Leo Varadkar, Ireland's Prime Minister, announces his sudden resignation.

• Varadkar stated that his reasons for resigning were both personal and political, implying that a new leader would be more suited to lead his party and the current coalition government through the upcoming local and European elections.
• Dublin West constituency representative Varadkar stated that he has no definite personal or political plans and will continue to serve as a representative.

On Wednesday, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced that he will resign as soon as his Fine Gael party selects a new leader.

As Taoiseach (prime minister) since June 2017, Varadkar knew that leadership involves knowing when it's time to pass on the baton and have the courage to do it. That time has now come, he told reporters outside government offices in Dublin.

"Effective today, I am resigning as president and leader of Fine Gael and will resign as Taoiseach as soon as my successor is able to take up that office."

Varadkar stated that his reasons for resigning were both personal and political, implying that a new leader would be more suited to lead his party and the current centrist coalition, which includes Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, into the upcoming local and European elections in June.

Recently, Fine Gael has experienced a string of significant electoral losses, and 11 of its parliamentary members, known as TDs, have declared that they will not seek re-election in the upcoming election. Varadkar has stated that he no longer believes he is the most suitable leader for the party.

He stated that loyal colleagues and good friends are running for local and European elections, and he wants to give them the best chance possible. He believes they have a better chance under a new leader.

Dublin West constituency TD Varadkar stated that he has no definite personal or political plans and will continue to serve as a TD in that constituency.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.