Ireland: Cowen refuses to quit despite growing rage at Irish deficit

IRELAND'S prime minister, Brian Cowen, refused to resign yesterday despite mounting anger within his Fianna Fail party over his management of the country's European-record deficit and its international bailout.

"I haven't considered resigning. I haven't said to anybody that I am stepping down," he told state broadcaster RTE.

Mr Cowen successfully appealed to MPs planning a no-confidence motion to hold fire for a few weeks. His perceived chief rival for the party leadership, foreign minister Micheal Martin, declined to declare his interest in removing Mr Cowen.

The premier said he must stay in power long enough for his government to pass deficit-slashing legislation. Then he would call a spring election - one his party is forecast to lose.

Kevin Rafter, a political analyst at Dublin City University, said: "There's very few people who feel he'll be (prime minister] after the general election. So Fianna Fail face a strategic decision whether they'll do any better or worse without him as leader for that election campaign. Either way he's already a caretaker leader."

Mr Cowen's survival leaves Ireland's parliament on course to pass the Finance Bill 2011, which will raise income taxes as part of a plan to cut €6 billion from this year's deficit.