TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS is travelling from Budapest, Hungary this morning and will request that the Dáil be dissolved at Áras an Úachtaráin later this afternoon.
The dissolution of the parliament will trigger the start of a short three-week election campaign ahead of polling day on 29 November.
TDs rose and the 33rd Dáil was suspended for the final time yesterday evening, marking the end of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party’s four-year coalition.
Harris’ visit to the Áras in Dublin is part of the formalities included in Article 13 of the Constitution, which states that President Michael D Higgins can dissolve the Dáil on the advice of the Taoiseach but only with the majority of TDs’ approval.
The Taoiseach, who was in Budapest for an informal summit of EU leaders, will make a statement to formally announce the election to the public shortly after President Higgins’ approval.
Election campaigns are expected to immediately begin, though some political posters were erected overnight and politicians have been canvassing for weeks.
Speaking this morning, Harris said he was not worried that half of the incumbent TDs of his party, Fine Gael, are not standing in this election. A total of 18 Fine Gael TDs and Ministers have announced that they will not be seeking reelection.
He told reporters: “I don’t buy into this idea, that I think is somewhat media-and-political-bubbled fueled, that incumbency is the be-all-and-end-all.
“When I travel around the country, people are looking for new blood, new energy, new ideas to serve in Dáil Éireann.”
The Taoiseach added that while political experience is valuable, lived experience and performance in local politics and advocacy is equally important. He said that he will be making the case to voters to vote for Fine Gael in the coming weeks.
“Nobody has cast a vote. I intend to finish this campaign with determination, with humility, with the hope that it doesn’t descend into tit-for-tat,” he said, adding that issues like housing, the cost of living and immigration need to be discussed.
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