The new Fine Gael leader will be chosen by the party's 72 TDs, senators and MEPs at a parliamentary meeting beginning at 11 a.m. today in Leinster House.
The meeting will take place in a room in the basement of the new Leinster House building - the same room used in last week's meeting that ousted Mr John Bruton. While the meeting will decide its own procedures, the party chairman and the three candidates have reached an agreed position on how the meeting should be conducted. This position will be put to the meeting for approval.
It is envisaged that 10 minutes' speaking time be allocated to the proposer and seconder of each candidate. The candidates themselves would then be allowed speak for 20 minutes each. There would be no other speakers. If the three candidates remain in the contest, this would mean that there would be nearly two hours of speeches.
Parliamentary party members will be called in alphabetical order to collect their ballot papers. They will go into another room to fill in and cast their ballots. The party hopes the voting and counting will not take much more than half an hour. Voting will be by proportional representation.
The party chairman, Mr Phil Hogan, will announce the result to the press outside Leinster House tomorrow afternoon. The candidates are then expected to make speeches. Party officials estimate the result will be available by 2.30 p.m. The new leader will hold a press conference in the Mansion House about an hour after the result is declared.
The following is the declared support for each of the contenders for the Fine Gael leadership as of last night:
ENDA KENNY 12: Bernard Allen, Sean Barrett, Liam Burke, Paddy Burke; Ernie Caffrey; Avril Doyle; John Farrelly; Jim Higgins; Enda Kenny; John Perry; Joe McCartin; Michael Ring.
JIM MITCHELL 5: Jim Mitchell; Gay Mitchell; Brian Hayes; Gerry Reynolds; Therese Ridge.
MICHAEL NOONAN 23: Monica Barnes; Paul Bradford; John Browne; Ulick Burke; Deirdre Clune; John Connor; John Cushnahan; Jimmy Deenihan; Alan Dukes; Michael Finucane; Frances Fitzgerald; Charles Flanagan; Tom Hayes; Mary Jackman; Helen Keogh; Olivia Mitchell; Dan Neville; Michael Noonan; Fergus O'Dowd; Jim O'Keeffe; David Stanton; Madeleine TaylorQuinn; Alan Shatter.
UNDECLARED 32: Mary Banotti; Andrew Boylan; Louis Belton; John Bruton; Richard Bruton; Donal Carey; Paul Coghlan; Paul Connaughton; Fintan Coogan; Liam Cosgrave; Michael Joe Cosgrave; Simon Coveney; Seymour Crawford; Michael Creed; Dino Cregnan, Austin Currie; Michael Darcy; Austin Deasy; Joe Doyle; Bernard Durkan; Tom Enright; Phil Hogan; Padraic McCormack; Nora Owen; Brendan McGah on; Dinny McGinley; Paul McGrath; Maurice Manning; Denis Naughten; P.J. Sheehan; Billy Timmins; Ivan Yates.