The former Fine Gael chairman, Mr Phil Hogan, has ruled himself out of the contest to succeed Mr Michael Noonan as party leader.
The Kilkenny-based TD, who was appointed director of organisation by Mr Noonan last year, said the party should consult constitutency organisations and councillors about a replacement leader and "not be bounced into a hasty decision".
He dismissed suggestions by local Fine Gael activists that he should put his own name forward. "You shouldn't be listenening too closely to great friends of mine in the Carlow-Kilkenny constitutency. They certainly have my good at heart, but I think they are overestimating the impact their local TD can have on the national scene," he said. Asked if he was ruling himself out of the race, he replied, "yes".
Mr Hogan supported Mr John Bruton in last year's leadership battle, when he described the move against him by Mr Noonan and Mr Jim Mitchell as "a serious misjudgment". He refused to blame Mr Noonan, however, for Fine Gael's dismal performance.
"I have worked as hard as anybody to advance Mr Noonan's case to the electorate. And he did everything he possibly could during the election campaign. In fact, I thought he had a good election. Nevertheless, our message wasn't received well by the people," he said.
He declined to offer a view on whether Mr Bruton should be in the reckoning to resume leading the party. "I'm not going to speculate on who should be or should not be in the frame," he said. "It is the entitlement of every TD that if they want to stand for the leadership they can stand, and if John Bruton wishes to stand he is perfectly entitled to do so."
Mr Hogan retained his seat in Carlow-Kilkenny, but his running mate, Mr Fergal Browne, failed to hold the seat vacated by his father, Mr John Browne.
The result was a spectacular vindication of the controversial strategy adopted by Carlow-based Fianna Fáil senator, Mr M.J. Nolan, who asked supporters not to transfer to his Fianna Fáil colleagues in Kilkenny, but to give preferences to other Carlow candidates.