He is expected to run in the Clondalkin ward in the elections this May.

Enda Kenny says he is a great ambassador for Ireland.

"Yes, I can confirm to you that the Fine Gael party are having discussions with ken Egan, an outstanding athlete, a great ambassador in the boxing ring for Ireland during his Olympic days," he said.

"It's not concluded yet, but the party is talking to Ken."

In keeping with the sporting theme, the Taoiseach also invoked the image of the Munster rugby pack today when he explained how that local governments need to play a bigger role in getting people back to work.

Deputy Kenny said that the local property tax will give councils a bigger budget and a greater chance to rebuild the economy.

He has told an audience in Cork that his Government has faced a major challenge in trying to get various State agencies to work together.

And he borrowed a rugby analogy to explain the need for a better approach to creating jobs.

"Certainly one of the inefficiencies or one of the inadequacies of our system as a country is that Government departments have tended to operate in sort of tunnels, that the connection is not there, that the big push of the Muster pack has never been evident in the...national challenge to deal with it from a Government point of view," he said.