John Paul Phelan says Fine Gael will consider forming a government to avoid a second election.
The outgoing Junior minister has been speaking to KCLR in the wake of a marathon Fine Gael Parliamentary Party Meeting on Monday.
The official party line is that they intend to go into opposition after the electorate voted for change.
But Deputy Phelan told Sue Nunn that they will have to consider their position if the other parties fail to put a government together.
He says the discussions are likely to go on for weeks though.