The Fine Gael party is expected to make a further approach to Ms Marian Harkin after her strong performance in the recent European elections.
Ms Harkin, a former member of Fine Gael, was beaten by Dana Rosemary Scallon for the third seat in the Connacht-Ulster constituency. She stood as an Independent on a platform of supporting the development of the west of Ireland.
Fine Gael asked her before the 1997 election to stand as a party candidate in the Sligo-Leitrim constituency, but she declined. "We continue to be very interested in her," Fine Gael sources said yesterday.
Fianna Fail sources said their tallies indicated that had Ms Harkin's votes been transferred during the count many more of them would have gone to Fine Gael than to Fianna Fail.
Some 35 per cent of Ms Harkin's voters gave their next preference to Fine Gael's Mr Joe McCartin, 20 per cent to Dana and just 15 per cent to the Fianna Fail candidates, Fianna Fail estimated.
Meanwhile, the constituencies committee of Fianna Fail's national executive is to meet on Wednesday to consider the outcome of the local and European elections.
While the party will be content with the success of its vote management strategies in winning extra seats in certain local authorities, the meeting will also attempt to explain why the party lost a European Parliament seat to Dana.