Eamon Gilmore will become the first candidate to formally enter the leadership race for the Labour Party when he announces his candidacy early this week. Carl O'Brienreports.
Former deputy leader Brendan Howlin is also expected to announce shortly whether he will contest the leadership after giving the question "serious consideration" over the weekend.
The Wexford TD is being encouraged to run by senior party figures, including former leader Ruairí Quinn and Waterford TD Brian O'Shea.
However, Mr Howlin told close associates yesterday that while he was encouraged by support within the party, he had not yet made a decision on the matter.
He had said he would relinquish his position as Leas-Cheann Comhairle, which carries a junior ministerial salary, if he was elected leader.
The candidacy of Mr Howlin, a TD with long-established family links in the Labour Party, and Gilmore, a former Democratic Left TD, could reopen some of the division in the party around the time of its merger over eight years ago.
Other TDs who are likely candidates include finance spokeswoman Joan Burton, deputy party leader Liz McManus and Dublin-based TD Tommy Broughan.
Mr Gilmore, who is finalising details for the launch of his campaign, is expected to push for an independent electoral strategy in the next general election and a return to the party's core values.
"We have to renew and reassert our core values," he told The Irish Times yesterday.
"We need to make Labour relevant to modern Ireland. We have a very strong economy, yet we have a society which is dysfunctional in many ways."
At an event organised before Pat Rabbitte's resignation as leader, Mr Gilmore told the Desmond Greaves Summer School in Dublin that major changes were needed to modernise the State's welfare and housing policies.
He said the right changes could see Labour break out of its mould as a "half party" in a 2½ party State and it should set out to win up to 30 seats in the next election.
Another leadership contender, Dublin West TD Joan Burton, said she was interested in running but had yet to make a decision on whether to enter the contest.
"I've had lots of people making contact and giving me encouragement from the party. I'm talking to people and listening to what they are saying . . . I am very interested in running."
Dublin North-East TD Mr Broughan has also signalled an interest in running, although he was unavailable for comment. The Labour Youth movement, however, called on him to enter the race.
Following a meeting of its national executive, spokesman Dermot Looney said Mr Broughan "shares Labour Youth's desire for an independent electoral strategy promoting Labour as a leading party of government".
The party's NEC will set a date next Saturday for a deadline for submission of nominations for leader and deputy leader with a replacement for Mr Rabbitte due by mid-October.
Members who have paid two years' consecutive membership fees have a vote. There are approximately 8,000 members and an estimated 4,000 members are thought to be eligible to vote.
Mr Rabbitte said yesterday that he would support whoever was elected as leader. In an interview with RTÉ, he said a challenge for the new leader would be to boost its organisation on the ground and communicate the party's ideas in a strong and relevant manner.
He said he felt the party was "outgunned" on the ground and that many talented candidates had failed to perform well as a result.
"I just feel I did my best while I was there. I think that this country is continuing to change. I think every general election is different and I think the Labour Party may have more flexibility with me not being in the leadership," he said.
"I'm very identified with a certain view - that's not likely to change. I will of course support the new leader whatever he or she decides to do, but my own views on certain fundamental matters in Irish politics don't change."