Mrs Maire Geoghegan-Quinn is not expected to declare an interest in the Fianna Fail presidential nomination until after Mr John Hume has clarified his intentions.
The Dail is expected to be recalled in the second week of September to debate the McCracken report into the Dunnes Stores payments to politicians scandal and at the same time, the parliamentary parties will be asked to formally choose a candidate for the Presidency. Mr Hume's decision is expected within 10 days.
As competition within Fianna Fail for the nomination became more intense yesterday, with an announcement by Mr Michael O'Kennedy that he had begun a systematic canvass of members of the parliamentary party, there was speculation that an announcement by Mrs Geoghegan-Quinn was imminent.
Contacted at her home in Galway yesterday, Mrs Geoghegan-Quinn expressed surprise at the party rumours and said she had given no thought to the matter. She would not be making a statement on the matter as she had only returned from holidays at the weekend.
Mr Hume has been approached by elements within Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and asked to stand as an agreed candidate. The SDLP leader is on holidays at the moment and is said to be giving the matter serious thought. In the event of Mr Hume accepting the semi-official invitation, he would anticipate being returned without a contest, in spite of the declared ambitions of the former Fianna Fail leader, Mr Albert Reynolds, and of Mr O'Kennedy. The candidates in Fine Gael, Ms Mary Banotti and Ms Avril Doyle, would also be expected to withdraw.
Mr Michael D. Higgins, a potential candidate for the Labour Party, might also stand aside, in spite of that party's formal commitment to an election process.
In such circumstances, the formal entry of Mrs Geoghegan-Quinn into the contest at this stage - without any clear indication of Mr Hume's intentions - would only diminish Mr Reynolds's prospects of selection while not necessarily improving her own.
There is a strong anti-Reynolds sentiment within Fianna Fail and a determined effort is being made to deny him the presidential nomination.
Support for the candidature of Mr Hume has already been moo ted by the Minister for Defence, Mr Andrews, and by Mr P.J. Mara, the party's director of elections. No attempt was made by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to dissuade Mr O'Kennedy from entering the race when he was contacted about the matter.
As the time for canvassing in the selection process shortens, Mr O'Kennedy and Mr Reynolds are expected to increase their efforts within Fianna Fail while Ms Ban otti and Ms Doyle will make representations within Fine Gael.
Yesterday, Mr O'Kennedy said if elected he would maintain the connections with the marginalised which had been established by Mrs Robinson and he hoped to be involved in an active Presidency.
The formal choosing of a candidate or candidates will take place in early September when the Dail is recalled to debate the Cracken report. After that, there will be a six-week period within which an election may take place.