TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen will announce the date of the general election in the Dáil on Tuesday.
Mr Cowen said yesterday that he would go into the Dáil chamber on Tuesday afternoon and announce his intention of seeking a dissolution from President Mary McAleese.
Mr Cowen made his intention known on Raidió na Gaeltachta, but did not specify the date.
It is still expected that election day will be Friday, February 25th, although there has been speculation over the past two days that it might not take place until the last possible date, Wednesday, March 2nd, to give the new Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin time to prepare for the campaign.
If he dissolves the Dáil on Tuesday, Mr Cowen is legally entitled to call the election on any date between Monday, February 21st, and Wednesday March 2nd. By law, once the President issues a proclamation dissolving the Dáil, a general election must be held within 17 to 28 days, excluding Sundays.
After the President has issued the proclamation, a writ will be issued to the returning officer in every constituency directing him or her to hold an election.
Minister for Local Government Éamon Ó Cuív will then formally set polling day and put all the relevant procedures in place.
One of the reasons for having the election on February 25th is that schools will be on a mid-term break and pupils will not lose another day following those lost during the snowy conditions before Christmas.
In the course of his interview yesterday, Mr Cowen said he would consult his family and political advisers over the weekend to decide if he will stand in the election for the Laois-Offaly constituency.
He has come under considerable pressure from his local organisation to run again; a decision to contest the election would be a boost for his successor Micheál Martin as it would give the party a strong chance of winning two seats in Laois-Offaly.
Mr Cowen said he supported Mr Martin’s call for all of the party leaders to debate the issues and said there was an onus on all parties to put forward their plans for the country so that the electorate could decide who was best fitted to lead.
Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan said during the Seanad debate on the Finance Bill yesterday that he found it extraordinary that the Green Party “couldn’t find it in their hearts” to stay in Government for an extra week to allow time for tax changes to civil partnership to be included in the Bill.
Mr Lenihan also said he regretted the speed with which the Bill had progressed through the Houses of the Oireachtas as he would have preferred a two-week debate rather than one.
The second stage of the Finance Bill was passed in the Seanad by 28 votes to 21 yesterday evening. The Seanad will finish its debate on the Bill today and arrangements have been made for a sitting of the Dáil at 8pm this evening if flaws in the legislation are identified and it needs to be amended. It is not expected that this will be required.
