Leo Varadkar has eyes on a second term as Taoiseach

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will ask Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to potentially extend the confidence and supply deal by “a year or more” before the upcoming budget on October 7 in a bid to stave off snap election threats and the rise of Sinn Féin.

Sources close to Mr Varadkar confirmed the Taoiseach is strongly in favour of the extension just hours after a leaked internal Fine Gael report revealed his party is already working on slogans in case of an imminent snap election vote.

Speaking as Mr Martin dismissed “hype” over a snap election but did not rule out extending the confidence and supply deal “at the end of the year” when asked, sources close to Mr Varadkar said an extension is the Taoiseach’s first choice option.