The Cabinet will meet this afternoon, in part, to approve a record number of ministers of state - 23 in total. It's an increase of three positions on the last administration.
Here are the runners and riders.
Fianna Fáil - 10 positions
The first decision for Taoiseach Micheál Martin is whether to re-appoint existing ministers of state, otherwise called junior ministers. Mary Butler (Waterford) has already been announced as the Government Chief Whip and Minister of State.
It seems likely that Niall Collins (Limerick County), Thomas Byrne (Meath East), and Seán Fleming (Laois) will make it back. Former minister of state Anne Rabbitte (Galway East) lost her seat in November's General Election.
Three other ministers of state in the last Government - James Lawless (Kildare North), James Browne (Wexford), and Dara Calleary (Mayo) - are now senior ministers at Cabinet. However, one senior minister - Charlie McConalogue (Donegal) was demoted. It's widely expected that he will join the ranks of the ministers of state. If that comes to pass, then the number of available positions for the Taoiseach to allocate is five.
A lot of names are being mentioned around Leinster House for those positions. They include Niamh Smyth (Cavan Monaghan), Timmy Dooley (Clare), Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West), Dr Martin Daly (Roscommon Galway), Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West), Michael Moynihan (Cork North West), Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow Kilkenny), Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire), Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central), and Robert Troy (Longford Westmeath).
Fine Gael - 8 positions
It's predicted Tánaiste Simon Harris will adopt a similar strategy. It seems likely, but not guaranteed, that he will re-appoint the five Fine Gael existing ministers of state: Emer Higgins (Dublin West), Colm Burke (Cork North Central), Alan Dillon (Mayo), Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown), and Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City).
Two ministers of state in the last government have been appointed to senior ministries at Cabinet: Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire), and Martin Heydon (Kildare South). The former government chief whip Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West) has already been announced as a minister of state. So that leaves two positions to be allocated - if the prediction is correct that all five existing Ministers of State hold-on.
The names being mentioned around Leinster House include Emer Currie (Dublin West), Colm Brophy (Dublin South West), Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central), Frank Feighan (Sligo Leitrim), John Cummins (Waterford), and Catherine Callaghan (Carlow Kilkenny).
Independents - 5 positions
As these positions have already been announced, there's no doubt: Seán Canney (Galway East) and Noel Grealish (Galway West) will both sit at Cabinet as so-called 'super juniors'. Other ministers of state will include: Marian Harkin (Sligo Leitrim), Kevin Boxer Moran (Longford Westmeath) and Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry).
New titles
It's expected that whoever gets the posts, there will be changes to the responsibilities. With three additional positions available, it's expected there will be ministers of state for Immigration, the Marine and Older People.
Considerations
After evaluating the ability of each candidate, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris will also have a number of other considerations. They will be acutely aware of the criticism levelled against them for a 15-strong Cabinet which only features three women - one less than the last administration.
This would suggest that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael female deputies have a good chance of promotion. However, gender isn't the only consideration. The new Coalition was also criticised for being heavily weighted towards the east of the country. So those deputies on the western seaboard also have an advantage. All will be revealed by late afternoon.
