6:41pm UK, Sunday January 16, 2011
The Irish prime minister has confirmed he will stay on as leader amid damaging claims about his relationships with former bankers.
After holding two days of private talks with ministers and backbenchers Brian Cowen announced it was "not in the country's interest for him to stand down as party leader."
He also said he would place a vote of confidence in his leadership on Tuesday.
A number of ministers had called on him to stand down after claims he played golf with the former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank just months before the scandal-riddled lender was taken into state care.
The allegations angered some of Mr Cowen's senior cabinet colleagues and backbench MPs who were already fearful of losing their seats in the forthcoming election.
Campaigners protesting about the economic bailout in November
Mr Cowen faced pressure to step down in November after pushing through the controversial 85bn euro bailout package which he claimed was the "most important thing for the country".
He argued Ireland had no choice but to take loans from the EU and the International Monetary Fund at interest rates averaging 5.8% because bond investors would charge more.
Ireland's so-called Celtic Tiger economy was hit hard by the recession and the property bubble bursting.
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