Taoiseach Simon Harris confirms Election 2024 will be held on a Friday
by Louise Burne · Irish MirrorTaoiseach Simon Harris has confirmed that the election will be held on a Friday in the coming weeks.
Mr Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman all agreed on Monday evening that the general election will be held in 2024.
The three leaders also agreed the passage of the Finance Bill is the priority for the Government. The committee stage of the Bill will commence on November 5.
READ MORE: Taoiseach says lifetime of Government 'limited'
It is now expected that the Dáil could be dissolved as quickly as November 7.
While December 6 is one of the dates being discussed, it is now widely anticipated that the election will be held on Friday, November 29.
On his way into Cabinet on Tuesday morning, Mr Harris said that he had a "fair idea" of when the election would be but would not divulge the date.
He did confirm, however, that polling day would be on a Friday.
"I’ve a very good idea, but obviously the Finance Bill does need to be passed, that requires the work of the Oireachtas," the Taoiseach said.
"I will decide, in line with the constitution, the appropriate date to have the election.
"I like elections on a Friday. Friday is a good day to have an election. So, therefore, there’s not that many Fridays to choose from.
"But right now, it’s important that people put their shoulders to the wheel in this place [Government Buildings] and in Leinster House and get the people’s work done, get the Finance Bill done.
"We have a very busy agenda this week."
He continued: "There will now be a general election in 2024. There’s a bit of work that we need to do first."
The Taoiseach also said that he was not concerned about the fact that 18 of the 35 Fine Gael TDs elected in 2020 will not be contesting the next election. He said that while a lot of the candidates may be new to national politics, they are known in their communities.
Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys announced last weekend that she will not contest the next election.
In Fianna Fáil, Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill announced on Monday evening that he would not contest the election following health advice. He was first elected to the Dáil in 2016.
He said: "This is obviously a very difficult decision and one that I have made following discussions with those closest to me.
"Putting my name forward for election is not just a commitment for the upcoming six-week campaign; it is also a five-year commitment to meet the growing demands, both personally and professionally, that being a TD now entails. Being an effective TD requires a great deal of time and energy, and unfortunately, I do not believe that I can continue to make this commitment to the electorate for another five years."
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