LEO Varadkar is set to return to power after the Irish parliament backed him to become the next taoiseach.
TDs in the Dail voted 87 to 62 to support the appointment of Fine Gael leader Varadkar, who replaces Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin as taoiseach.
Martin earlier formally resigned from the role, paving the way for Varadkar to succeed him in a planned handover of power at the top of the country’s three-party coalition government.