Simon Harris set to become new FG leader on Sunday as closing date for nominations brought forward

Simon Harris is set to become the new Fine Gael leader on Sunday after the closing date for nominations to contest the election was brought forward.

The Minister for Higher Education is so far the only person to put their name forward to replace outgoing leader and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

If only one person is nominated by 1pm on Sunday, the Fine Gael executive council will confirm that person as Party Leader and they will address a meeting of the council.

Speaking earlier on Friday, Mr Harris said he is committed to fulfilling his party’s commitments to the Programme for Government when he becomes taoiseach.

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When asked if there will be a general election later this year, he said he was not ruling anything in or out for now but the timing of an election was not a priority.

The Wicklow TD and Minister for Higher Education spoke to media in advance of a Fine Gael event in the City North Hotel in Gormanston, Co Meath on Friday morning.

“If given the opportunity to serve I remain fully committed to implementing the Programme for Government and to working with colleagues in Fianna Fáil and the Green Party to deliver for the people of this country,” he said.

In relation to an early election he said: “I’m certainly not getting into it right now but my priority at the moment isn’t about elections.”

Asked about his plans to reshuffle Fine Gael ministers, Mr Harris indicated it was too early to consider any changes saying he would wait until the process to elect a new leader had been completed.

“We have a very talented parliamentary party. I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to showcase those talents in the coming days and weeks. That’s for another day.”

Earlier the Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe declined to say whether he had considered standing for the leadership himself, saying only that he was “very lucky to have two roles [Minister for Public Expenditure and President of the Eurogroup] that I cherish and mean a lot to me, that I do my very best in as a public servant and that’s where my energy and focus are”.

He said he had not canvassed support for a leadership bid.

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Asked if he was keen to continue in Cabinet, he said: “Yes I am but that is a matter for the new Taoiseach . . . Of course I’m eager to continue with my work.”

Asked if it was necessary for him to stay in Cabinet to keep his role as head of the Eurogroup, the group of finance ministers whose countries use the signle currency – as is widely assumed in Brussels – Mr Donohoe said he hadn’t “thought that far ahead”.

He added however that it has been the practice for the head of the Eurogroup to be a finance minister.

“But it’s up to the new Taoiseach to decide who will be in the new Cabinet,” he said.

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