Enda Kenny has avoided a showdown with his frontbench by ending the meeting just minutes after it started.
The Fine Gael leader told the shadow cabinet that he would be reshuffling them next Monday after he receives the backing of the Parliamentary Party on Thursday.
It had been expected Enda Kenny would demand the backing of each member of the frontbench.
But after it became clear that the Bruton camp was in the majority they decided they would not resign or leave and put it up to Enda Kenny.
Now he got wind of this so he came into the meeting and told them it would be the last of the current front bench – as he would be having a reshuffle next week.
Mr. Kenny told the gathering that every one of the 70 members of the Parliamentary Party would have a say at a special meeting on Thursday morning and that was the place to decide the issue of the leadership.
And with that, Mr. Kenny left the frontbench meeting with his supporters.
It is understood that the Bruton camp are now having another strategy meeting, their second of today, to decide how to respond to this move by Enda Kenny.
