The Dealer is delighted to confirm that the national broadcaster RTE has today advertised internally for the post of "Agriculture and Environment correspondent". The Dealer has been campaigning for an appointment to the post, which has been vacant for a full fifteen months since Joe O’Brien retired.

Here are some of the possible candidates in the race:

Joe Mag Raollaigh:

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Mag Raollaigh has been the de facto agriculture correspondent for the best part of six months now. He has covered a broad range of topics from the summer harvest, to IFA protests and is seen as a solid performer.

He can count his work with TG4 and Clare FM as relevant previous experience. He was keen on the western correspondent with RTÉ which eventually went to Pat McGrath after Jim Fahey’s retirement.

Talk from within the corridor of RTÉ would suggest Mag Raollaigh is pushing hard for the ag gig when it comes available. His recent piece on Santa Claus delivering the Single Farm Payment provoked annoyance in the farming community.

Fran McNulty:

Fran McNulty has a strong pedigree to take up the position. A native of Newtowncashel, Co Longford, McNulty is from a farming background. Before making the move to the national broadcaster, he served as the agriculture editor with local radio station, Shannonside. He also has a strong knowledge of agricultural policy.

Sources close to McNulty told me that he is very keen on the position but RTÉ hierarchy may be the road block to the position. He is currently filling in for Claire Byrne on flagship radio show, Morning Ireland, as well as being the anchorman for the Irish Nelson Mandela coverage recently. Montrose bosses may see the position as being ‘beneath’ him.

Ciaran Mullooly:

Another Longford native, Mullooly is well liked in RTÉ and has been the midlands correspondent for the station for the best part of twenty years.

He has covered recent ploughing championships in the midlands where he got heavily involved in all aspects of the event. He also has strong rural convictions covering Bord na Móna closely over the years as well as being a former national president of the Lions Club.

Mullooly is based in Athlone and has strong connections with the farming community.

Tomás O Mainnín

A native of the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht in Kerry, O Mainnín is highly regarded as a broadcast journalist and could be a dark horse in this race. He previously worked for TG4 and I'm told he has an excellent grasp of agri policy.

Damien O'Reilly

Dublin-born but with strong Cavan connections, O'Reilly presents the popular Radio 1 rural affairs show "Countrywide" each Saturday morning and writes a weekly column in Irish Country Living. He is "well got" in farming and agri circles and has travelled extensively across Europe and beyond covering agriculture and food related stories. While he works for RTE Radio, he was involved in RTE television coverage of the horsemeat scandal in early 2013. His first love is radio, so he may not apply for the post.