One of the Independents regarded as a possible supporter of a Fianna Fáil minority government said yesterday he believed the party will form an alliance with the PDs.
Mr Paddy McHugh, who won a seat in Galway East, said he would not be "crawling on his knees" to secure a constituency deal in return for his support.
"Right now I believe that the most likely outcome is a Fianna Fáil-PD government."
Fianna Fáil believes it can obtain the support of Mr McHugh and Clare's Mr James Breen, both of whom contested the election as Independents after failing to secure Fianna Fáil nominations.
It also believes Mr Jackie Healy-Rae, Kerry South, Ms Mildred Fox, Wicklow - if she is re-elected - and Mr Neil Blaney, Donegal North East, would support the party.
Constituency deals would be agreed between Fianna Fáil and the Independents to secure Mr Ahern's election as Taoiseach and to keep the party in power.
Mr McHugh said if Mr Ahern approached him for his support, he would discuss the matter.
Issues on the agenda would include the refurbishment and reopening of a hospital in Tuam, repairs to national schools, improved water and sewerage schemes, remedial work on roads, and the decentralisation of government departments to Galway East.
Mr McHugh said he believed he could achieve much for his constituency as an Independent, adding that an alliance of Independents from the BMW (Border, midlands, west) region could be very effective.
Asked if he had any plans to rejoin Fianna Fáil, he replied: "None whatsoever. I am an Independent TD, not Independent Fianna Fáil or anything else."
Mr Breen was unavailable for comment yesterday, but he, too, would clearly drive a hard bargain on behalf of Clare in return for his support.
One of his campaign issues was the upgrading of Ennis General Hospital to an acute medical and surgical hospital.
The details of any constituency deal for Donegal North East would be a matter for the constituency organisation, Mr Harry Blaney, father of Mr Neil Blaney, said yesterday. The matter would be discussed if an approach was made by the Taoiseach to the new TD, he said.
Mr Healy-Rae said he would have no difficulty discussing with Mr Ahern an arrangement to support Fianna Fáil.
"I talked, on and off, with him over the past five years, and it worked very well," he added.
Mr Healy-Rae outlined his terms for his support to his constituents during the general election campaign.
These would include a 500 per cent increase in funding for national secondary roads in Kerry South, an air ambulance for the constituency, fast-forwarding the proposed Farranfore-Killarney bypass, the upgrading of local hospitals and an increase to €10,000 of the first-time house purchasers' grant, and its extension to the renovation of old houses in certain circumstances.
