Blaney (32) backed Bertie Ahern in the vote for Taoiseach in June 2002. He's one of the independent TDs with strong links to Fianna Fail. The group dubbed 'the Fianna Fail Irregulars' by some in Leinster House is now the focus of renewed attention to see if old rifts are about to be healed with returns to the party fold.

James Breen is one of those 'irregulars'. A longtime Fianna Fail councillor in Co Clare, he split with the party before the last election and topped the poll as an independent candidate in the fourseat constituency. He abstained on the vote to elect Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach. He confirmed this weekend that Fianna Fail had made contact earlier this year about his interest in rejoining the party.

What he described as "feelers" were, however, rebuffed. "I will not be joining Fianna Fail now or in the future. I'm contesting as an independent, " he said. When it comes to the formation of the next government, Breen will talk to both Bertie Ahern and Enda Kenny. "I will support whoever will give a tangible commitment to Co Clare. I don't have a big shopping list, " he said.

The list, however, does include a third-level institution for the county and an upgrade of Ennis General Hospital, including improvements to the hospital's A&E unit.

Mildred Foxwas first elected to the Dail in a byelection in Wicklow in 1995, caused by the death of her father, Johnny Fox. He had a background in Fianna Fail but after a falling-out with the party won a seat as an independent in 1992. The Fox organisation protected its political base at the last two general elections. There has been repeated speculation about Fox's political future with talk that her brother Christopher, a local councillor in Wicklow, might replace her as a candidate. However, this weekend Fox confirmed she will be standing again. She said she has no intention of joining Fianna Fail and has not been approached recently. "I am very happy with my own set-up. You can't beat it so I won't change it, " Fox said. The 35-year old supported the 19972002 minority Fianna Fail-PD coalition. What is often forgotten, however, is that she also spoke with John Bruton in 1997 before securing a deal for her constituency from Ahern. If re-elected, and her support is needed, she will talk to all alliances. "I would not rule out supporting Fine Gael, " she said. "My support is not just about what is the best deal for Wicklow but also about what parties are in the government and that I can live with their policies for four to five years."

Paudge Connolly was first elected at the 2002 general election on a platform of delivering improved health services for his Cavan-Monaghan constituency. He supported Bertie Ahern's election as Taoiseach and on his first day in the Dail set out his 'wish list'. "I want to see the provision of a Cat scanner in an enhanced accident and emergency general hospital in Monaghan, " he said.

This weekend Connolly said improvements have been achieved and that news on a Cat scanner is due shortly. He has had offers to join both Fianna Fail and the PDs. Fianna Fail has not yet selected a candidate in Monaghan, leading to strong speculation that the party hopes to get Connolly on board. Connolly was playing his cards close to his chest this weekend. "There have been no direct, formal sit-down talks, " he said. A decision on whether he contests as an independent or as a Fianna Fail candidate is likely in the next few weeks.

Beverley Flynn was elected as a Fianna Fail TD at the last two general elections but, following the result of her unsuccessful libel case against RTE, she was expelled from the party in early 2004. While she has generally voted with the current government in the Dail, she will be contesting the next election as an independent.

Earlier this year, Flynn told the Sunday Tribune that, if re-elected, her support was up for negotiation and that, despite her Fianna Fail background, she was open to the possibility of backing a Fine Gael-led government.

Paddy McHugh was elected as a Fianna Fail councillor in 1985 but when he later failed to get a general election nomination in Galway East, he opted to contest as an independent and won a seat in 2002. He said there had been "periodic" approaches from his former party about returning to the fold but there had been no contact over the last 18 months. McHugh said that, if reelected, he'll talk to all parties. "In the event of my vote being needed to form a government, it would be my duty to get the most beneficial deal for my constituents, " he said.

Jackie Healy-Rae fell out with Fianna Fail prior to the 1997 general election. He then opted to run as an independent and was elected with over 7,000 first-preference votes. He supported the 1997-2002 minority Fianna Fail-PD coalition.

Two of his sons are members of Kerry County Council and there has been persistent speculation that he might stand down to allow one of them contest the next general election. There have also been rumours of a rapprochement with Fianna Fail. This talk was given renewed credibility by the presence in Healy-Rae's pub earlier this month of the former minister Gerry Collins who in recent times has acted as a party troubleshooter for Bertie Ahern.

Tony Gregory of Dublin Central is the longest serving independent TD. He is still associated with the deal he secured in early 1982 in return for supporting Charlie Haughey's minority government. He voted against Bertie Ahern's election as Taoiseach in 2002. Gregory is very critical of many of the independent TDs in Dail Eireann.

"There are some who will only vote for Fianna Fail and some who will only vote for Fine Gael so strictly speaking they are not really independents, " he argued. He said there were "an increasing number of independent TDs like myself who will look at any coalition formation that is prepared to support the issues that those independents are interested in".

Finian McGrath was first elected for Dublin North Central at the 2002 general election. In recent times he has been pushing for a closer alliance among like-minded independent TDs.

Others in this grouping include Catherine Murphy and Jerry Cowley. A decision on a pre-election platform is likely to be taken shortly.

Like other independents elected in 2002, McGrath was approached by Fianna Fail officials to ascertain his attitude to supporting a government led by Ahern. No deal was ever done and McGrath voted against Ahern's nomination as Taoiseach. Despite that decision, he says he's open to offering his support to either Ahern or Kenny after the next general election. "Whoever responds to the issues I am interested in, that will be the person I will vote for, " McGrath admitted.

Catherine Murphy is the newest addition to the ranks of the independents, having been elected in the Kildare North by-election in early 2005. She had previously contested elections for the Workers' Party, Democratic Left and the Labour Party.

Despite these strong party associations, Murphy says that, if re-elected, her support for any government will not be determined by "personnel or parties" but the policy programme that's on offer.

"I'm writing a shopping list, " Murphy admitted.

Her list includes funding for education, disability issues and facilities on new housing estates in her constituency.

Jerry Cowley took a seat in Mayo as an independent candidate at the last general election.

A medical doctor, he campaigned on improvements in health facilities in the constituency. He will be standing again as an independent in the highly competitive five-seater. He abstained on the vote for Taoiseach in 2002 but has been a vocal critic of the current government over the life of the current Dail. Like McGrath and Murphy, Cowley favours the option of a group of independents working together to extract policy concessions in the event of a hung Dail.

Marian Harkin was first elected for the SligoLeitrim constituency at the 2002 general election and followed that success by taking a seat in the European Parliament in 2004. She won't be able to continue the dual-mandate beyond the next general election but in public she has yet to indicate whether her political future lies in Dail Eireann or in Europe. "I haven't said what I'm doing, " Harkin said last week, although she promised a decision by the end of the year.

Seamus Healy was elected in a by-election in 2000 in Tipperary South and held his seat at the 2002 general election. He opposed Bertie Ahern's election as Taoiseach four years ago. A sharp critic of the Fianna Fail-PD coalition, he has also criticised Labour for contemplating government with Fine Gael. Healy's traditional left-wing views, coupled with his attitudes to coalitions led by either of the main two parties, makes him an unlikely ally of any arrangement after the next election.

Michael Lowry has maintained his political presence in Tipperary North despite over a decade of controversy surrounding his business career and fundraising activities for his former party, Fine Gael. The once-high flying minister parted company with Fine Gael prior to the 1997 general election. His organisation in Tipperary North remains strong but he may be under renewed pressure when the final report from the Moriarty tribunal is published in the first half of 2007. Lowry has generally avoided Dail votes but where needed, it's likely he would back a government led by Enda Kenny.