NOVEMBER 8th? 15th?

The day after Halloween… 

Rumours about a November election date, which had been swirling for months, have only intensified in the wake of last week’s giveaway budget. 

Simon Harris – who is still on his Washington visit after meeting with Joe Biden in the Oval Office yesterday – was asked again this afternoon whether any surprise announcements might be the offing in the coming days or weeks. 

At least one thing is clear – in spite of some talk that he might deign to head to the Áras as soon as he gets off the plane tomorrow (and upend the rest of the Budget legislation in the process) he promised there would be “no tarmac announcements” at Dublin Airport.

Asked when the nation might reasonably expect to be heading to the polls, he again stressed that essential budget legislation – like the social welfare and finance bills – still had to be passed. 

The Taoiseach also reiterated that he’d like to see new Government housing targets set and added that he’d “also been clear I’d like to see the mental health and defamation legislation significantly progressed”. 

Harris also said he will speak to his Government colleagues in the weeks ahead about pushing through the final pieces of legislation before ending its term.

Harris added that he would be keeping in contact with his coalition partners Micheál Martin and Roderic O’Gorman on the issue, and that when he does make that trip to the Phoenix Park “I will do so in a manner that doesn’t come as any surprise to my coalition colleagues”. 

The manner in which he informs his coalition partners will be “respectful”.

“I will engage with my coalition colleagues, and then we’ll all move forward together,” he added. 

Taoiseach Simon Harris addressing students of Georgetown University in Washington DC.

He speaks of the centenary of the US recognising Ireland as a state, stating it was a ‘declaration of Ireland’s existence’. pic.twitter.com/UwzuTPkuZb

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) October 10, 2024

“I’ve consistently said, as I’ve heard the other coalition leaders say, that we want the government to finish its work, want the government to end well,” he added. 

“The determination as to when the work is finished and how the government ends well is something that I will discuss with my coalition colleagues in the weeks ahead,” Harris said. 

‘Lots done more to do’ appeared to be the message as he ended his latest doorstep with Irish reporters, following a Q&A with students at Georgetown University. 

“A busy number of days and weeks ahead,” Harris insisted. 

“We have a lot of work to get done.”