Bertie Ahern to resign Tuesday 6th of May

Breaking: Bertie Ahern to resign Tuesday 6th of May.

10:30am: Bertie Ahern has announced a last-minute, unexpected press conference to be held before his statement to the Dáil.

Reports on the substance are mixed although many outlets are suggesting that a resignation date, or even an immediate resignation from the leadership of Fianna Fáil, is expected.

RTÉ One have broken with their planned programming to cover the story and naturally the various radio stations are covering it too.

Edit by Cian: RTE and other insiders suggest he is going to leave very quickly indeed. Once any statement comes through we will put it up on the site.

11am: Ahern, flanked by his cabinet, says the Tribunal is overshadowing the work of Government.

Goes on to say that this announcement is a personal matter, he has not been pushed and it has not been influenced by recent developments. He is now detailing the timeframe of his departure…

…Following his visit to the joint Houses of Congress in the USA at the end of this month, and the visit of the Prime Minister of Japan to Ireland, Ahern will tender his resignation to Mary McAleese on Tuesday 6th of May.

This resignation will come well in advance of his next sitting the Tribunal.

It is likely that a leadership contest within Fianna Fáil will get under-way immediately to ensure a smooth hand-over come early May.