The former MEP said she had discussed the possibility of her Presidential bid with Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and has been approached by “many people”.
“I’m very flattered and really want to thank the people over a long period who have suggested it to me but I have decided I won’t be contesting,” she told The Irish Times.
During her political career, Ms Fitzgerald was elected as a councillor, senator, TD and an MEP. She also held the Cabinet positions of justice minister and children’s minister.
Ms Fitzgerald told the Times the reasons behind her decision were “multifactorial” and included assessing the current political landscape, whether it was the right time for her personally and the campaign.
She said she will be supporting “whoever emerges” from the Fine Gael convention.
The current frontrunners in the party, which has never had a successful Presidential candidate, include former MEP Mairead McGuinness, who topped a Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll earlier this month to emerge as a favourite in the race to succeed President Michael D Higgins.
When voters were asked which right-leaning candidate they would be more likely to vote for in a Presidential election, Ms McGuinness polled at 27pc, followed by Senator Michael McDowell at 16pc and former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who is yet to make his intentions clear, at 9pc.
Ms Fitzgerald received 3pc in this poll, behind Ireland South MEP Séan Kelly who polled at 4pc.
Mr Kelly, a former president of the GAA, has said he will give the matter “serious consideration” alongside his family.
Galway TD Catherine Connolly emerged as the top left-leaning candidate who respondents said they would vote for at 16pc. She is followed by Senator Frances Black at 11pc and Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole at 10pc.
The next Presidential election is scheduled to take place on or up to 60 days before November 11 this year.
Candidates must be nominated by at least 20 members of the Oireachtas, or by four councils, a process which will likely impede MMA fighter Conor McGregor’s Presidential aspirations.
In the recent Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll, an overwhelming 90pc of respondents said they would not vote for Mr McGregor if he ran for public office. Just 7pc said they would vote for him, while 3pc said they didn’t know.
Furthermore, 69pc said they would be less likely to vote for their local TD or councillor if they backed McGregor in his bid for the Áras.
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