Kenny facing straight into a European storm over bailout

TAOISEACH-apparent Enda Kenny is facing the mammoth task of agreeing a new economic deal for the country with his future government partners, and then negotiating it with his soon-to-be fellow prime ministers in the EU, all within three weeks.

He could quickly find himself on a direct collision course with his new partners, threatening to veto what is being described as the Grand Bargain under negotiation and having to weigh up whether changes would require an Irish referendum.

If he finalises his programme for government with coalition partners Labour by Wednesday week when the Dáil meets, he will have less than two days before his first eurozone summit in Brussels on March 11.