The Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, is seriously considering his position following his failure to secure a nomination to contest the next general election in his constituency of Tipperary North.
Mr Smith failed to be selected at the convention in Thurles last Saturday. A local councillor, Ms Maire Hoctor, was nominated as the party's first candidate while a formal recommendation was made that the Fianna Fail national executive add longstanding county councillor Mr Tom Harrington to the ticket.
Mr Smith said in an interview with Tipp FM that he was considering his options. "Indeed, for some looking in and listening they might say that they are unpalatable for me," he said.
The Minister made it clear he would not contest the election as a third Fianna Fail candidate.
"There is no way I would contemplate either being a pressure candidate to do anything to Tom Harrington or to be one of three in the north of the constituency. It would be political suicide."
He said what happened at the weekend was not what he had expected or wanted.
"I was looking forward to fighting the election and trying to hold on to the two seats and maybe trying to have a crack at the Department of Agriculture sometime as a Minister, but that is not the way it has worked out," he said.
He made it clear he would not stand in the way of Mr Harrington being added on by party headquarters. "There is no way that I would stand in the way of Tom Harrington and his friends, many of them who are close friends of mine as well, who beat me fairly and squarely at the convention, albeit by a small margin."
Mr Smith could not be contacted by The Irish Times for comment last night but party sources said they believed he was considering his position. The Fianna Fail national executive is meeting on Wednesday and it is possible the matter of adding on candidates for the constituency will be raised.
Fianna Fail currently holds two of the three seats in Tipperary North. The third seat is held by Independent TD Mr Michael Lowry.