Fine Gael are reportedly divided over whether or not to call an early general election next year.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny intends holding off on going to the people until the last days of its mandate in 2016.
However, other senior figures within the party are said to want an earlier election - before or just after a tax-cut budget in October 2015.
Opposition parties are believed to be already preparing for the possibility of a general election next year.
Political Editor with the Sunday Independent John Drennan says Enda Kenny does not want to repeat past mistakes:
Meanwhile, a new poll out today shows that Independents and smaller parties are now the most popular among voters, with support at 30%.
They are followed by Sinn Féin and Fine Gael, neck-and-neck on 22%.
Support for Fine Gael dropped by four points - their lowest showing in this series of polls for the Sunday Business Post.
Fianna Fáil are unchanged at 18% while Labour remain on 8%.
Meanwhile, a separate Red C poll has found Independent TD Shane Ross to be the favourite to lead a new political party, ahead of Lucinda Creighton.
That is despite Ms Creighton reportedly preparing to launch her new party early in the new year.
Sinn Féin TD in Dublin South Central, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, says the poll shows that the party's standing was not affected by Mairia Cahill's controversial rape allegations:
