Leo Varadkar is standing down as Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader.

The 45-year-old will officially make the announcement outside Leinster House at 12 noon.

Mr Varadkar informed Government leaders of the move at Cabinet this morning.

Reporters gather outside Leinster House for Leo Varadkar’s speech. Image: Rory Walsh/Newstalk

That followed frantic meetings at Government Buildings and intense speculation over Mr Varadkar’s future throughout the morning.

Government insiders have said they do not expect today’s announcement to trigger a general election.

At this stage it remains unclear why Mr Varadkar has decided to step down.

Reporters gather outside Leinster House for Leo Varadkar’s speech. Image: Stephanie Rohan/Newstalk

Mr Varadkar was first elected a Fine Gael TD for Dublin West in 2007.

When Fine Gael took power in 2011, he was appointed Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

After spells in Health and Social Protection, he was elected leader of Fine Gael and appointed Taoiseach in 2017.

His first term in office was dominated by the issue of Brexit, which concluded in 2019 when the British Government and European Union signed an agreement that meant no hard border on the island of Ireland.

In the 2020 General Election, Fine Gael lost seats and Mr Varadkar formed a coalition with Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.

For two years, he served as Micheál Martin’s Tánaiste, before becoming Taoiseach again in late 2022.

His decision to step down comes just over a week after the Government was defeated in twin referendums on family and care.

The care referendum saw the highest ever ‘No’ vote in Irish history, with nearly three-in-four people rejecting it.

The family amendment was also roundly rejected, with more than two-in-three people voting ‘No’.

Additional reporting from James Wilson.