MICHAEL NOONAN HAS said he is willing to let the Taoiseach decide the date of the next election as he dodged questions about his own view today.
The veteran TD and former Fine Gael leader is widely-thought to favour an early election in November, but he was remaining tight-lipped when asked today.
There has been much discussion about the date of the election this week following comments by the former Fine Gael minister Ivan Yates that it will take place on 20 November.
Enda Kenny later challenged Yates to a bet on this date, insisting that his former cabinet colleague would lose.
The Taoiseach has repeatedly said publicly that the election will take place in early 2016, but many within Fine Gael favour going to the country next month.
However, coalition partner Labour has expressed a clear view that it does not want an election until the spring of next year.
Sat beside a Labour minister in Brendan Howlin today, Noonan was pressed for his own view on the matter.
But he was giving nothing away, telling reporters today that there are two windows for an election:
It’s either between now and Christmas or it’s after Christmas and the Taoiseach will call it in due course, taking all the relevant factors into account, and he’s a very good political judge.
“So, I am quite willing, on this particular one, to let the decision be the Taoiseach’s.”
When it was put to him that he must have an opinion and would he care to share it, Noonan smiled and added:
Sure everyone has an opinion. In Ireland, there’s no shortage of opinions.
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