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00:00 I knew that one part of leadership is knowing when the time has come to pass on the baton to somebody else
00:05 and then having the courage to do it.
00:08 That time is now.
00:10 So I am resigning as President and Leader of Fine Gael Effective today
00:14 and will resign as Taoiseach as soon as my successor is able to take up that office.
00:18 There's never a right time to resign high office.
00:21 However, this is as good a time as any.
00:24 Budget 2024 is done.
00:26 Negotiations have not yet commenced on the next one.
00:29 The institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are working again
00:32 and our trading relationship with the UK in the post-Brexit era is settled and stable.
00:38 My reasons for stepping down are both personal and political.
00:42 I believe this government can be re-elected
00:45 and I believe my party, Fine Gael, can gain seats in the next Dáil.
00:50 On a personal level, I've enjoyed being Taoiseach, Leader and Cabinet Member since March 2011.
00:57 I've learned so much about so many things, met so many people who I'd never have got to meet,
01:02 been to places I would never have seen both home and abroad,
01:05 and I am deeply grateful for it.
01:08 However, politicians are human beings and we have our limitations.
01:12 We give it everything until we can't anymore and then we have to move on.
01:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]