By-elections will be referendum on a Government left with little wriggle room

With public anger at the cost of living and the Government's response to the fuel protests, the timing of the by-elections in Dublin Central and Galway West could not be worse for the Coalition parties

With the return of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch in Dublin Central, the constituency is again likely to be the more exciting election campaign. Picture: Leah Farrell/ RollingNews.ie

One of the arguments for a general election ahead of Christmas 2024 was it would give Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael wriggle room in case the proverbial hit the fan in the new year.

While the general election technically did not have to take place until early 2025, there were fears among those in Government parties about pushing their luck.