Kenny survives vote - As it unfolded

Enda Kenny has won a vote of confidence in his leadership at a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party at Leinster House.

The chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party, Padraic McCormack, said the motion was carried but that he would not be disclosing the exact result of the secret ballot.

Mr Kenny has said he is thrilled and relieved, saying that all members of the parliamentary party will be offered an opportunity to have their role and experience recognised.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said there would be no early election following the Fine Gael leadership contest.

18.35 Enda Kenny says on RTÉ News 'that a real sense of unity and cohesion is needed in the party.'

Enda Kenny said 'it was a difficult week and diffcult personally to go through what he did, having his peers judge him on confidence.'

Deputy Kenny said he 'was thrilled it was over and very relieved. '

He said people 'who spoke for and against the motion of confidence are now focused on preparing for the next election.'

Mr Kenny said that he was 'very happy that a number of speakers against the confidence motion are now fully in favour of his leadership and back him fully.'

Enda Kenny said 'to those who said they would not serve under him 'once the vote had been concluded no-one would be excluded.'

18.23 Fergus O'Dowd, TD, says Deputy Kenny will now lead the party into the next election and everyone accepts the decision and will move on.

18.10 Speaking in the past few minutes, Richard Bruton said he accepted the decision of the parliamentary party but declined to comment on whether he would serve on Mr Kenny's front bench.

He said that Fine Gael was a family and that the issue had been settled.

He said there would be no more heaves against Mr Kenny.

18.02 Reacting to this evening's announcement the party's former Finance Spokesman Richard Bruton said the issue had been addressed by the party and he respected that decision.

He said he thought Enda Kenny had proved his resilience as a party leader.

17.52 Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has said for him it was the end of tensions in Fine Gael and they move on as a united party.

He said he will not appoint a frontbench on Monday but will take more time to decide.

He said his relationship as a friend with Richard Bruton is not broken because of this.

He denied the party was now in tatters and said he will make appointments on the basis of new reality that the meeting is finished and will pick a new team with new responsibilities.

17.33 Lucinda Creighton has said she fully accepts the decision of the parliamentary party and she will support Enda Kenny as leader into the next general election.

17.32 Deputy Simon Coveney, who opposed Enda Kenny's staying on as leader, said he respects the decision that has been made.

He said he will work harder than ever to heal any wounds opened this week.

He said he does not expect to be in favour with Enda Kenny anytime soon but that he will work with Deputy Kenny.

Deputy Coveney said the meeting today was tense but not personal or aggressive and that they are all Fine Gael people and will move forward together.

17.28 MEP Sean Kelly said it was a fantastic result for Mr Kenny and that there will be no more heaves against him.

He said he Deputy Kenny be a new man with no pressure of people questioning if he will stay as leader from now on.

Deputy Tom Hayes said the decision is made and party must now move on.

He said its Fine Gael's duty now to go out and fight to win seats to elect them to government.

He said they have dealt with this wobble now and that they can gain out of the attention on the party.

16.48 Enda Kenny has survived the vote of confidence as leader of Fine Gael.

Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman Padraic McCormack said the motion was carried after a very thorough and full debate.

He said the decision had been made not to disclose the vote results and that the ballot papers would be 'shredded'.

Mr McCormack said the party was damaged in the short-term but will recover and will come stronger out of this episode.

When asked about Richard Bruton's future, he said that Mr Bruton should be on the frontbench.

MEP Mairéad McGuinness said Mr Kenny got a standing ovation after his final speech to the meeting before the vote was taken.

She said the meeting was a very strong one with passionate speeches on both sides.

She said she was very pleased with the outcome, and that she hopes the party goes forward united.

She said Mr Kenny is a man made of steel, and that she was personally delighted.

Deputy Frank Feighan, who supported Enda Kenny, told RTÉ he believed Enda Kenny won the meeting on the floor today, with a very fine speech.

Deputy Feighan said Enda Kenny should include those who opposed his leadership in the front bench again.

He also said he and others appealed to Richard Bruton to change his stated view that he will not serve on the frontbench if Enda Kenny won the vote.

70 TDs, Senators and MEPs voted on the motion at the meeting, which got under way at 11.30am.

Mr Kenny needed to have at least 36 people supporting him to win the secret ballot.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen said earlier that there will be no early election following the Fine Gael leadership contest.

Speaking at an EU summit in Brussels, before the contest outcome was known, Mr Cowen said the Government would serve its full term, with a prediction that there would be a return to growth in the economy in the second half of this year and net employment creation in 2011 and 2012.

17.18 There have been huge celebrations in Castlebar as Fine Gael party members expressed their delight with Enda Kenny's success.

Dozens of party supporters gathered at his constituency office where they hugged and cheered and broke out champagne.

The Fine Gael Chairman of Mayo County Council John Cribbin said Enda Kenny had shown real steel and determination in fighting to retain his leadership of the party and he would certainly be the next Taoiseach.

16.44 Motion of confidence in Enda Kenny has been carried.

16.15 The numbers voting for and against the motion may not be officially released after the meeting.

The ballot is under the supervision of Fine Gael chairman Padraig McCormack and Senator Paschal Donohoe, but on previous occasions only the outcome and not the figures have been released.

16.01 Enda Kenny started his wind-up speech to his party's parliamentary party in the last five minutes, and a vote and a result is now expected within an hour.

15.12 Enda Kenny has fought one bye-election, 10 general elections, three county council elections and this is his third leadership contest call.

He has only lost one of those so far - his leadership bid in February 2001.

15.08 It is understood that 15 or 16 people have indicated that they are not going to speak. It is understood that most, if not all, of the undecided are in that group.

14.52 Enda Kenny and Richard Bruton were seen chatting during a Dáil division on the Social Welfare Bill, which brought a brief adjournment in the meeting.

14.40 Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman Padraic McCormack has told RTÉ he expects the meeting to conclude at around 6pm.

Mr McCormack said around half the speakers had now contributed to the debate.

14.11 RTÉ's Political Correspondent David Davin-Power says it will be late afternoon or into the evening before the result is known

14.03 Watch Chief News Correspondent Charlie Bird's One News report, where he speaks to members of the parliamentary party on their way in this morning.

13.24 Brian Dowling says he gathers in the early stages of the meeting a number of people indicated that they do not wish to speak - he said this number could be in the teens.

13.22 Political Reporter Brian Dowling tells RTÉ Radio's News at One that there is little information coming from the meeting, but he understands that so far, 20 people have given speeches.

13.20 Each of the 70 members will be given an opportunity to speak for four minutes each, but may be given even longer.

13.10 RTÉ's News at One is being broadcast from Kildare Street today.

13.05 Political Correspondent David Davin Power tells RTÉ's One News that it will be late afternoon or into the evening until there is a result.

He says there is a sufficient cohort of people at the meeting who could be persuaded, which means the outcome is still undecided.

12.00 The Irish Independent's John Drennan tells Today with Pat Kenny that he predicts that Mr Kenny will have 39 votes, while Richard Bruton will have 30.

However, Mr Drennan said 12 of Mr Kenny's votes are 'soft', while two of Mr Bruton's votes are potentially 'soft'.

Mr Drennan said Mr Kenny is ahead with the party's senators and MEPs.

Mr Drennan told Pat Kenny despite public declarations this morning, Mr Bruton's supporters looked a little uncertain.

11.38 Olywn Enright has said she has not made her mind up on whether or not she will serve on the Fine Gael frontbench if Mr Kenny remains on as leader.

She said that she is still confident that he will lose the confidence vote.

11.30 The meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party has begun.

11.28 Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins has described as almost fascist like the behaviour of some frontbench members who said they will not serve on the frontbench if Enda Kenny remains on as leader.

TD Seymour Crawford would not indicate to the media today which way he is voting.

11.20 Valerie Cox tells Today with Pat Kenny that people on both sides are very confident of success.

Ms Cox said Senator Fidelma Healy Eames told her that she is genuinely undecided and is finding it to be a very difficult decision.

10.55 On the Order of Business in the Dáil, Fine Gael Deputy Michael Ring is taking the place normally occupied by the party leader.

10.53 Olivia Mitchell has said she will not serve on the Fine Gael frontbench if Enda Kenny remains on as leader.

10.27 Chairman of the Parliamentary Party Padraic McCormack admitted that in the short term this was damaging for the party but he said they have recovered from worse situations.

10.20 Supporters of Mr Kenny are claiming he will win 38 or 40 of the votes among the 70-member parliamentary party.

However, opponents of the leadership insist that when it comes to the secret ballot, a majority of Fine Gael politicians will indicate that they do not have confidence in the leader.

One member of Richard Bruton's camp told RTÉ News that 'the head will rule the heart' as people realise that Mr Kenny cannot take them any further electorally.

10.05 Fine Gael Deputy Phil Hogan who is a strong supporter of Mr Kenny has told journalists as he arrived at Leinster House a short time ago that he believes the party leader will win today's vote of confidence by a margin of between ten and 12.

Mr Hogan said he was absolutely confident that Mr Kenny will be the leader of Fine Gael tomorrow and will lead them to success at the next election.

09.45 Members of the Fine Gael parliamentary party have been arriving at Leinster House in the past hour ahead of a confidence motion in Enda Kenny.

Both sides claim they have enough support to win the vote.

Party leader Enda Kenny did not comment on his way into the meeting except to say he was feeling great.

A result is not expected until this afternoon at the earliest.