Leo Varadkar is the voters' favourite to succeed Enda Kenny as Fine Gael leader, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll.

He is followed in second place by Simon Coveney, with other potential contenders far behind the two frontrunners.

The poll findings come as the Fine Gael leadership emerged as a live issue in the party with pressure growing on Mr Kenny to declare a timetable for his departure.

Asked who they would like to see succeeding Mr Kenny as party leader 31 per cent opted for Mr Varadkar, 21 per cent for Mr Coveney, 10 per cent for Frances Fitzgerald, 5 per cent for Simon Harris, 3 per cent for Pascal Donohoe, 2 per cent for Others, with 29 per cent having no opinion.

Mr Varadkar is the favoured choice across all social classes with the exception of farmers, where Mr Coveney is ahead, and he is also ahead among all age groups, except for the over 65s who favour Mr Coveney.

Crucially, Mr Varadkar is ahead among Fine Gael voters who favour him over Mr Coveney by 43 per cent to 29 per cent.

Among party supporters Ms Fitzgerald and Mr Harris are tied in third place on 7 per cent each.

The survey was conducted on Monday and Tuesday of this week among a representative sample of 1,200 voters aged 18 and over in face-to-face interviews at 100 sampling points in all constituencies.

The margin of error is plus or minus 2.8 per cent.

Party members will have a vote in the leadership contest as part of an electoral college.

Members of the parliamentary party will have 65 per cent of the votes; party members 25 per cent and county councillors 10 per cent.

Candidates will have to be nominated by at least 10 members of the parliamentary party.

Mr Kenny’s future came back on the political agenda at a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday night when a handful of TDs said a process for dealing with the leadership issue needed to be put in place.

A number of senior Ministers said yesterday they hoped an orderly process would be in place to allow Mr Kenny step aside on his own terms, although it was noted that events of recent days have brought this forward.

Change of leader

The likeliest time for a change of leader is now seen as the period after the budget in October and it was stressed that a leadership transition should be handled in a way that minimises the divisions that have beset Fine Gael in the past.

“It would be a mistake to do it so soon after a new Government has been formed,” said one Minister.

“There will be a process put in place and we need to deal with it in a way that is dignified.”

The Minister stressed that the party must be ready for a snap general election, particularly when the Government is so unstable.

There is strong resentment in Fine Gael at all levels at the way Minister for Transport Shane Ross of the Independent Alliance refused to abide by collective responsibility and publicly defied Mr Kenny by voting against the Government position on the abortion Bill.

“That was a clear signal this Government is not going to last and we have to be ready for an election at any time,” said a Minister.

The episode has convinced a number of Fine Gael Ministers that Mr Kenny should not hang on for too long.

“If he waits too long, you are going to see a reaction,” said one.