Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin expect general election in late 2015

The two largest Opposition parties expect a general election to take place much earlier than the Government’s declared date of Easter 2016.

Senior figures in Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have separately said they are now effectively on an election footing and are preparing for an election sometime in 2015, possibly shortly after next October's budget.

Sinn Féin held an Ard Chomhairle meeting on Saturday, at which it decided the party would select and ratify its candidates by the end of the year.

A spokesman said the party was confident it would exceed the quota that requires at least 30 per cent of its candidates be women.

Every constituency

The party is also expected to run at least one candidate in each of the 40 constituencies. It will be represented by two candidates in bigger constituencies where the party is strong, such as

Donegal

,

Louth

, Cavan-Monaghan and some of the Dublin constituencies.

The only local authority where no Sinn Féin councillor was elected in May was in Longford. However, the party did get councillors elected to Westmeath County Council and will be expected to run a candidate in Longford-Westmeath.

Fianna Fáil is preparing to face an election soon after the budget for 2016 is published next October. A party source said it does not think it will happen any earlier.

In a reference to the ongoing controversy surrounding water charges, the source said: “The activities of the last few weeks have made the situation seem more volatile, but we are still operating on the basis it will happen at the end of next year.”

Fianna Fáil will begin holding selection conventions before Christmas and will complete the process by late May or early June 2015.

It will begin with the less contentious constituencies such as Limerick County, where justice spokesman Niall Collins will be the sole candidate; and the four-seater Cork South Central, where party leader Micheál Martin and finance spokesman Michael McGrath are its sitting TDs.

More contentious constituencies, such as the new five-seaters Kerry, Louth, Donegal and Tipperary, will be dealt with at a later stage of the process.Cork North West TD Michael Moynihan is heading the party's constituencies committee.

Planning for 2016

A

Labour

spokesman has said the party is still planning for a 2016 general election. The party has said it is too early to select candidates, but the process will get under way from now.

"Once the European and local elections are over, we begin to make plans for the general election," said the spokesman. "That includes preparing a manifesto and selecting candidates." The Labour Party has also been awaiting the appointment of a new general secretary. David Leach succeeded Ita McAuliffe in October.