Minister for Finance Jack Chambers has been appointed as Fianna Fáil’s director of elections amid growing expectations that the general election will be held as early as next month.
The leaders of the three Coalition parties will discuss the timing of the election on Monday evening with expectations growing that a date at the end of November – or possibly early December – will be chosen as polling day.
On Sunday the Fianna Fáil leader, Tánaiste Micheál Martin appointed Mr Chambers as the party’s director of elections.
He said: “Jack demonstrated considerable organisational skills and leadership in the recent successful local elections for the party.
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“He has the capacity to direct this national campaign for Fianna Fáil and will be travelling the length and breadth of the country.”
Mr Martin said that Fianna Fáil’s focus during the election will be focused “on addressing the future needs of the country, including the cost of living, housing, healthcare, creating safe and clean cities and towns, promoting sustainable climate policies, and ensuring a good quality of life for all.”
Mr Chambers said his party is “very ambitious for the future, with strong tickets across the country”.
His appointment comes in advance of tomorrow evening’s meeting between Taoiseach Simon Harris, Mr Martin and Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman.
November 29th was suggested as an election date on Friday by Mr O’Gorman much to the annoyance of Fine Gael, which pointed out it was the Taoiseach’s constitutional prerogative to call the election.
Although the calling of an election is the Taoiseach’s responsibility, it is the Minister for Housing, Fianna Fáil’s Darragh O’Brien, who will have responsibility for setting the date and deciding on either a three- or four-week campaign.
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The Coalition leaders will discuss the necessary arrangements for rushing through necessary legislation in the remaining weeks of the Dáil.
The Finance Bill – which gives effect to many budget measures – will need to be pushed through while other essential legislation includes the Appropriations Bill and legislation providing a three-year budget for the Houses of the Oireachtas that also must be passed by year end.
A series of supplementary estimates – essentially top-ups to the budgets of several Government departments – must also be passed in Dáil votes.
There is also a technical Bill necessary to underpin the State’s private health insurance market that must be passed before the end of the year.
The Dáil sits next week and then rises for a week for the midterm break, returning on Tuesday, November 5th.
Senior political sources ruled out cancelling the midterm break, meaning that all remaining Bills that are essential will have to be passed in the days after November 5th if there is to be a November 29th election.
This is possible with extensive use of the guillotine – a parliamentary motion that ends the debate and requires an immediate vote.
The last possible date for the dissolution of the Dáil to allow for a November 29th election is Friday, November 8th.
With so much legislation to pass through the Oireachtas in such a short time, some sources think the election date could slip into December.
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