The parties are sharpening their messages in their last-ditch appeals to voters on the final day of the general election campaign ahead of Friday’s vote.
Sinn Féin has appealed for voters who have traditionally stayed away from the party to “lend us your vote” to remove Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael from office, with party leader Mary Lou McDonald suggesting her party’s voters should “transfer on” their votes to the Social Democrats and People Before Profit. Meanwhile, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil continued to focus on the threat of a shock to the Irish economy.
The final poll of the campaign released on Wednesday night by the Business Post showed the three big parties bunched together with around 20 per cent support, leaving it all to play for.
Key Reads
- Who should I vote for? This candidate comparison tool could help
- Meet the election’s youngest candidates running for seats
- Key election battles: Where main parties hope to gain - and may lose - seats
- Election Daily: The highs and lows of a tense campaign
That’s it for our live coverage of the election campaign today. We’ll be back with more live coverage tomorrow morning.
Taoiseach Simon Harris was in Clontarf on Thursday evening for a last minute canvass, Fiachra Gallagher reports.
He was joined at Nolan’s Supermarket by Fine Gael’s Dublin Bay North candidates Naoise Ó Muirí and Aoibhinn Tormey.
The Taoiseach met with Amanda Lynch outside the supermarket, who outlined her long-time struggle with anorexia.
“I went 14 years without proper treatment for my anorexia,” she told him.
“It’s such a complex illness that they need specific beds [in adult mental health inpatient units],” she said.
Ms Lynch called on the Taoiseach to improve inpatient service for suffers of anorexia. Mr Harris agreed to set up a meeting with Ms Lynch.
Uber is offering discounts of up to 50 per cent for customers taking a journey to and from polling stations tomorrow.
Polls across the country will be open from 7:00am to 10:00pm. Uber is offering up to 50 per cent off 2 trips anywhere in Ireland on Election Day with the code ELECTION24.
It works by entering the code in the Uber app to activate the offer.
It’s conditional on the cost of each trip being up to €10 per trip.
“We believe every vote counts, and we’re proud to support accessibility to polling stations for everyone,” a statement from the company said.
Speaking to reporters at the Social Democrats final pre-election doorstep, Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon said he would encourage his party’s voters to “vote left, transfer left”.
He said he wasn’t in a position to tell people where to transfer, but what he had said all along was to transfer to progressive parties and parties of the left and that he considered Sinn Féin to be a party of the left.
Mr Gannon, who shares a constituency with Ms McDonald, said he would give her and her running mate Janice Boylan a preference, alongside PBP’s Eoghan O Ceannabhain and Labour’s Marie Sherlock. He would not be drawn on what order he would vote for them in.
Asked what his message would be to those who were considering voting for Gerry Hutch, a gangland figure running in the constituency, Mr Gannon said he didn’t want to personalise his comments but urged voters to back candidates who would be strong legislators and develop policy.
Reporter Ronan McGreevy spoke to Donegal fishermen ahead of the election to get their views.
Minister for Enterprise and Employment Peter Burke is among the more than 250 General Election candidates endorsed by the trade union backed Respect at Work campaign after he pledged to support legislation to promote collective bargaining and protect workplace representatives during the term of the next Dáil, Emmet Malone writes.
Mr Burke was among a number of prominent politicians to sign the pledge in recent days with Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and employment, Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary and Government chief whip Hildegaard Naughton also indicating their backing.
Th Respect at Work campaign was launched in April with the intention of promoting trade union rights, mainly in private sector workplaces where employers might choose not to engage with worker representatives and are in some cases accused of actively working to deter any form of representation.
It has been primarily backed by Siptu, Mandate, the Financial Services Union and the Communication Workers Union.
In recent weeks, it asked election candidates of all persuasions to commit to a specific pledge to “support legislation which promotes collective bargaining, protects workplace representatives and ensures the right to access a trade union at work,” with the campaign asking trade unionists to support those candidates who signed up.
By lunchtime on Thursday, with the process formally closed but some politicians still adding their names to the list, just over 250 candidates of about 600 had signed up, most of them from the parties of the left.
Among the eight to commit on Thursday morning, however, were Independent, Michael Lowry, Aontù's Peadar Tóibín,Ms Naughton and six other candidates standing for the two larger Government parties.
The most eye-catching name, though is Mr Burke who had previously been criticised by leading figures in the union for his decision not to legislate on the collective bargaining element of the Adequate Minimum Wage Directive, a key demand of Ictu and its membership over the past year
There are almost 3.7 million people registered to vote in tomorrow’s election.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin, the Electoral Commission says the latest figures provided by local authorities indicate that the number of electors nationally is 3,689,896.
Around 3.5 million people were eligible to vote in the last general election in 2020.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín is posting on X today that “the story of this election” has been the “momentum” behind his party. Aontú stood at 3 per cent in this week’s Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll - the same level of support as People Before Profit and nipping at the heels of Labour and the Greens which were each on 4 per cent. It was on 1 per cent in the same series in September 2023. Tóibín has been the party’s only TD for Aontú's entire existence and is very much hoping to add more after tomorrow’s vote. Tóibín reckons “The last seat in many constituencies is a battle between Aontú and the government”.
Martin insists he has support of his party to rule out Sinn Féin as a coalition partner
Tánaiste Micheál Martin says he has the support of his party in his decision to rule out holding government formation talks with Sinn Féin, and said he felt the question was being asked “for mischievous reasons.”
The Fianna Fáil leader was in Greystones with outgoing Minister for Health and Wicklow TD Stephen Donnelly on Thursday morning, the last day of campaigning before voting starts.
“I’m always intrigued that in the last two days of the last two campaigns, this kind of question is raised,” he said, after being asked again about ruling out going into Coalition with Sinn Féin.
“I think it’s raised for mischievous reasons to try and undermine the Fianna Fáil position, by some of our rivals perhaps, or even by some of those we might have been in government with. But this is becoming a hardy annual now. The bottom line is we did not go in with Sinn Féin in 2020, in 2016. The bottom line is their policies are not compatible with ours.”
Asked what the overarching themes were of the general election campaign, Mr Martin referenced housing and access to disability services. As he visited different businesses in Wicklow alongside Mr Donnelly, he was asked about the VAT rates for business, access to the basic income scheme for artists and the number of DART services.
Mr Martin said his focus in the next 48 hours is “to say to our party members and to our candidates to do everything possible that we can to get out the final vote, and to get as many people voting for our candidates as possible. To speculate on the aftermath of the election is somewhat premature.”
He said there was “a lot of engagement” on the campaign trail.
Mr Donnelly was asked if he would “relish” the chance to the minister for health again.
“I have one focus, which is asking the people of Wicklow to vote for me tomorrow, and if I’m honored enough to be returned as their representative, then that’s as far as my time frame goes right now. It has been a busy four and a half years. There’s no question. There are still big, big challenges, as we know, but I think there’s progress that has been made that a lot of people four and a half years ago said couldn’t happen.”
Jennifer Bray
TV and radio election moratorium was “entirely anomalous” and “outdated” - broadcasters
We are just minutes away from when the old election broadcast moratorium would come slamming down on the eve of polling day. Not so this year as Coimisiún na Meán scrapped earlier this month. Martin Wall has a story on the submissions made to the media regulator seeking the abolition of the old ban on reporting any information which could influence an election from 2pm on the day before polling day until after voting had ended. RTÉ said it was “entirely anomalous” that its online news service could report on a significant breaking story, and particularly one based on disinformation/misinformation in the moratorium period, but its television and radio division could not do so. Virgin Media Television said the broadcast moratorium was “outdated and is no longer effective”. You can read more here. The moratorium is being replaced with a measure called the Additional Care Requirement for broadcasters. It will require broadcasters to “treat with extreme care information relating to the election that it believes, or has reason to believe, has been circulated with the intention of misleading or confusing voters or that is likely to mislead or confuse voters.”
People could end up “skint” if Sinn Féin wins power, Taoiseach claims
Taoiseach Simon Harris has claimed that if Sinn Fein becomes part of the next government, people could end up “skint”.
In his final press conference, the Fine Gael leader said that people should examine the kind of policies Sinn Féin is pursuing behind its message of change.
“Sinn Fein is promising change. That could mean change in my pocket. A lot of people could end up skint. Don’t end up with buyers’ remorse,” he said.
Mr Harris was speaking at St Joseph’s Secondary School in Lucan along with Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe.
Both focus on the prospect of an economic shock ahead, particularly after the election of Donald Trump as president of the US.
“If you lend Sinn Fein your vote you lend them your future. If you lend them your future you might not get it back,” said Mr Donohoe.
Mr Harris added: “The economic headwinds are real.” He said Mary Lou McDonald had rejected what she had called a doomsday scenario.
“To describe the (Fine Gael message) as scaremongering is dismissive of that reality,” he argued.
Asked about coalition options, he agreed that some TDs in other parties (a reference to Fianna Fáil) have said they are open to a coalition with Sinn Fein.
He continued: “You will not find one Fine Gael TD, on the record or off the record, being open to a coalition with Sinn Fein,” he said.
He also argued that Fine Gael that was a party that had never “bankrupted the economy”
Asked if he regretted not being more familiar with the circumstances surrounding the assault incident in 2018 involving Co Louth candidate John McGahon, Mr Harris again repeated his view that Mr McGahon was acquitted by a jury in a criminal case, and if otherwise had been the case he would not have been a Fine Gael candidate.
Asked if his party had lost momentum to its two closest rivals he said.
“We hit a couple of bumps along the way. I have been honest about that. To err is to be human.”
He added that the election was about issues, that he has been Taoiseach for only seven months, and wants to have a chance to do more for the country.
“There is a little bit of arrogance creeping into other parties as to who will be the biggest party. The best of luck to them,” he said.
Harry McGee
Jennifer Bray is still on the campaign trail with clean-living Tánaiste Micheál Martin in Wicklow where he was ‘caught rapid’ raiding the treats shelves in a supermarket. Healthier dark chocolate for the Fianna Fáil leader no doubt...
Here’s more from Marie O’Halloran at the Green Party press conference. Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has said “it’s very clear that smaller parties and Independents are going to be crucial in the formation of next government” and “smaller parties can be absolutely pivotal”.
He said people would have to ask what sort of smaller party they wanted whether it was a progressive party like the Greens “that shows it delivered on its priorities but also created stability? Or do you want parties that are what brings to the right, whether it’s anti climate, whether it’s anti choice, whether it’s anti equality, but also are so incoherent in themselves that you won’t have that element of stability as well”.
He added that the Greens have been “demonstrating our track record of delivery of our policies and also stability, being a grown up partner within the government”.
Asked if the party was getting its message across because it was consistently criticised about being the party of cycle lanes, Mr O’Gorman said political opponents “are always going to try and go for the what they might consider the weakest link, and undoubtedly, we’ve been subjected a few pile-ons over the course of the last four and a half years. That’s the risk that the small party takes when it goes into government.”
But “people recognise that we have done what we said we would do. People recognise the influence we’ve had in this Government, and whether it’s Leo Varadkar or the Healy-Raes it is recognised across politics that we have had an oversized influence on the policies of this of this Government. We got 7 per cent of the vote, so we’ve been able to deliver a huge amount of our policies, far more than any smaller party has been able to deliver.”
McDonald on potential Sinn Féin Coalition partners: “We’re not at the flirtatious stage just yet”
Fresh from her party’s last election press conference Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald stopped by well-known Dublin watering-hole Grogan’s. She joined had singer Mary Coughlan and artist Robert Ballagh for a cup of tea. While she pulled a pint, no cheese toastie was ordered we gather. The Irish Times’ Chris Maddaloni was there to capture the campaign stop. Here’s Jack Horgan-Jones’ report on Sinn Féin’s press conference where she suggests her parties voters should “transfer on” their votes to the Social Democrats and People Before Profit. As Horgan-Jones’ reports Ms McDonald reiterated the Sinn Féin request to the electorate to “lend us your vote”. Asked about potential coalition partners for her party, and what her path to power would be, she said she was going to talk to everybody once all had gathered their own mandate. “I’m not making eyes at anyone,” she said. “I believe in absolute fidelity to my cause,” she said, joking: “We’re not at the flirtatious stage just yet. We have to get to first base before we pass it.”
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has been campaigning while nine months pregnant. The due date for her and partner Barry Looney’s baby girl was November 22nd but the new arrival is not here yet. In an interview with Harry McGee earlier in the campaign Cairns said: “It’s very tricky, obviously. In one way, I’m so excited because it’s our first baby, we can’t wait. At the same time, I’m gutted by the timing for it to land in the same week, potentially, as polling day. It’s less than ideal, and it does pose a challenge for us as a party.” In an Instagram video posted today Cairns said: “It’s election day tomorrow and I can’t believe it and I can feel the swell of support behind the party”. She said “it’s coming from a place of people just wanting a party that will address these issues on housing, health, disability”.
McDonald signals that Sinn Féin voters should give transfers to Soc Dems and PBP
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has indicated Sinn Féin voters should consider transferring to parties such as the Social Democrats and People Before Profit.
As parties shore up their final messages to voters in advance of polling tomorrow, her comments will be seen as a significant intervention and a potential overture to partners in government talks.
Speaking to reporters outside Government Buildings in Dublin, where Sinn Féin held its first election press engagement three weeks ago, Ms McDonald was asked to elaborate on her view that Sinn Féin voters should support parties of change.
“I think each constituency will differ, but I think we can identify parties like the Social Democrats which would share ideas on housing and other policies, People Before Profit candidates of the left, some other Independent candidates,” she said.
She added that it was not for her to tell people how to vote but to ask them to vote in the first instance for Sinn Féin.
Jack Horgan-Jones
More from Ronan McGreevy at the People Before Profit press conference.
Outgoing People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy highlighted Taoiseach Simon Harris’s encounter with a disabilities worker in Kanturk.
He claimed the “mask slipped” when the Fine Gael leader met Charlotte Fallon who complained to him about the pay provided to Section 39 workers.
Mr Murphy said it was the time that the “media bubble burst” for Fine Gael. He contrasted the “guffawing” at Michael O’Leary’s comments about teachers at Peter Burke’s campaign launch with the “dismissal of those trying to provide services for disabled people”.
He also suggested that a left-wing government is “definitely on the cards” and there is a real possibility that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will get a historically low combined vote in the general election.
Our Political Correspondent Jennifer Bray is on the campaign trail with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin. He is in Greystones this afternoon with his party’s outgoing local TD Stephen Donnelly, the Minister for Health. Wicklow is now a four-seat ‘constituency of death’ after it lost a seat when the south of the county was chopped off in last year’s constituency review. Five incumbents - Donnelly, Taoiseach Simon Harris (FG), John Brady (SF), Jennifer Whitmore (SD) and Steven Matthews (GP) will all fight it out on a smaller battlefield. At least one of them will lose their seat. Here’s our constituency profile for Wicklow.
The Green Party’s final message to voters is “stick with us”, according to party leader Roderic O’Gorman who said “the Green Party represents the best value for your vote”.
“Our priority has always been about acting now to build a better future for you, for your family, for your children, and we’re asking for another mandate to continue that work in the next Dáil,” he said.
Speaking at his party’s last press conference in Dublin before the election tomorrow Mr O’Gorman said the Greens in Government have “broken that tradition in Ireland that the smaller party is always overwhelmed by the agendas of the larger coalition partners.
“We’ve had huge success in implementing our agenda. We’ve kept our promises even when often our coalition partners might have had very much competing agendas.”
He cited successes in delivery on public transport, childcare, retrofitting and said that “as a party, when we get the chance to act, we don’t go we don’t walk away”.
Mr O’Gorman a TD for Dublin West said “the Green Party represents the best value for your vote. So we’re asking the Irish voters tomorrow to give us that number one vote.
“If you want to see us to continue to deliver, we need that number one. This time around, the number two, the number three, is not really going to cut it. We’re asking for that number one to continue that strong track record of delivery.”
Marie O’Halloran
People before Profit leader Richard Boyd-Barrett “urged” people who do not want a return of the present Coalition to vote for his party.
The party has candidates in 42 of the 43 constituencies.
Those include young people who can’t afford a place to live, working people who are struggling with the cost of living and those who are neglected in the disability sector.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have done an “amazing feat” of having so much money, but they have failed to do the basics of being able to put a roof over people’s heads, he said in the party’s last press conference before the election.
Nurses, he suggested, are taking industrial action because the Government has refused to resource the health services properly.
He repeated that parties of the left need to pledge that they will not prop up a Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael after the election.
Such a move would “demoralise all those people who are thirsting for an alternative” and destroy “this historical opportunity for change”.
Outgoing TD Paul Murphy said the “received wisdom” is that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will be returned to office.
That perception has changed in the last week, he believes.
He anticipated that young people, workers and women will come out in historic numbers to change the Government.
“It is not true” that voters can only change the Government by voting for Sinn Féin.
He criticised Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats for not ruling out coalition with Government parties.
Ronan McGreevy
‘We all make mistakes’: Waterford TD responds to criticism of UHW election display
Vivienne Clarke reports that Waterford Independent TD Matt Shanahan has responded to criticism of an illuminated General Election advertisement for his campaign being used on the grounds of University Hospital Waterford (UHW).
The display appeared on the Dunmore Wing at UHW.
In a statement to WLR News, Deputy Shanahan said: “I wish to apologise for any upset that I caused by using the gable end of the Dunmore Wing to create raise awareness of my election campaign. As humans, we all make mistakes. I was trying as I have done repeatedly in the Dáil, to shine a light on the issues facing our hospital which remains completely underfunded. In this instance, with this activity, I regret any upset caused.”
He added: “I am deeply passionate about University Hospital Waterford, and I hope the people of Waterford know that. My activity was solely directed at keeping UHW and allied services at the forefront of our regional political debate. This has been a learning experience for me, but my determination to fight tooth and nail for the people of Waterford is as strong as ever. I ask you to judge me on my 10 years record of fighting for this hospital and not just this one event. Matt Shanahan.”
Management at UHW also issued a statement to WLR News, saying they were advised yesterday evening of a projected image on the exterior of the Dunmore Wing.
“After engagement with the parties involved, the projection of the image ceased and the vehicle involved vacated the UHW campus shortly before 8pm,” the statement said.
“UHW would ask that any activity of this nature is conducted outside the boundaries of the UHW campus and respect the privacy and dignity of UHW patients, visitors and staff.”
Harry McGee reports that Labour leader Ivana Bacik has said that she is confident her party can gain seats in the General Election and be in a position to establish a strong platform consisting of centre-left and green parties and TDs.
In her final press conference of the campaign Ms Bacik also dismissed Taoiseach Simon Harris’ description of Labour as a centrist party [in an Irish Examiner interview], saying it “smacked of desperation in the last few days of the campaign”.
“I’ve consistently said for many months now, before this election campaign even started, that the first thing I will do is go to the leaders of other parties and groupings who share a centre-left and green vision, and those values that we hold here in the Labour Party,” she said.
Ms Bacik said that party’s main campaign message was to create what she said was an “active State” that would drive a radical reset of housing policy, and deliver a publicly-provided childcare system.
She said her party would deliver the homes people need, tackle the “scourge of vacancy and dereliction”, and provide stronger protection for renters.
“People are looking for something different, for an alternative that only the centre-left can offer.”
Ms Bacik was speaking at St Stephen’s Green with MEP Aodhán Ó Riordáin and candidates Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central), Shane Folan (Dublin Bay North), and Darragh Moriarty (Dublin South Central). She said the party was running 32 candidates and was confident of making gains.
She said Mr Ó Ríordáin’s victory in the European campaign had given the party a real momentum and it had fought a dynamic and robust campaign.
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe stacks up the Jenga blocks for the latest round or what Fine Gael’s opponents would brand as the party’s “project fear” campaign on the economy. Taoiseach Simon Harris has countered such charges by arguing it is “project truth”. In the campaign ad Donohoe boasts of full employment and says “we can build more homes and we can invest in public services” as he builds the tower but he warns “If the wrong policies were implemented they could undermine the progress that we have made. And if that happened enough...”. There is a dramatic pause and the Jenga blocks topple.
We had a chat with some of the younger and older Dáil hopefuls running in the election. Fine Gael’s Bernard Durkan (79) paraphrases Ronald Reagan’s zinger line from his 1984 re-election bid when the 73-year-old American politician – at that point the oldest ever US president – was running against a younger candidate. Durkan laughs and says of his rivals in Kildare North: “I’m not going to comment on anybody’s inexperience if they don’t comment on my age.” Here’s ‘the Gipper’s’ original delivery of what was, in fairness, a great line during his debate with Walter Mondale. It is worth a watch.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald’s rapport with people while out canvassing is front and centre of this Sinn Féin campaign video posted online this morning. Our own Miriam Lord observed McDonald out on the campaign trail in a piece headlined: “Mary Lou’s ‘chatty’ campaign trail style a world away from Dáil barbs”. She wrote: “As soon as the Sinn Féin leader escaped the Morning Ireland after the [TV debate at] Montrose night before (the least they could have done was given her a bed between grillings), she took off on her penultimate day of hard yards and the softest of hard sells in search of a mandate to govern the country.”
Don’t forget your umbrella when you’re heading out to vote tomorrow. Met Éireann is forecasting outbreaks of rain including some possible “heavy falls” as the electorate heads to the polls. Will it impact turnout? Poor weather including high winds and heavy rain did not deter voters in the February 2020 general election when turnout was 62.9 per cent. Turnout was 65 per cent in 2016 – also after a miserable February election race. Regardless of how many go out to vote tomorrow – this campaign has seen snow, rain and flying posters during Storm Bert. Can we have a summer election next time please?
Former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan can chill for this election campaign. While he is out and about canvassing now that he’s back from the COP29 climate talks – and remains Minister for the Environment until a new Government is formed – he is not contesting the election himself. He posted this serene image from the sunrise in Bray as he headed out canvassing with his party’s Wicklow candidate Steven Matthews this morning.
It seems the Labour Party’s Dublin South-West Ciarán Ahern has met at least one irate voter on the doors. Here’s his latest campaign video featuring Seán Flanagan of comedy trio Foil, Arms & Hog.
Fine Gael has had a bit of a nightmare of an election campaign but party leader Simon Harris has insisted it is “entirely possible” he can be returned as Taoiseach after the election.
As Vivienne Clarke reports, he told Newstalk: “I’m glad I am running in this election to lead the next government. I believe it’s entirely possible that that can happen.
He also again set out his preference for a three party Coalition.
“I think what’s most likely to happen after the next election is a coalition government. I think that government is likely to probably involve at least three parties.
“I would think a government that gets beyond three parties becomes harder to manage in terms of a coherent policy base.”
He added: “I strongly believe we need a stable government with a working majority.”
One misstep by Harris on the campaign was his exchange with care worker Charlotte Fallon in Kanturk, Co Cork where he cut the conversation short after she confronted him on supports for people with disabilities.
He contacted her afterwards and apologised.
“I was annoyed at myself because I’m better than that. Look, I messed up. I messed up on an issue that is extraordinarily important to me and my family.
“And, you know, the issue of disability, is there isn’t a more important issue based on my lived experience.
“I know I messed up, but you know what? I was reared that when you make a mistake, you put your hands up. I apologise.”
Asked if the apology would make him appear vulnerable, Mr Harris responded: “My political opponents can seize on whatever they like.
“I think the people of Ireland, I certainly hope, know me. I think they know me for the leadership I provided through the Covid pandemic. I think they’ve seen the role that I played. I hope they know how hard I work”.
Harris also defended the November 29th date of the election during his Newstalk interview. Since becoming Taosieach he had said his intention was for the Government to run its full term – which many took to mean into early 2025. Harris said: “My priority was to get that Budget through, to work with the other political parties, to be respectful to them in how we govern. Then we got to a point where we were getting into nearly this kind of pedantic debate about what is the full term. And my view was based on my view today is still this. Once the government passed that fifth budget, I think there was a safe and appropriate time before and to have a general election. People will vote tomorrow. That will then provide a period of time for the politicians to deal with the outcome of that election and try and form a government and have a new government in office ready to hit the ground running. Because what I can definitely tell you is this. But what we don’t need after the next general election, the people are sovereign, but what we don’t need here is months and months and months of navel gazing. The country needs a government that can get on with the job.”
Taoiseach Simon Harris has just done an interview with Pat Kenny on Newstalk radio and Vivienne Clarke has been following it.
He says he feels “really good” about tomorrow and “very hopeful” that people “will lend us their vote so that I can continue my job as Taoiseach and so that we can really put together a stable government for the next five years.”
Fine Gael’s support has been falling in opinion polls but Harris argued that the polls “always reset” after an election is called. “I think Irish people think about their vote very carefully. They think it through. They want to put politicians through their paces.”
With 18 Fine Gael TDs who won seats in 2020 not contesting the election he also said that he has “had to rejuvenate my party in real time, introduce a lot of new candidates to the people right across the country, people who are new into politics, but certainly not new to delivering in their area.”
He also said: “I think what’s happening now and you saw it in last night’s poll when a ballot paper was put in front of people in the Red C poll and my party came joint first with 21 [per cent] apiece. We’re going to go to 21, and same for Fianna Fáil. This is a very, very close election. And that’s why right through today and right through tomorrow, up to 10:00 tomorrow night, I’ll be asking for every possible vote for Fine Gael.”
Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan has also been posting on Instagram this morning with a clip arguing that “the Government’s version of affordable housing is making a mockery of the idea”. He has been filling in for party leader Holly Cairns for much of the national campaign events as she is expecting a baby imminently. He wouldn’t thank anyone for saying it but he probably has the safest seat of any of his party’s candidates. Here’s what he said when that suggestion was put to him that he was nailed on for a return to the Dáil at a Social Democrats press conference on Wednesday: “I wish that was the case, but certainly not. Five years ago a lot of the pundits and commentators said I wasn’t in with a chance of getting a seat. Now they all say I’m a sure thing and I don’t believe either of those. We’re fighting very hard to get re-elected in Dublin Bay North.” In a profile of the constituency Jack Horgan-Jones writes that O’Callaghan “should hold” the seat and sets out the lay of the land there with three other incumbents not contesting the election.
The moratorium is dead – long live the “additional care requirement” for broadcasters
Election 2024 will be the first in a long time without the outdated broadcast moratorium which previously put the kibosh on radio and TV political coverage from 2pm the day before voters cast their ballots
Earlier this month Coimisiún na Meán confirmed the moratorium, which has been in place since 1997, is being replaced with a measure called the Additional Care Requirement for broadcasters.
It will require broadcasters to “treat with extreme care information relating to the election that it believes, or has reason to believe, has been circulated with the intention of misleading or confusing voters or that is likely to mislead or confuse voters.”
See our report here.
The new requirement will be in force during the 24-hours before the opening of polling stations and during the period when voting is taking place.
It will be interesting to see how broadcast coverage plays out under the new rules today.
Taoiseach Simon Harris is due on Today FM’s The Last Word this afternoon – which would not have happened under the old rules.
If Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was encouraged by the poll showing his party in the lead – albeit very slightly – he was not showing it in social media posts last night. Instead he posted a clip from his pitch to voters to back Fianna Fáil during his interview with Virgin Media television last night. Speaking of his party’s time in Government he said: “In a period of inflation and conflict in much for the world we acted to protect Ireland’s interests and help families faced with rising costs. But this election is about our future. It is about how we can protect Ireland’s progress and implement new policies to tackle critical issues ...”
Martin’s party has been the most steady in the polls (The Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll this week also had it on 21 per cent, in advance of Sinn Féin on 21 per cent (up 1 point) and Fine Gael on 19 per cent (down 6 points). But it seems that heading into tomorrow’s election there is nothing between the big three parties in terms of their respective support levels. Of course much will depend on the complexities of the different dynamics in 43 election battlegrounds as to which one ends up with the most Dáil seats. Fianna Fáil is probably best placed to do so but that does not mean that Fine Gael is not hoping that their fortunes cannot be revived from a blunder-filled election campaign.
Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald had more reason to be happy with the poll saying in an online post that it confirms “what we are feeling on the ground: The momentum for change is with Sinn Féin. It is growing everyday! We can do this together! We can change the Government.”
Her upbeat tone is a far cry from where Sinn Féin was in the weeks before the official election campaign when the party was mired in a strong of controversies.
Harris’ Instagram Live comes after a previous one last night last night where he said “it’s all to play for” in the election.
“There’s a poll out tonight that shows when you give people constituency ballots, Fine Gael is neck and neck for first place.”
This is of course a reference to the Business Post/Red C poll.
It had Fianna Fáil unchanged since the last survey on 21 per cent, Sinn Féin up two points to 20 per cent and Fine Gael down two, but also on 20 per cent.
Fine Gael has had a rocky election campaign and Harris told his viewers: “I’m really asking everybody to please, please, please get out and back my Fine Gael team right across the country”.
“I really need your support. I really need your vote.
“I’ve been working as hard as I possibly can over the last seven months as Taoiseach of this country and as leader of Fine Gael”.
He said that during that time he has “tried to reconnect on a number of issues that I’ve heard from you that matter.”
He again referenced disability issues as he has repeatedly done since he was confronted by care worker Charlotte Fallon on the election trail last week but also mentioned migration, Ireland recognising the State of Palestine and his efforts to improve relations with Britain.
Harris also said he has been “working really, really hard on putting together what I think is an exciting plan for our country.”
Time for the Insta generation to step up?
Taoiseach Simon Harris was back on Instagram live this morning asking for votes for Fine Gael in an “extraordinarily close” election.
The Fine Gael leader warned pundits it’s is “very dangerous” to try to predict the outcome and said to viewers: “It’s you and you alone who will decide this.
“This is a three-way contest and I respectfully argue it’s now time for our generation to step up, it’s time for a new generation of leadership.
“That is what I represent, an ability to get things done. An ability to bring common sense to politics but also an ability to represent a new generation... Please lend me your support tomorrow, lend Fine Gael your support and in return I will give you my absolute all”.
Earlier in the post he spoke of Fine Gael promises for €200 per month childcare, the creation of more special schools and abolition of college fees.
He said: “I don’t get everything right, no political party gets everything right but you know what I do step up every time I’ve been called upon.”
Harris said he “stepped up during the Covid pandemic to help save lives and livelihoods” served in Government during the “difficult days” of Brexit and promoted apprenticeships as Minister for Higher Education.
He said: “as Taoiseach when the vacancy arose I again was willing to step up because our country needed leadership and he said a Budget was delivered to help people with the costs of living.
Later in the video he responds to other people’s posts – here’s a sample:
“vodkashot78 making a point about housing ... let me say this – housing, housing housing is my number one priority. But that’s just rhetoric here’s how we’re going to fix it ...”
