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Enda Kenny Re-Elected As Taoiseach

The 65-year-old has made history in the Dáil (Irish parliament) by becoming the first Fine Gael taoiseach to be re-elected to the office.

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Mr Kenny was elected by 59 votes to 49. “They will be able pull the government down at any time”.

Enda Kenny has been re-elected Ireland’s Taoiseach, taking power for a successive term and leading his Fine Gael party into a minority government.

In the fourth vote for Taoiseach and after 70 days without an elected Government, Mr Kenny was nominated by Dublin TD Noel Rock before Catherine Byrne seconded the nomination.

Should the numbers stack up in his favour on Friday, Kenny will be the first European prime minister who oversaw a bailout programme and has been returned to power.

A number of Cabinet positions and junior ministerial roles are being offered to woo the potential coalition bedfellows.

Now, Fine Gael will stay in government only with external support from its age-old enemy, Fianna Fail.

The vote in the Dail is expected to take place at noon.

Last week, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail agreed on a minority government deal after weeks of talks.

Ireland has been locked in a political stalemate since the February 26 general election split the vote like never before.

His Fine Gael party won the most seats in the election but fell short of the quota needed to rule without support.

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“If economic survival was the urgent priority of the last government then using a strong economy to improve the lives, the quality of the lives of our people, must and will be the priority of the new government and that fundamental principle will be the bedrock of our policy programme”, he said.

PA

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny