The “time is now right” for a general election in Ireland, the Irish premier said as he kicked off a three-week canvassing period.
Political parties have already begun to set out their stall on housing, immigration and childcare as they vie for votes on November 29.
Election posters were allowed to be erected along roads on Friday as candidates stepped up a campaign which had effectively got under way well ahead of the highly-anticipated but long-expected formal announcement.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said it had been the honour of his life to serve in the role, as he defended the Government’s record in power by pointing to the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine.
He said his Fine Gael party “did not agree on every issue” with coalition partners Fianna Fail and the Greens, but added: “We did always work hard and together for the good of the Irish people.”
However, opposition parties also used the day to launch policies for the campaign – and take aim at the Government’s “shocking legacy”.
Friday’s developments end the four-and-a-half-year lifespan of a historic coalition government.
After the 2020 general election delivered an inconclusive result, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, two parties forged from opposing sides of Ireland’s Civil War of the 1920s, agreed to set aside almost a century of animosity and share power. The Green Party joined the administration as a junior partner.
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin held the position of taoiseach for the first half of the mandate, with Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022.
Mr Varadkar resigned from the role earlier this year and was succeeded by party colleague Mr Harris.
Emphasising that as Fine Gael leader he takes nothing for granted, Mr Harris described his team of candidates, which includes a large number of new faces, as a mix of experience and energy.
Mr Martin, who now serves in the deputy premier Tanaiste role, joined some of his party’s election candidates in Dublin on Friday.
Speaking outside Leinster House, the Fianna Fail leader said the coalition had “weathered many significant storms and shocks”.
He said the coming five years would be challenging for the Irish economy as he highlighted the impact of conflicts around the world and the potential for a shift in US trade policy.
The Tanaiste also insisted he was not concerned at the prospect of having to debate with his erstwhile partner in government, Mr Harris, during the election.
“Debate is the lifeblood of democracy and elections,” he said.
“I look forward to the debate because Fianna Fail will be putting forward its priorities, its policies, as we did in the last election.”
Mr Martin again made clear he would not countenance a coalition with Sinn Fein after the election.
Sinn Fein won the popular vote in 2020 but a failure to run enough candidates meant it did not secure sufficient seats in the Dail to give it a realistic chance of forming a government.
The main opposition party goes into the election on the back of a difficult few weeks, after intense criticism over its handling of several controversies related to allegations against members.
In the last 12 months the party has also seen its ratings dip significantly, dropping from front runner to leave it trailing behind Fine Gael and Fianna Fail in a series of recent polls.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald told reporters in Dublin that the poll offered voters a choice to elect a government that would “move heaven and earth” to make housing and childcare affordable, reform the health services and prepare for unification on the island.
Staging a press conference outside Government Buildings, she added: “After a century of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, it is now time to make that change, to give Sinn Fein the chance to lead and the chance to deliver.”
However, she refused to rule out entering into coalition with her long-time political rivals.
At the launch of her party’s housing document, Labour leader Ivana Bacik told reporters in Dublin that a record number of children in homelessness is a “shocking legacy the Government leaves as we embark on the dissolution of the Dail”.
Ms Bacik said Labour had an ambitious and credible plan to “transform the housing system”, which she identified as “the single biggest issue” in the campaign.
Mr Harris was granted a dissolution of the Dail parliament at 2pm on Friday by President Michael D Higgins at his official residence Aras an Uachtarain.
The Taoiseach said it was important that the election allows for the consideration of “very different visions for our country”.
He added: “This election must be a safe and respectful campaign for all politicians and all their teams and I wish all candidates luck.”
Since the 2020 poll, the coalition in Dublin has had to grapple with the same global shocks that confronted many governments around the world – the Covid-19 pandemic and the inflation crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ireland has also experienced a surge in migration numbers in the last two years, in large part due to tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
There have also been increased rates of asylum seekers arriving from elsewhere in the world.
This, coupled with pre-existing housing shortages, has placed unprecedented strain on state accommodation provision, leading to tensions and disputes in some areas over plans to repurpose hotels and other buildings into facilities for international protection applicants.
The rise of the migration issue up the political agenda has come at a time when the Government grapples with what it has acknowledged is a crisis in housing.
Despite the coalition’s efforts to increase the number of state-built homes and promote policies to support renters and first-time buyers, record homelessness figures are still on the rise and house prices and rental costs remain stubbornly high as demand consistently outweighs supply in many areas, particularly in the capital Dublin.
To the Government’s critics, the housing crisis appears paradoxical when set against booming public finances, with the state’s coffers buoyed each year by billions of euro in tax receipts from multinational giants who have set up bases in Ireland.
The same argument is made when it comes to parts of the country’s health service, such as the lengthy waits endured by children requiring spinal surgery.
The Government parties say real progress has been delivered in housing and healthcare during a mandate that ends with the country’s finances in rude health.
