Aontú will seek the support of councillors at six local authorities in an effort to co-ordinate the nomination of presidential election candidates.
One of the party’s councillors, Ellen Troy, has written to other representatives on Fingal County Council proposing the creation of a “nominating caucus” that could help potential candidates to get on the ballot paper in the election to succeed President Michael D Higgins.
Party leader Peadar Tóibín, meanwhile, confirmed plans to make similar requests to the five other local authorities for which Aontú has elected representatives. These are Meath, Wexford, Cavan and Mayo county councils as well as Limerick City and County Council.
People who wish to contest the presidential election must secure nominations from 20 Oireachtas members or four councils.
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So far there are just two confirmed candidates: Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness and Galway West Independent TD Catherine Connolly.
Aontú has held talks with two people who may be interested in running, but their identities have not been revealed.
The party, which has two TDs and one Senator, has been trying to create an Oireachtas nominating caucus to help a candidate enter the race.
However, Mr Tóibín said on Tuesday that while Aontú is “still looking to provide a pathway through the Oireachtas”, this is “proving difficult”.
There are tentative plans for Fingal County Council to hold a meeting to hear from potential candidates in September.
Ms Troy wrote to fellow councillors on Fingal County Council highlighting that the presidential election is “fast approaching” and “currently it looks like there are only two candidates in the race”.
She said Ms Connolly and Ms McGuinness are “able candidates” but it will be a “very one-dimensional campaign” if it consists of only these two candidates.
Ms Troy argued that between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of the population “will find that their issues, concerns and values are not part of the presidential election campaign or represented in the Áras”.
She added: “I suggest that councillors join together to create a nominating caucus on this council.”
“We should allow good people to make a pitch to us,” she said, adding: “then we vote by PR STV (proportional representation with a single transferrable vote) who is the best candidate to run”.
She wrote: ”If, for whatever reason your party has prohibited you from exercising this constitutional right, we ask you to abstain from the vote to allow for the process to function."
Fine Gael’s group leader on Fingal County Council, Aoibhinn Tormey, told The Irish Times her party would not abstain and would vote against nominating potential candidates that might appear at the local authority.
She said: “We are fully committed to supporting Mairead McGuinness to be the next president of Ireland, so any vote to the contrary would not be consistent with that position”.
Fianna Fáil is still deliberating on its approach to the presidential election and whether it will field a candidate. However, a source said of Aontú’s proposal: “We’re not going to take instructions from Aontú.”
