He says that his reasons for stepping down now are “personal and political, but mainly political.”
With a reference to the forthcoming elections, he expresses confidence: “I believe my party, Fine Gael, can
gain seats in the next Dáil”.
“After
careful consideration and some soul-searching, I believe a new taoiseach will
be better placed than me to achieve that – to renew and strengthen the top
team, to refocus our message and policies, and to drive implementation,” he says.
“After
seven years in office, I am no longer the best person for that job,” he adds.
This article was originally published by Bbc.co.uk. Read the original article here.