Opinion polls have shown that Ireland’s three most prominent political parties are in a tight grouping as the country’s general election, which takes place on Friday fast approaches.
The country’s last election in 2020 saw the Fine Gael party form a historic coalition with Fianna Fáil and the Green party, with Simon Harris appointed as the Taoiseach in April following the resignation of former party leader and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Earlier this month, Mr Harris announced that he was dissolving the Dáil (the name given to the Irish parliament) to hold a general election.
With millions expected to vote tomorrow, keep reading to learn about the country’s main political parties and their leaders.
Fine Gael
Position: Centre-right
Leader: Simon Harris
The Fine Gael party is hoping for a landmark fourth successive term in office, joining forces with its centre-right rival Fianna Fáil to form a coalition government in 2020. Pro-European and generally believed as more liberal on social issues than its coalition partner, leader (and current Taoiseach) Simon Harris has committed to delivering 300,000 new homes and increasing the entry point at which Irish workers pay 3 per cent Universal Social Charge (income tax) from just over €27,000 to €40,000. In the most recent opinion, support for the party is at 20 per cent, which ties it with opposition party Sinn Féin.
Fianna Fáil
Position: Centre-right
Leader: Micheál Martin
Fianna Fáil was founded as a republican party in 1926 and has been one of the country’s major parties since - competing in a two-horse race with Fine Gael for a century up until 2020. With more conservative values that focus on promoting Irish culture and identity, the party’s leader Micheál Martin (who currently serves as Tánaiste, the second-ranking member of the government) wants to cut the lower rate of Universal Social Charge from 3 per cent to 1 per cent. The party leads the latest opinion polls at 21 per cent.
Sinn Féin
Position: Left
Leader: Mary Lou McDonald
Led by Mary Lou McDonald, the opposition party Sinn Féin was formerly the political branch of the IRF and holds republican and socialist values, calling for more spending on health, housing and social justice. More critical of EU policies than the other parties, Sinn Féin won the popular vote in the 2020 Irish election - however both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have ruled out forming a coalition with the party due to differences in policies. The party has been faced with several scandals and hiccups in recent times, including in-party fighting, safeguarding issues involving party members and a disconnect with its supporters over immigration.
In its manifesto, Sinn Féin pledged to increase the minimum wage by €1.10 per hour, eventually introduce a living wage and build 300,000 new homes by 2029, with 125,000 of those comprising of social, affordable purchase and affordable renting housing.
