Will one of these three local TDs secure a ministerial role?

Three local politicians will be anxiously awaiting contacts from their party leaders this weekend with the allocation of ministerial portfolios due to become clearer.

Laois/Offaly Fianna Fail Tds Barry Cowen and Sean Fleming and Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan could have contrasting experiences this weekend.

Of the three, Cowen is the most likely to secure a senior or junior ministerial role.

He is being tipped as a potential Cabinet minister following the agreement by members of the three Government parties today to approve the Programme for Government.

It paves the way for Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin to be elected Taoiseach tomorrow at a special sitting of the Dail in the Convention Centre in Dublin.

Cowen as one of the negotiating team for the Programme for Government is likely to secure either a Cabinet post or junior ministerial role.

Charlie Flanagan is the outgoing Minister for Justice – but with three parties involved in the Government formation, the number of Cabinet seats available are limited for each party: it's expected there will be six Cabinet seats for each of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and three for the Greens. As a result, it's likely that the Portlaoise man will not be reappointed to Cabinet.

Each of the three parties is also expected to have a super junior ministerial position – which would carry with it the right to attend Cabinet.

Speculation is high in political circles that there will be some 20 junior ministers appointed in total. Including the super junior roles, it's likely Fianna Fail and Fine Gael will have eight junior ministers each and the Greens four.

National speculation is suggesting that Flanagan could also lose out on a junior ministerial role with Leo Varadkar expected to shake up his ministerial ranks.

Fleming has been a Fianna Fail TD since 1997 but has yet to taste ministerial office. With competition fierce for the junior ministerial ranks, he could lose out once again this time around.