The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, is expected in Cork tomorrow to announce that Mr Simon Coveney (25) will contest the Cork South Central by-election caused by his father's death in an accident in March.
Following Mr Hugh Coveney's death, his eldest son, Patrick (27), indicated that no member of the family would stand for election because of their father's stricture that they should first of all achieve something in private life before entering public life.
Since Mr Coveney's death there has been intense pressure on the family to provide a candidate to follow in his footsteps, and it was always thought that either Patrick or Simon would take on that role.
In recent months the pressure has mounted, and sources now say the Coveneys consider it part of their destiny to occupy the seat once held by their father.
Mr Coveney died while walking his dogs on a cliff in the Cork Harbour area. The accident occurred at Robert's Cove on land owned by the Coveneys, and an inquest found subsequently that Mr Coveney, wearing sailing shoes, had gone to rescue one of his dogs at the end of a precipice, slipped and fallen into the water, having gashed his head. The coroner found the former minister had drowned.
At the time Mr Coveney's sons Simon, Rory (23), twins Andrew and Tony (21) and daughter Rebecca (19) were on a round-the-world journey on the family yacht Golden Apple to raise money for the Chernobyl Children's Project in Cork.
As well as making the family yacht available, their father had put up £150,000 in personal sponsorship.
On news of his death, the family members returned home but have since resumed the voyage in his memory.
Yesterday evening Mr Simon Coveney said he had been inundated with calls concerning his future intentions but had not made any formal decision. ail. Labour's candidate, the former junior minister, Mr Toddy O'Sullivan, might have expected a free run if a member of the Coveney family had not entered the fray. Fianna Fail is not expected to be able to mount a challenge sufficient to beat Mr Coveney either.