Parties straight out the traps to canvass as Irish General Election 2024 starting gun fired

Simon Harris has said “the time is now right to ask the Irish people to give a new mandate” as the Dáil was dissolved and the election date set for November 29.

The parties were straight out of the traps within minutes of the election being announced by the Fine Gael leader on Friday afternoon on the steps of Government Buildings, with canvasses starting and election posters being erected on lampposts the length and breadth of the country.

The Taoiseach travelled to Government Buildings shortly before 2pm to ask President Michael D Higgins to dissolve the 33rd Dáil.

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As Mr Harris and Mr Higgins signed the dissolution papers in the reception room of Áras an Uachtaráin, the President said, “Sin é”.

The election will be held on Friday November 29, with polling stations set to open between 7am and 10pm to elect 173 TDs across 43 constituencies. There will be 174 TDs in the next Dáil with Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl automatically returned.

Mr Harris said it had been “the honour of my lifetime to serve as Taoiseach”.

“I want to start by saying to the people of this great country, this great democracy, you alone are sovereign,” he said.

“You go out and you cast your vote. In return, you are entitled to good government and hard work.

“I believe that this government has made real progress for our country. I want to thank my colleagues in the Fine Gael party and our coalition partners in Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.

“We did not agree on every issue, but we did always work hard and together for the good of the Irish people.

He continued: “I ask just one thing of the Irish people; Value your vote, use your voice. That's how this country works, how we listen. It's how we act on your behalf.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if you give me your trust, I will give you my all.”

Shortly after leaving Áras an Uachtaráin, Mr Harris was already out on the campaign trail and canvassing voters in Dublin West, before heading to Ballsbridge to canvass outside the Irish Rugby match against the All Blacks.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin was also out canvassing, with an early morning spent on Baggot Street Bridge followed by a trip to Dundrum Town Centre on the Luas before he moved onto Frascati Shopping Centre in Blackrock.

He also pounded the pavements outside the Aviva Stadium as Andy Farrell’s men faced New Zealand for the first time since their heartbreaking loss in the Rugby World Cup in October 2023.

Speaking to reporters on Friday morning, the Fianna Fáil leader argued that his party and the outgoing Government had successfully weathered a number of storms over the last four-and-a-half years.

He said: “We need experience and we need leadership that has already demonstrated its capacity to weather significant events and shocks to lead us through the next challenging five years.

“Economically, it will be challenging. There will be a change in US posture in terms of economics that can impact on our open free trade economy. The economic model that we have in this country is one that carries debate in this campaign.

““We will campaign to reduce prices, understanding the impact that inflation has had on households and family incomes. We will campaign on housing. We've been the agent of change in housing over the last number of years. We've engineered change and new departures in housing policy.

“Our campaign is about the future of Ireland and the future of our society, and we're determined to invest in public services and to create a tax environment that will encourage and nurture enterprise and make us resilient against international turmoil.”

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, meanwhile, did not canvass at the All Blacks game but had forces deployed to meet spectators while she watched the game.

She was, however, knocking on doors in her own stomping ground in Cabra.

She said that while her party will talk to anyone following the next general election, Sinn Féin’s priority will be to form a Government without Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.

The election campaigning will continue over the weekend, with leaders planning to tour different parts of the country in a bid to drum up support for their candidates.

Parties will also launch their manifestos from early next week, with Fianna Fáil, the Green Party, People Before Profit and the Labour Party all expected to tell people what they could expect from their parties in Government in the coming days. Several other parties will launch a range of policy papers on an array of topics.

People are also being encouraged to Check the Register to make sure they are eligible to vote. The deadline for registering to vote or to update details is Tuesday 12 November. The window to register for postal and special voting will close on Sunday.

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