THE TAOISEACH HAS SAID he will not be “dilly dallying” around after the Finance Bill is passed and will provide clarity as to when the general election will be.

Speaking to reporters in Kildare today, Simon Harris said once the Finance Bill passes next week, he will move “swiftly” in terms of providing people with clarity as to when the general election will be.

The decks for the Taoiseach to call a general election next week with the Finance Bill due to be voted through by TDs next Wednesday evening. 

The law underpins the Budget measures such as tax cuts which were announced in October.

According to a draft proposal considered by the Dáil’s Business Committee today, the bill is scheduled to be debated for four hours next Tuesday in the Dáil.

If the Dáil schedule is agreed, the Finance Bill will pass all remaining stages on Tuesday with TDs voting on the bill on Wednesday night. 

The draft schedule for Wednesday includes a number of other legislative items to be concluded, fueling expectations that the Taoiseach will seek to dissolve the Dáil on Thursday. Polling day is widely expected to be Friday 29 November. 

Speaking this morning in Kildare, the Taoiseach said: 

“I don’t want to take the work of the Oireachtas for granted, and you know the Oireachtas does have to debate and consider the Finance Bill. When that is concluded, I won’t be dilly dallying around in terms of providing people with clarity on when the general election will take place.”

Political parties are already out launching many of their policies in different areas, such as housing, health and childcare. 

Ahead of the upcoming General Election, the latest Business Post/Red C poll shows that Fianna Fáil is up three percentage points to 21% while Fine Gael has dropped by a point to 22%.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin dropped by one point in the last month to 17%. This is down ten percentage points from where the party was six months ago. 

With Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael almost neck-and-neck, questions have turned to possible government formation. 

Rotating Taoiseach 

Speaking to reporters in Athlone this morning, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he is focused on maximising the number of seats for his party. 

He stated he didn’t buy in to predictions being made about the outcome of the election, stating that it is “very, very foolish for any party leader to be talking in terms of what would happen in an immediate aftermath of a general election”.

“It will depend on how well each individual party does,” he said, adding that policies will  be the glue that holds a future government together. 

“For me, it’s a pro-enterprise economic model which has served the country well. It’s also obviously prioritisation of housing, investment in health and helping to cushion people against the cost of living,” said Martin. 

When asked if the mechanism of a rotation Taoiseach would be a red line for him, Martin said he wouldn’t put down any red lines, stating that Fianna Fáil is “aiming to be the largest party coming out of this election”. 

However, he added that any future coalition government must have parity of esteem.

“It has to be a collective approach to government. It’s not an individual approach to government,” he said.