Finance Bill expected to pass through Dáil on Tuesday, clearing way for general election call
Simon Harris has also set out that his new proposed Department of Infrastructure would be set up as part of a wider reshuffle of existing government departments. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews.ie
The Government is clearing the decks to pass the Finance Bill through the Dáil next week, as Taoiseach Simon Harris prepares to call a general election.
The key budget legislation is now due to pass through all remaining stages in the Dáil on Tuesday, according to a draft order of Oireachtas business. The Taoiseach had repeatedly said that this was the main roadblock preventing an election being called.
A number of other key legislative measures will pass through the Dáil next week, including supplementary estimates and the Appropriations Bill 2024. Legislation that would ban the sale of tobacco to those under 21 is also due to be passed, but will not come into force until 2028.
Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats have called for time to be put aside to allow for the passage of the Occupied Territories Bill before the Dáil is dissolved.
Mr Harris has also set out that his new proposed Department of Infrastructure would be set up as part of a wider reshuffle of existing government departments.
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While the Taoiseach said that he knows “where we’re going with this”, he declined to set out the wider reshuffle and said that it would be outlined as part of the Fine Gael election manifesto.
“I am restless to come up with a better way of delivering major infrastructure projects in this country,” Mr Harris said, while citing that many projects are delivered on time and on budget.
At an IFA event in Kildare, Mr Harris said that establishing a Department of Infrastructure would provide “a real dedicated focus and drive”, citing that megaprojects like the Metrolink needed to be delivered.
In his speech, the Taoiseach took aim at what he referred to as the “Dublin bubble”, describing farming as being the “backbone of the Irish economic model”.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said that agreeing another government with a rotating Taoiseach at its head is not a "red line" for Fianna Fáil and instead policies will be crucial in any coalition talks.
"My focus is on, first of all, maximising the number of seats that Fianna Fáil can win in the next general election. I don't take any of the sort of predictive sort of approaches that some commentators make in respect of outcomes to the election,” Mr Martin said.
Asked whether Fianna Fáil would agree to a coalition that does not include a rotating Taoiseach, Mr Martin said: "It's not a red line because we're aiming to be the largest party coming out of this election, and we have a stronger team now in the field in every constituency across the country than we would have had in 2020."
Speaking in Athlone, he said the prioritising of housing, investment in health and a pro-enterprise model are essential for his party.
"There has to be parity of esteem and it has to be a collective approach to government, it's not an individual approach to government," he said, referring to equal partners in government as opposed to a power imbalance between the main parties.
"I recall well when this government was being established, the first issue that Leo Varadkar raised with me was that parity of esteem issue because Fianna Fáil had the most seats coming out of the last general election. Having been in previous coalition governments, I understood that immediately."
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