Taoiseach says lifetime of Government 'limited' as leaders discuss election date
Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have all stated that there will be no “transfer pacts” or agreements when the election is called.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has stated that the “lifetime of this Dáil is very limited” as he steadfastly confirmed that an election will be held in 2024.
Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have all stated that there will be no “transfer pacts” or agreements when the election is called.
Speaking at the launch of the Dublin City Taskforce report, the Taoiseach also denied that Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman had “announced the date of the election behind his back” as his call for a November 29 polling date was “very public”.
READ MORE: Simon Harris indicates General Election will be held in 2024
At a press conference in Dublin last Friday, Mr O’Gorman stated that he wanted an election to be called for Friday November 29 as he believed people needed “clarity”. Speaking on Monday, Mr Harris denied that Mr O’Gorman had spoken out of turn or “pressured” him into calling an election.
The Taoiseach said: “Whatever about Minister O’Gorman’s comments, he certainly didn’t make them behind my back. It was very public and very clear. It was certainly very upfront. I have no difficulty with that. People are absolutely entitled to give their opinion. Coalition leaders are absolutely entitled to give their opinion and their view.”
He continued: “There is no great mystery in relation to this and let me try to be helpful; there's going to be a general election this year. The Government is going to conclude its work. It's going to do that in an orderly manner. We've already outlined, all three of us as coalition leaders, what we believe to be that body of work, and a non-exhaustive list obviously includes the Finance Bill.
“There's also, I believe, a need to set housing targets because those housing targets do kick in from January 2025 and it's important to try and provide that certainty to build up the progress that has been made around supply. There are a number of other pieces of legislation, supplementary estimates that [Public Expenditure] Minister [Paschal] Donohoe is working on as well. Let's do that and then let's, in an amicable, orderly fashion, then have a general election.”
Mr Harris also stated the “lifetime of this Dáil is very limited” as he confirmed that Fine Gael will contest the election as a “standalone political party” and would not have a “transfer pact” with Fianna Fáil or the Greens. Tánaiste Micheál Martin in Cork echoed this, saying his party will contest the election alone and he will “never try to instruct the voter on what to do”.
“I think the election will be fought on issues and the cost of living, housing and healthcare, safe, clean and crime-free cities and towns across the country and a sustainable environment and addressing the needs of climate,” he said.
“Each party will campaign individually with their individual priorities and identity. Transfers are fluid. We saw that during the election itself and there won't be any formal pacts.”
Senior Government sources said it is very unlikely that the Government will announce the election date after the Leaders’ meeting on Monday night, as it would “prolong” the election campaign. However, it is now widely expected that the election will take place on Friday November 29.
The Finance Bill, which gives effect to Budget 2025, will be discussed by the Oireachtas Finance Committee on November 5. It is widely anticipated that it will be “guillotined”, which means it may be passed without being fully debated. This could lead to an election being called as nearly as November 7 or 8.
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