Simon Harris has a clear path to becoming the new leader of Fine Gael - and taoiseach - after all the other frontrunners have dropped out of the race. It comes a day after Leo Varadkar's shock announcement that he was standing down as Fine Gael leader and would step aside as taoiseach once his successor is appointed.
If he was to take over from Mr Varadkar, Mr Harris would become the country's youngest ever taoiseach at the age of 37, taking that title from his predecessor. Fine Gael minister of state Patrick O'Donovan is also among those who have thrown their support behind Mr Harris.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more: