Ireland general election called for March 11

Ireland will hold a general election on Friday March 11, the Taoiseach Brian Cowen has announced.

The announcement follows the resignation of six Cabinet ministers.

In the last 24 hours, those who quit included Mary Harney from health, Dermot Ahern from justice, Noel Dempsey from transport, Tony Killeen from defence, and Batt O'Keeffe from enterprise.

Their departures came on the back of the resignation of Micheal Martin from foreign affairs on Tuesday night after a failed leadership challenge.

Prime Minister Cowen was believed to be plotting a reshuffle to fill the empty Cabinet seats.

But in an apparent U-turn under pressure from junior coalition Government partners the Green Party, the portfolios were being reassigned.

In statement to the Dail (parliament), the Taoiseach said the coalition Government would continue in power until the Finance Bill, giving effect to Budget 2011, and other important legislation is passed.

Cowen said: "I believe it is important in the weeks ahead that the Government gives legislative effect to the Budget through the enactment of the Finance Bill and other related Bills which benefit the people.

"There's nothing more important than doing precisely that."