Govt leaders sign off on 2024 general election but Taoiseach keeps 'element of surprise' around date

LAST UPDATE | 18 hrs ago

THE THREE COALITION leaders have agreed that a general election will be held this year. 

After the two-hour long meeting of the three party leaders at Government Buildings this evening, no date was agreed. 

A government spokesperson said:

“The three party leaders have agreed the general election will take place in 2024. The three leaders have agreed the passage of the Finance Bill is the priority for the Government. The committee stage of the Bill will commence on the 5th of November.”

Sources have stated that all stages of the Finance Bill could be completed by 7 November or thereabouts.

It is understood that the three-week campaign could mean an election on 29 November or a four-week campaign with a polling day on 6 December. Polling day on 22 November is understood to be too tight a timeframe for legislation to pass and an election campaign to get underway. 

As the seemingly never-ending speculation continues to drag on, Taoiseach Simon Harris said today that “there’s going to be a general election this year”.

Speaking to reporters alongside Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman this morning, Harris prefaced his statement by saying: “There’s no great mystery in relation to this.”

He said the Government is going to “conclude its work”, making reference to pieces of legislation that have yet to be passed. He said this would be done in “an orderly manner”. 

“I’m not going into the speculation of the day of the election… I have to keep some small element of surprise for you”, he told the media.

Harris made specific reference to the Finance Bill, saying: “I wouldn’t fancy knocking on someone’s door and saying, sorry, we forgot to pass the USC cut or we forgot to change the inheritance tax because we rushed to have an election”.

“We need to get through that Finance Bill,” he said, adding that “there is also, I believe, a need to set housing targets” because they “kick in” from January next year.

“There is a number of other pieces of legislation” to be dealt with, he said.

“So let’s do that and then let’s, in an amicable, orderly fashion, then have a general election,” the Taoiseach said.

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Finance Bill 

Finance Minister Jack Chambers said today that he will bring forward the Finance Bill to ensure the budget measures are underpinned with legislation, stating that clearly an election is going to happen before Christmas.

“That will require me to change the sequencing of the Finance bill from the 5 November so it synchronises with the election date. And obviously I’m open and prepared to do that to make sure that all the measures we set out in budget 2025 are enacted,” he confirmed.

Harris said yesterday he believes the Government will “amicably agree a time period” for the election when the coalition leaders hold their weekly meeting today.

“I’ve been very clear though that I’m going to do it in a respectful manner,” he said.

O’Gorman added to the expectation last week, saying he’d like to see the election held on 29 November.

Táinaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told reporters in Cork today that he believes the election will be fought “on issues”, rather and along traditional party lines, making reference to how votes have recently transferred between “centre-ground parties”.

“Each party will campaign individually with their individual priorities and identity,” Martin said.

He said there will not be any “formal pacts” but added that, based on previous recent elections, “transfers are fluid”. 

Speaking to reporters while campaigning yesterday, Harris said he didn’t want to “surprise” his coalition colleagues. 

“It is my prerogative obviously under the constitution to seek that dissolution,” he said.

“The Government works well and I want it to come to an amicable end and I am really looking forward to seeking a mandate from the people of this country and asking them to allow me to continue as their Taoiseach.”

Harris’ comments come in the wake of the surprise announcement by Fine Gael Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will not be contesting the next election.

The Taoiseach said Fine Gael are confident they will hold Humphrey’s Cavan-Monaghan seat and that there has been interest from a number of individuals in taking her place on the ticket. 

Despite Humphreys becoming the 18th Fine Gael TD to announce they will not be running, the timing would still appear advantageous for the Government parties as Sinn Féin continues to grapple with a number of ongoing controversies. 

With reporting by Jane Matthews, Niall O’Connor and Christina Finn

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