposed to such a move.