'I'll be talking to my party soon': Enda Kenny deflects leadership question after EU summit

The Taoiseach attended an EU leaders summit in Brussels today where he secured backing for a special clause allowing the North rejoin the EU in the event of a reunification referendum.

European leaders also agreed the ground rules for the Brexit talks, which will see issues around Britain's withdrawal prioritised before trade and a future relationship with London is considered.

Mr Kenny last month pledged there would be an “orderly transition” to succeed him when he told his parliamentary party in Leinster House that he knew what he was doing.

He told TDs and senators he would stay in office to see the beginning of the Brexit negotiations. Crucially, he said he would deal with the issue of his leadership after this weekend's summit.

Some took this to suggest that the process to succeed him and the leadership contest would begin in early May.

But asked in Irish this evening by TG4 journalist Sorcha Ni Riada whether other EU leaders at the summit knew this was his last meeting as leader and whether he was congratulated, Mr Kenny replied:

“This was (French President) Francois Hollande's last meeting and everyone wished him well. Everyone expressed gratitude to him for all the work he has done over the last five or six years. As for me, I'll be talking to my party soon.”

Mr Kenny next week will visit Canada on a trade mission and the following week will host a meeting of the European People's Party in Wicklow.

His statement on the leadership, while not clarifying the timeline, did not rule out him staying on potentially until the next EU summit in June where further Brexit talks will continue. He would not take further questions on the issue.

But some Fine Gael party sources say they would like a new leader in place by then to represent Ireland, before politicians break for the summer.