Tánaiste opens the door for pre-Christmas election
Tánaiste Micheal Martin: People would need to work through the timelines around critical pieces of legislation. Picture: Stephen Collins
The Tánaiste has opened the door for a pre-Christmas election, but has said that key legislation must be passed.
Government sources have said that Finance Minister Jack Chambers has not yet been asked to accelerate the passage of the finance bill, which was debated in the Dáil on Wednesday.
If Taoiseach Simon Harris opts not to guillotine that bill before next Wednesday's Dáil voting bloc, it would go to the Oireachtas finance committee on November 5 as planned.
Coalition sources have said, however, that it is possible that Mr Harris will dissolve the Dáil on November 7, paving the way for an election on November 29.
Privately, ministers and coalition TDs say that the election "must come before Christmas" saying that the work of the Dáil is stalled because of the impending election.
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Speaking to the podcast, Micheál Martin said that the bill was the "bottom line" in terms of going to the polls early.
“If it’s the desire of others is to do things earlier, we’d need to game that and people would need to work through the timelines around critical pieces of legislation,” he said.
“I think what people want is to complete work to make sure that there’s a solid bit of work done and that we end up, that we end the Government in a harmonious way, having worked together for four-and-a-half years now.”
Speaking earlier this month, Mr Harris said that the election would come "in due course" and said that he was "not obliged" to give a running commentary on the timing of the election.
The Taoiseach did, however, accept that his party is campaigning with a view to the next election.
However, he said all parties are doing this.
Some within the coalition have said that Mr Harris should go to the polls with Sinn Féin in turmoil, but one government source said there were "no guarantees" that the issues facing the opposition party would affect an election.
A government spokesperson downplayed the idea that the postponement of a planned trade mission to Poland later this month had anything to do with an impending election.
The Irish Embassy in Warsaw on Wednesday told potential attendees that the planned trip had been postponed. Government sources said that it was connected with availability of ministers on both the Irish and Polish sides.
A Government spokesperson said: "The trade mission has been postponed and will be rescheduled to allow for the best possible programme to be put in place. It is common for the dates of such missions to change."
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