Irish Prime Minister Ahern Resigns

The Irish prime minister, Bertie Ahern, today announced his resignation at a press conference in Dublin.

Ahern will bow out as taoiseach at the end of this month when he will become the first Irish leader to address the US Congress.

Sources in his ruling Fianna Fáil party said Ahern was leaving the post he has held since 1997 before next year's local and European elections.

Brian Cowen, Ireland's minister of finance, is tipped to succeed him as taoiseach. Cowen would take control of the Yes campaign on the Lisbon EU treaty referendum scheduled for May.

Fianna Fáil has been concerned about possible electoral damage caused by a drip feed of allegations concerning Ahern's finances. Over the weekend the Irish foreign minister, Dermot Ahern, advised the taoiseach not to make any statement to the Dáil Éireann (Irish parliament) about his personal finances this week. However Ahern's main coalition partner, the Green party, has been arguing he must make a statement.

The Mahon tribunal, which has been investigating allegations of political corruption in Ireland, has questioned Ahern over money, including dollars and sterling, deposited into his personal accounts from wealthy supporters in the early 1990s, while he was finance minister.

Ahern had today been scheduled to attend the Dublin high court challenge he launched against the tribunal. He alleged the inquiry had breached his rights to privacy under the Irish constitution by probing his personal affairs.

The last 11 years of Ahern's rule have been marked by unprecedented Irish economic growth and prosperity and the solidification of the peace process in Northern Ireland. Having won three general elections in a row, Ahern has become the most successful Irish premier since Éamon de Valera.