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Ireland will not be following the UK out of the European Union, Enda Kenny has insisted.

The Irish Taoiseach also said he was more confident about the EU's future in the wake of the centre ground victory in the Dutch election.

Mr Kenny told an event in New York that the "cornerstone" of much of Ireland's social progress in the last generation was due to the EU.

"To continue to succeed as an open economy and welcoming society, we must and we will remain at the very heart of Europe," he said.

In terms of Brexit, he said: "It is not a trigger for Ireland to follow suit and leave the European Union with the United Kingdom - we will not do so."

Asked if he was more confident about the EU after the Dutch result, he said: "I am.

"At the (European Council) meeting in Valletta in Malta, which holds the presidency at the moment, there was a genuinely renewed focus from leaders to say 'well we better deal with this politically and begin to listen to people and begin to act in the interest of people and not have a situation where either the European Union or the government involved are removed from the people'.

"I think there is a mood at the European Council level to focus really to having outcomes to political decisions that will impact on our people."

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Ireland will not follow UK out of European Union - Enda Kenny - Belfast Telegraph