As members of the newly appointed Cabinet take over their offices for the first time today, there is speculation that the Labour party could have a new leader in the near future.
The former Coalition partners have only 7 TDs in the 32nd Dáil - and no longer have any Cabinet positions after opting against participating in the new Government.
Party leader and former Tánaiste Joan Burton is expected to stand down at the party's parliamentary meeting tomorrow.
Speculation is rife as to who will step up to the plate to take the position if Deputy Burton does decide to give up the party leadership.
Pat Magner, former Labour party Strategist, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast about who is in contention.
"There are three people who seem to have, if you'd like, been in pole position," he explained. "There's Alan Kelly the deputy leader, Sean Sherlock - part of a new generation - and Brendan Howlin".
Discussing the prospect of Deputy Howlin taking over the role, Pat said "he has certainly been the person in the Labour party who has done an awful lot of the heavy-lifting over the years - I wouldn't be taken aback if he decided he had carried the 'heat of the day' for long enough".
