Taoiseach rules out early general election despite push within Government parties for October vote

Taoiseach Simon Harris has ruled out an early general election, saying people had not voted for change in the recent local and European elections and instead expected him, as a new Taoiseach, to “get stuck in and do the job”.

“Many pundits and commentators probably expected my party and other Government parties to have very bad local and European elections, they probably expected Sinn Féin to be on the ascendancy and then probably expected this weekend to ask me the question of why I would not have an election now, and surely the Government has lost its mandate,” he said.

“The people of Ireland voted and they didn’t vote overwhelmingly for change. In fact, my party got more first preference votes in the local elections than any other party.”

“The message I got when I went around the country ... is: ‘you’re a new Taoiseach, roll up your sleeves and get stuck in and do the job’. That is what I intend to do, that is why I was back at my desk at the crack of dawn the Monday after the election and my view on the timing of the election hasn’t changed.”

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When asked if delaying the election would give Sinn Féin time to regroup from their disappointing result in both June 7th polls, the Taoiseach instead said that it would “give myself a little bit of time to keep delivering for people. This is all about delivery for the Irish people. It may be an old-fashioned view from a relatively young politician but I believe if you work hard and deliver for people they might then vote for you. That is the approach I intend to take to this”.

Mr Harris’s remarks, made on Saturday afternoon as he arrived in Switzerland to attend a Ukraine peace conference, are in contrast to growing calls within Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for a general election before Christmas. It is understood that there is a push within both parties to see a general election take place in October.

Former Fine Gael minister for justice Charlie Flanagan has predicted there will be an autumn election. The Laois-Offaly TD said the “mood has lifted” in Fine Gael and the election result “was a clear endorsement of the centre parties”.

However, the Taoiseach, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan have all maintained that the intention is for the Government run its full term into next year.

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