Paddy Harte jnr is expected to be announced as a Fine Gael general election candidate in Donegal in the coming days.

There has been much speculation in political circles about the identity of a running mate for Minister of State with special responsibility for Gaeltacht Affairs Joe McHugh.

A source close to Mr Harte, son of long-serving former Fine Gael TD Paddy Harte and brother of former Labour Senator Jimmy Harte, said he had agreed to put his name forward and was expected to be added to the Fine Gael ticket this weekend.

Mr Harte lectured at Letterkenny Institute of Technology from 1998 until last September. He previously worked for the International Fund for Ireland.

Letterkenny-based Grace Boyle, a Fine Gael candidate in the 2014 local elections, has been in talks with the party about contesting the general election. Fine Gael is adding women candidates across the country to comply with gender quota regulations.

The two Donegal three-seat constituencies, Donegal North East and Donegal South West, are being amalgamated into a single five-seater for the election.

Sitting Fine Gael TD Dinny McGinley is retiring.