Political parties are making preparations for the calling of the general election with Fine Gael Ministers last night briefed on key elements of the party's manifesto by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
Key staff in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil yesterday moved to their election headquarters, with Mr Kenny expected to call the election either today or tomorrow.
A strong consensus emerged yesterday among senior Ministers that Mr Kenny will dissolve the Dáil today and set Friday, February 26th, as the date of the election.
However, senior sources in Fine Gael said Mr Kenny may hold off dissolving the Dáil until tomorrow. The Cabinet is due to meet at 10.30am today with the Dáil sitting at 2pm.
A number of senior Ministers contacted by The Irish Times said they expected the announcement to be made today with the Taoiseach opting for a Friday polling day in preference to Thursday.
The campaign
Mr Kenny has already told party figures the campaign will be three weeks long and will be the shortest in the history of the State.
One senior Fine Gael Minister, who asked for anonymity, said: “I believe the announcement will be made on Tuesday. Strongly so. And I am going for a Friday polling day.” Two other Ministers, speaking on similar conditions, said they believed the announcement will be made today that the poll will take place at the end of the month.That view was bolstered by separate comments by Tánaiste Joan Burton and Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney yesterday.
“We haven’t actually signed off on a final exact date, but I think people will be taken out of their misery very soon,” Ms Burton said.
Election date
Mr Coveney said the Taoiseach had not shared his thinking on the election date with colleagues but he expected him to disclose it today. However, Mr Coveney’s statement caused some annoyance within senior Fine Gael circles, and it was also pointed out the decision was one for Mr Kenny alone, and not Ms Burton.
A senior Labour source said the decision was the prerogative of the Taoiseach, although there had been some informal discussion about the possibility of a joint press conference with Mr Kenny and Ms Burton.
Mr Kenny is expected to make the announcement in the Dáil before travelling to Áras an Uachtaráin where he will formally request President Michael D Higgins to dissolve the 31st Dáil.
The move will mean two key pieces of legislation – one giving university status to technological institutes, the other making the paid procurement of sexual services a crime – will not now complete the legislative process.
