Senior party officials say Taoiseach Enda Kenny plans to promote the outgoing TD if he is re-elected and Fine Gael remain in power.
Kenny shocked the Irish language community 18 months ago when he replaced Dinny McGinley with McHugh whose knowledge of gaeilge was limited.
McHugh spent weeks in Glencolmcille brushing up on the language and has since been praised by some of the very Irish language groups who criticised the Taoiseach.
McHugh is said to be politically close to Leo Varadkar who is being tipped to be the next leader of Fine Gael.
“McHugh has impressed as a junior minister and is being tipped for a top position in Government,” said one senior Fine Gael insider.
“He works hard and gets to grasp with a brief quickly.”
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