Fianna Fáil says its former deputy leader and minister Mary Hanafin is NOT a formal party candidate in the local elections - despite her submittting nomination papers to run in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.
The former TD this morning submitted nomination papers listing herself as a FF candidate in the six-seater Blackrock area.
It's understood that Ms Hanafin was invited by the party headquarters to consider running earlier this week, on a two-candidate ticket alongside the existing local candidate Kate Feeney.
As part of this process, the ex-minister was issued with nomination papers signed by officials at party headquarters - allowing her to declare herself as a Fianna Fáil candidate and to appear on ballot papers as a FF candidate.
However the party then backed down and decided to stick to its original single-candidate strategy, with Ms Feeney the only candidate in the six-seat Blackrock electoral area.
But Ms Hanafin nonetheless arranged to submit her nomination papers this morning - despite the wishes of the party leadership for her not to appear on the ticket.
In a statement this evening the party said it decided last night that there would only be one candidate run in the area.
It said: "Mary Hanafin was informed of that decision on Friday evening in the clearest possible terms and has been made aware that there will be only one Fianna Fáil candidate in the Blackrock LEA, Ógra President Kate Feeney."
Although she has submitted nomination papers, Ms Hanafin has several days within which she can withdraw her nomination.
