Labour leader Alan Kelly set to make statement on leadership

Irish Labour Party leader Alan Kelly will make a public statement on Wednesday evening, amid speculation about the future of his leadership.

Mr Kelly, known for his at-times combative exchanges in the Dail, has not been able to reverse the party’s static polling rates, which have hovered in the low single digits in recent months.

He took over the party two years ago from Brendan Howlin, as the country grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic in the wake of the Irish general election in 2020.

The PA news agency understands that Mr Kelly will make a statement on his leadership at Leinster House on Wednesday at 7pm.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Kelly had been quizzing Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the Dail on the Government’s decision not to expel the Russian ambassador.

One major success for the party during his time as leader has been the election of Ivana Bacik in the Dublin Bay South constituency last summer.