Ireland's Varadkar to step down as PM: report

By John Crouch

Leo Varadkar will reportedly quit as Irish prime minister and Fine Gael leader. (AP PHOTO)

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will stand down from the position and also relinquish his role as the leader of the governing Fine Gael party, the Irish Independent reports.

The government said Varadkar would hold a media conference at noon on Wednesday (2300 AEDT.

His departure as head of the three-party coalition does not automatically trigger a general election and he could be replaced by a new Fine Gael leader.

Varadkar in 2017 became the first gay prime minister of the once-staunchly Catholic country and the youngest person to hold the office.

He returned to the premiership in 2022.

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