A sub-committee set up to find a new chief executive for the ESB is said to be "critically divided" on the appointment.

The board of the State company meets this morning to discuss the nomination that no single name will be put to directors.

More than five months after the current chief executive, Mr Ken O'Hara, announced his retirement, this is regarded as surprising in certain internal quarters.

It is understood that four candidates are still in the race. They include: Mr Alan Richardson, a former Scottish Power executive; the ESB's director of international investments, Mr Dónal Curtin; and the company's commercial director, Mr Padraig McManus. The fourth candidate is unnamed but is an outsider.

While Mr Richardson would be seen as a "very very strong" candidate in the first instance, he was ousted as head of the US division of Scottish Power last December, after a $1 billion (€1.15 billion) deficit was recorded. It is unclear whether he entered the process before or after his departure from Scottish Power. Either way, it is thought that certain figures in the ESB would be reluctant to support his candidature.

According to sources, each candidate is supported by one member of the board's sub-committee set up to recommend an appointment to the board. The members of the sub-committee are: the ESB chairman, Mr Tadhg O'Donoghue; its deputy chairman Mr Joe LaCumbre; Mr Eoin Fahy, chief economist with KBC Asset Management; and consultant trainer and facilitator, Ms Anne Taylor.

Some observers believe Mr O'Donoghue favours an external candidate. When Mr O'Donoghue spoke last week to The Irish Times, he declined to discuss his preference or the identities of the candidates still in the race.

It is understood the Department of Public Enterprise is strongly in favour of an external appointment. The view of the Minister, Ms O'Rourke, is not known, and she has no formal role in the process.

It is thought that the board members not on the sub-committee will formally discuss the appointment for the first time at the meeting this morning. With internal speculation suggesting that the sub-committee is divided, the merits and de-merits of each individual will have to be discussed.

Certain observers believe the board will be keen to make an appointment today. However, it was unclear yesterday that this would happen.