Nominations to become Fianna Fáil's presidential election candidate close at 5pm this evening.
It's expected that two people will have met the criteria of securing support from not less that five members of the parliamentary party - former Dublin GAA manager Jim Gavin and Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher.
If, as expected, Mr Gavin and Mr Kelleher meet the bar for participation in this contest, 71 Fianna Fail TDs, Senators and MEPs will gather on the fifth floor of Leinster House next Tuesday at 11.30am.
The duly nominated candidates will be called, in alphabetical order, to address the meeting for ten minutes each.
After that, rather than a question and answer session, the nominees leave the room and voting, by proportional representation, gets under way immediately - with the result announced directly afterwards.
Mr Gavin has been strongly supported by leader Micheál Martin and senior Cabinet ministers and has secured substantially more endorsements than Mr Kelleher.
However, the vote is a secret ballot.
The outcome should be known by Tuesday lunchtime.
