- Source: 2024 Irish general election
The 2024 Irish general election to elect the 34th Dáil is due to be held on Friday, 29 November 2024, following the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil on 8 November by President Michael D. Higgins at the request of Taoiseach Simon Harris. It will elect 174 Teachtaí Dála (TDs) across 43 constituencies of between 3 and 5 seats to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's legislature. Under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023, the number of TDs was increased from 160, with an increase in the number of constituencies from 39 to 43. This will be the largest Dáil in the history of the state.
Background
The 33rd Dáil first met on 20 February 2020, and could be dissolved no later than 19 February 2025. This meant that, per a calculation in The Irish Times, the latest date the election could have been held was 22 March 2025.
In June 2020, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party formed a coalition government. The parties agreed on a rotation, with the two major party leaders alternating as Taoiseach. Micheál Martin, leader of Fianna Fáil, served as Taoiseach from 27 June 2020 to 17 December 2022; Leo Varadkar, leader of Fine Gael, served as Taoiseach from 17 December 2022 to 9 April 2024; and Simon Harris, served as Taoiseach from 9 April 2024, shortly after succeeding Varadkar as Fine Gael leader.
For most of 2024, many pundits believed that an autumn election was likely; coalition leaders repeatedly said they would like the government to complete its full term but were open to an early election if the circumstances provided for it. Polling conducted in October 2024 indicated a majority of the public supported an early election to be held in November of the same year.
Following the announcement on 1 October 2024 of the 2025 budget, speculation began in earnest that an election would be called for November or December. In late October, Harris said that he expected the election to be held before the end of 2024. On 6 November, Harris confirmed that he would seek a dissolution of the Dáil on 8 November. Two days later, he asked the president to dissolve the Dáil. Later that day, Darragh O'Brien, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, signed the order for the election to take place on 29 November 2024 and a three-week election campaign began.
Constituency revision
In August 2023, the Electoral Commission proposed a Dáil size of 174 TDs to be elected across 43 Dáil constituencies – an increase of 14 TDs and four constituencies. This was the first review of constituencies carried out by the Commission established under the Electoral Reform Act 2022, where previously they had been carried out by a Constituency Commission. This would be the largest size of the Dáil in the history of the State, surpassing the previous number of 166 TDs from 1981 to 2016. The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 implemented the recommendations of the commission.
The preliminary results of the 2022 census showed a population of over 5.1 million, which required a minimum Dáil size of 171 TDs. The Commission was required by law to recommend a size of the Dáil of between 171 and 181 TDs. This range reflects the growth in the population of the state, and the requirement of Article 16.6.2° of the Constitution of Ireland that there be one TD elected for no less than every 20,000 of the population and no more than every 30,000.
Electoral system
Under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV), each voter may mark all candidates in order of preference. The quota is determined at the first count in each constituency by dividing the number of valid votes by one more than the number of seats (therefore, the quota is 25% in a three-seat constituency, 20% in a four-seat constituency, and 16.67% in a five-seat constituency).
Any candidate reaching or exceeding the quota is elected. If fewer candidates reach the quota than the number of seats to be filled, the last-placed candidate is removed from the count and the next available preferences on those ballot papers are redistributed until a candidate is elected. If such a candidate now has more votes than the quota, their surplus is distributed to remaining candidates in order of ranking on the ballot papers. This is repeated until sufficient candidates have passed the quota to fill the available seats, or where a seat remains to be filled in a constituency and no candidate is capable of achieving a quota as there is nobody left to eliminate for a distribution then the highest place candidate without a quota is deemed elected.
Seán Ó Fearghaíl, as outgoing Ceann Comhairle, will be returned automatically.
Vacancies
Four TDs were elected to the European Parliament and took office on 16 July, vacating their seats in the Dáil. One TD, Joe Carey, resigned from the Dáil on grounds of ill health.
Retiring incumbents
The following members of the 33rd Dáil are not seeking re-election:
Candidates
The 2024 general election will feature 685 candidates and 20 registered political parties. A record 248 candidates are women, which is 36% of the total and a 53% increase from 2020. This was driven by a new 40% gender quota for both men and women in political party nominations, though women remain significantly underrepresented in the Dáil and Cabinet.
Campaign
In the first week of the campaign, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary sparked controversy by criticising the number of former teachers in the Dáil and advocating for more private-sector professionals to address infrastructure challenges. O'Leary's remarks, made at an event to launch the campaign of Peter Burke, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and an outgoing Fine Gael TD for Longford–Westmeath, were widely condemned by teaching unions, opposition parties, as well as government leaders as disrespectful to teachers and public servants. O'Leary defended his comments as a call for professional diversity in politics, while some government leaders (such as former teacher Micheál Martin) distanced themselves from his views, emphasising the value of teachers' contributions to society.
Following the first week of canvassing, the BBC suggested the primary issues in the campaign were the housing crisis, strained healthcare services, the rising cost of living, concerns over public spending and immigration reform. The Guardian has suggested the main campaign issues are the cost of living, housing, healthcare funding, immigration, and the use of Apple's €14bn tax windfall. It has suggested voters are concerned about rising living costs, high rents, and healthcare resources, while the topic of Immigration has become polarising, with calls for tougher controls. The Apple windfall has sparked debates on whether it should fund housing, infrastructure, or social services.
= Party manifestos and slogans
== Television debates
=RTÉ will host two leaders' debates. The first, on 18 November, featured the leaders of ten political parties, and was the largest leaders' debate in Irish history. The second, on 26 November, will feature the leaders of the three largest parties: Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin.
= 18 November debate =
The Irish Times stated the key issues discussed in the 18 November debate were housing, cost-of-living pressures, and healthcare, alongside broader questions of governance and political accountability. Housing dominated as the central topic, with Sinn Féin criticising government schemes like Help to Buy and First Homes, while Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil defended their approach. Mary Lou McDonald proposed that stamp duty should be abolished for new buyers. Another topic was how Apple's €14bn tax payment should be spent. Leaders acknowledged the potential for this to be a "pocketbook election," with housing symbolising broader economic frustrations. During the debate, Fine Gael were criticised by Sinn Féin for running John McGahon as a candidate, despite the fact he has recently been found guilty in a civil court of assault. Taoiseach Simon Harris stood by McGahon, citing that he was not found guilty in a criminal court. Harris retorted that Sinn Féin "press officer is in prison tonight"; a reference to the recent conviction in Northern Ireland of Michael McMonagle for child sex offences.
The smaller political parties focused on key issues like governance and policy direction. Independent Ireland's Michael Collins said his party would talk to anyone who would priorise their agenda while People Before Profit's Richard Boyd Barrett advocated for a left-leaning government, rejecting any support for Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil. Joan Collins of Right to Change highlighted public frustration with the two dominant parties and their handling of the housing and health crises. Labour's Ivana Bacik stressed the importance of a centre-left platform and constructive change, while Cian O'Callaghan of the Social Democrats made clear that any government must address housing issues. Aontú's Peadar Tóibín distanced his party from Fine Gael and the Greens but was open to Fianna Fáil, while Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman underscored that the Greens' participation in any coalition would depend on prioritising green policies.
Opinion polls
On 1 November, Coimisiún na Meán announced the lifting of the reporting moratorium that had been in place since 1997, and which had prevented election coverage from 14:00 on the day prior to the election until the close of polls. However, the agency also advised broadcasters not to report on opinion polls or exit polls while voting is underway.
Various organisations conduct regular opinion polls to gauge voting intentions. Results of such polls are displayed in the graph below.
The date range for these opinion polls is from the previous general election, held on 8 February 2020, to the close of poll for the 2024 general election.
See also
List of political parties in the Republic of Ireland
Notes
References
Poll references
General references
External links
Kavanagh, Adrian (10 July 2024). "Candidates for the 2024/2025 General Election by Dáil constituency". Irish Elections: Geography, Facts and Analyses.
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