Senior members of Fine Gael are said to be urging calm among members of the parliamentary party - as the Taoiseach comes under pressure to announce his retirement.

Backbenchers are asking Enda Kenny to give a timeline of when he intends to step aside as leader, with the Government Chief Whip saying it would be easier to get on with their jobs if they knew.

But Gerard Howlin - former political adviser and columnist with the Irish Examiner - says it remains to be seen if the current Government can stay the course: