Ireland’s election: the parties, the voting, the issues and the likely result

Left to right: Micheál Martin, Mary Lou Macdonald and Simon Harris. Photograph: various

Ireland’s voters go to the polls on Friday 29 November, three weeks after the prime minister, Simon Harris, ended months of speculation by dissolving the coalition government before the end of its five-year term in March next year.

Harris’s centre-right Fine Gael is seeking an unprecedented fourth successive term in office – a prospect that looks possible despite a significant recent dip in the polls and a slight recovery in support for its opposition rival, Sinn Féin.