Brendan Howlin is expected to be crowned as Labour leader today - with Alan Kelly still to find another TD who will help him run.

Nominations for the job close at noon today.

It's now a full week since Alan Kelly formally announced his wish to be Labour leader - and hinted he wanted the party to rally around him.

But Brendan Howlin has also been encouraged to run - and the Wexford TD is far more popular within the parliamentary party than his Tipperary colleague.

So much so, that with hours to go before the deadline for nominations, Kelly has yet to find the single mandatory supporter he needs.

Party rules say a candidate for leader has to get a proposer AND seconder - and while Kelly is entitled to propose himself, he still needs one of the other 6 TDs to support him.

With those six satisfied to rally around Brendan Howlin, the former Public Expenditure minister could be declared the party's new leader by 12 noon - unless Kelly convinces SOMEONE to help him onto a ballot paper.