Because the office of Taoiseach is currently in the hands of the leader of Fine Gael the next leader of the party will inherit the prime ministerial mantle from Leo Varadkar when he hands over the reins after the Easter political recess.
And with all the leading candidates for the party leadership bar one saying they are not competing for the post that leaves Minister Simon Harris.
Harris is currently Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and he hails from County Wicklow.
All major Irish media outlets were anointing him today as the next leader of the three-party coalition government that can stay in power until as general election is mandated a year from now.
