Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, and Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman met for their weekly leaders’ discussion, during which the election date was finalized.

A Government spokesperson confirmed: “The three party leaders have agreed that the general election will take place in 2024. The priority for the Government remains the passage of the Finance Bill, with committee stage beginning on November 5th.”

Earlier that day, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris dismissed claims that Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman had “gone behind his back” by suggesting November 29th as a possible election date. Although the election must be held before March 22, 2025, speculation has grown that Harris might call it after the announcement of Budget 2025 on October 1st.

When asked about O’Gorman’s comments, Harris responded, “It was very upfront, and I have no issue with it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, especially coalition leaders. The Government has worked cohesively. We’ve delivered five Budgets and found common ground on a Programme for Government we could all support.

“We have different priorities and policies, which is healthy, but we’ve worked through a joint programme over the last few years. Despite changes in leadership, the policy agenda has continued. There’s no mystery here: the general election will happen this year, and the Government will conclude its work in an orderly way.”

Harris emphasized the importance of passing key pieces of legislation before he seeks to dissolve the Dáil and setting new housing targets for 2025.

Last week, Micheál Martin said he would agree to a pre-Christmas election date once they confirmed that the Finance Bill could be passed beforehand. He added, “I agree with Minister O’Gorman on the need for clarity. There’s no issue with that. However, under the Constitution, setting the specific election date is my responsibility, and I take that seriously.”