When the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern went to Áras an Uachtaráin where the President, Mrs McAleese, dissolved the 28th Dáil by signing the Proclamation of Dissolution, it still required a ministerial order to appoint a date for the General Election.
This duty rested with the Minster for Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey. This morning he made the order, declaring May 17th as polling day with the hours of polling being 7.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m.
There are 42 constituencies which return three, four or five candidates, depending on the particular area. While there are now 2,952,400 eligible voters and increase of eight per cent on the last election, there will still be 165 candidates elected to the 29th Dail. There are 166 seats but the Ceann Comhairle is appointed without being elected.
These are some of the rules governing elections in the Republic of Ireland:
- A candidate must be a citizen of Ireland and 21 years of age by polling day
- A person may nominate themself or be nominated or consent to be nominated by a person on the electoral register in the constituency in which the candidate intends to stand
- There are no deposits but a non-party candidate must be have their nomination paper signed at local authority offices by 30 electors registered in the constituency in which the candidate intends to stand
- The latest time for receiving nomination is noon on May 3rd. Nominations can be withdrawn by noon the following day
- Everyone who is over 18, an Irish or British citizen, ordinarily resident in the State and on the Register of Electors is entitled to vote
- Persons not on the register may apply to be included on the supplement to the Register. The application must be witnessed by a garda, a local council official
- The application form for being included on the supplement to the register is April 19th