Martin 'surprised' by Taoiseach's resignation

Leo Varadkar said he is stepping down as Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader in a press conference this afternoon.

He said the Taoiseach is entitled to take a decision of this kind for personal reasons and for political reasons. Mr Martin said it was"not for any Fianna Fáil leader to comment on who the next leader of Fine Gael should be". He thanked Mr Varadkar for his work as Taoiseach saying he had"served the country well and can be proud of the contribution he has made to Irish political life".

He said he has been in previous governments where a Taoiseach stood down and while this Government is unusual with a rotating Taoiseach, he believes they can"continue the work of a stable Government".Irish politics has now reached a critical point in the aftermath of Mr Varadkar's announcement, the Sinn Féin leader has told the Dáil.

We need your consent to load this comcast-player contentWe use comcast-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences "I don't think his decision will instil confidence in the public, in the Coalition's ability to move forward and keep going," she said.

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