Coveney's FG leadership hopes fade — McEntee or Harris to replace Varadkar

Junior minister Peter Burke has also emerged as a potential future leader

Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris. File picture: Maxwells

Simon Coveney’s chances of becoming Fine Gael leader appear all but over as Simon Harris and Helen McEntee are in a two-horse race to succeed Leo Varadkar.

Following a bruising year for the party and amid mounting concern about the prolonged criminal investigation into Mr Varadkar’s leaking of the GP contract to his friend, the Irish Examiner has conducted a detailed sample of the party.