The leader of Fine Gael is expected to be declared before 6pm this evening after a 16-day campaign.

The race to be the next taoiseach will heat up this evening as rivals Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney go head-to-head in the first of four nights of hustings for the Fine Gael leadership contest.

Housing minister Simon Coveney believes he now has enough support in the three-part electoral college of Fine Gael to win the upcoming leadership contest.

IT’S completely illogical, but I still have the feeling that there’s a president-shaped person hiding in the long grass somewhere, who will emerge in the coming weeks to a chorus of “the very man/woman”.

The four candidates vying to be Fine Gael's presidential candidate will this morning outline their case to the parliamentary party ahead of a vote in nine days' time.