The former minister Brendan Howlin is expected to be elected unopposed as leader of the Labour party later today.

With just hours remaining to the close of nominations, it appears that outgoing deputy leader Alan Kelly has failed to secure a seconder to enable him to contest the leadership.

Under Labour party rules only an elected TD can hold the position of leader of the party, and only one of the seven elected in the last election can propose and second a candidate.

Despite declaring his interest in the job at an early stage, Alan Kelly failed to get any of the other six Labour TDs to second him.

Mr Kelly insisted yesterday that the wider membership of the party should have a say in the election of a leader.

The Parliamentary Labour Party discussed the matter at length in several meetings over the past week and appears to have reached the conclusion that a leadership contest at this stage is not in the best interests of the party.

As a result, when nominations close at noon today, it is expected Brendan Howlin will be the only candidate and the former Public Expenditure Minister will become the twelfth leader of the Labour Party.