:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/DT3PJ6UT7OL5RADP6CXXKR3ZYI.jpg)
Taoiseach Enda Kenny is planning to attend a meeting of the European Council in April, where the European Union's response to Brexit will be discussed.
It is also now likely Mr Kenny will remain as Taoiseach until the beginning of May given that the current Dáil calendar means the House will not be in a position to ratify his successor until after the May Bank Holiday.
Mr Kenny last week said he would "conclusively" deal with his position as Fine Gael leader upon his return from his trip to the US for the annual programme of St Patrick's Day engagements.
It is widely expected he will step down as Fine Gael leader soon after his return and facilitate the election of a successor, a process that will take three weeks.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZFHGHAMUHFRNKJFCTGY3X6PMDU.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/AR7ZRXPL6RO2DO6CT6TB3RJYZU.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/XANSM5ELGVYEKVPDYPUHWKFXHA.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ROIYK3DU7N4M56I4L6KMABIMOM.jpg)
Mr Kenny is known to be keen to remain in place for the opening of the Brexit negotiations, and he last week said that the triggering of article 50, which begins the formal withdrawal process, could be delayed.
It was expected the formal process would begin in time for the next meeting of the European Council by March 9th, but this is likely to be delayed by the UK House of Lords.
Final acts
The European Council is now not expected to deal with its initial response to the beginning of the Brexit process until its next meeting, expected in mid-April. It means that meeting is likely to be one of Mr Kenny’s final acts in office.
He will be in Brussels on Thursday to hold a number of Brexit meetings with European Council president Donald Tusk, Antonio Tajani, the president of the European Parliament, and Michel Barnier, the European Commission's Brexit negotiator.
Mr Kenny will travel to the US for the annual St Patrick's Day trip, the centrepiece of which is his meeting with President Donald Trump in the White House on Thursday, March 16th.
Mr Kenny is expected to return to Ireland on the weekend of March 18th, and begin a leadership contest soon thereafter.
Timetable
He will remain in place as Taoiseach pending the election of a new Fine Gael leader. The exact timetable and outline of the Fine Gael leadership election will not be announced until Mr Kenny formally resigns, but is widely expected that the contest will be completed by the weekend of April 22nd and 23rd.
As of now the Dáil is not sitting the week up to St Patrick’s Day, but will sit again from Tuesday, March 21st. The current Dáil schedule also sees the House sit up to and including Holy Thursday, April 13th, and it will then take two weeks off, returning on Wednesday, May 3rd.
These plans could, however, change if the business committee of the Dáil and party whips decide to change the current calendar.