Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny called parliamentary elections for Feb 26 on Wednesday as his coalition government seeks to win over the additional support needed for re-election and avoid a possible political deadlock, Reuters reports.

"I am going to make my way to Aras an Uachtarain (the president's residence) to ask the President to dissolve Dail Eireann (parliament). The general election will then be held on Friday, February 26," Kenny said, announcing the date on a video posted on his Twitter account.

Government chief whip, Paul Kehoe, had named the date on Twitter ahead of Kenny's confirmation.