Almost three million people are entitled to vote in the general election, an 8 per cent increase in the electorate for the 1997 poll.
The Minister for Environment, Mr Dempsey, has made an order appointing May 17th as polling day and the hours of 7.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m. to be the polling hours.
Nominations for people wishing to stand as candidates will close at noon on May 3rd.
To stand for election a candidate must be a citizen of Ireland and at least 21 years of age by polling day.
A person may nominate themselves as a candidate, or with their consent may be nominated by a person who is registered as an elector in the constituency concerned.
Non-party candidates must have their nomination paper signed by 30 electors registered in the register of electors for the constituency to which they are seeking election.
Those 30 people must sign the nomination paper at the main local authority offices for the area and must produce specified photographic identification.
Candidates may withdraw their nominations up to noon on May 4th.
Everyone who is an Irish or British citizen and is included on the register of electors is entitled to vote at the general election.
People who are not currently on the register may be eligible to apply for inclusion on the supplement to the register.
To be eligible, a person must be a citizen of Ireland or the UK; must be 18 years of age by polling day; and must be ordinarily resident in the State.
There are 2,952,400 people entitled to vote.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, dissolved the Dáil yesterday and has summoned the incoming Dáil to meet on June 6th at 10.30 a.m.