Taoiseach Simon Harris has said that he wants to maintain “some element of surprise” regarding the general election date.
Last night the Taoiseach was speaking at a British Irish Chamber of Commerce event at Dublin’s Royal Convention Centre, and said that he got the sense that people want him to “just get on with” the election.
Asked if it will be on November 29th, Harris said “there isn’t a great mystery” around when the election will be held, and that “you don’t need huge powers” to figure it out.
He confirmed that it will be before Christmas, and “it will be a Friday,” because “now is the time for a mandate” for his tenure as Taoiseach.
He said that a general election being held in the coming weeks will also facilitate government-formation talks during the Dáil’s winter break, which he called “a natural breather”.
Asked again if that means the November 29th, the Taoiseach replied: “I have to keep some element of surprise.”