Fianna Fáil says it will consider disciplinary action against Mary Hanafin, after the former minister ignored party orders not to run in the local elections.

The former minister is running on a Fianna Fáíl ticket in Blackrock, despite party orders that she was not to stand for election.

Ms Hanafin was given nomination papers last week when the party was considering a two-candidate strategy. She ignored a later decision from the party to drop her from the ticket and run only one candidate.

In a statement this afternoon party leader Micheál Martin said his former deputy leader had been given "very clear instructions" not to submit her name.

Martin is quoted as saying, “it was with great disappointment that we learned that Mary Hanafin, a party member of many years’ standing, chose to ignore Fianna Fáil’s well understood and long standing ratification process when she proceeded to submit nomination papers for the Blackrock LEA despite very clear instructions from the National Constituencies Committee that Fianna Fáil would be proceeding with a one candidate strategy."

The statement explains that Mary Hanafin will now be referred to an internal committee - the Ard Chomhairle’s Rules and Procedures Committee - for an investigation and ruling, and that the party will continue to support the "properly ratified" candidate Kate Feeney.

Hanfin spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime earlier today about the situation. You can listen back to the interview here.