Taoiseach sees no reason for election before Spring 2016

Speculation at the weekend of an early general election was scotched today by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Speaking to reporters in his native Castlebar, Mr Kenny indicated he was sticking to his earlier plans not to dissolve the Dáil until next spring.

“I’ve always said the general election would be held in the spring of 2016. I see no reason to change that”.

The Taoiseach continued: “People seem to have a fixation about the election process and in Ireland, of course, it’s a part and parcel of everyday life”.

Mr Kenny said the focus in coming weeks will be to continue the “serious progress the Government, working with the people, has made in the past four and a half years”.

He added: “Michael Noonan would like to see the impact of the Budget go behind every door for peoples’ benefit. That’s our focus now”.

Earlier Fine Gael TD Áine Collins said the election would be held on February 26th 2016.

Ms Collins told her local radio station Corks 96fm she believed the country would go to the polls on that date.

There has been widespread speculation that the general election could be called after the Budget next month. However, that is now looking less likely after Mr Kenny and Ms Collins’s comments.

Under the 1992 Electoral Act, the Dáil cannot continue for longer than five years from the date of its first meeting.

The current Dáil first met on March 9th, 2011, which means it cannot continue beyond March 8th next.

The Act also stipulates that the election shall be held not earlier than 18 working days and not later than 25 working days after the issuing of the writs.

That would mean the election being held between April 1st and 9th if the Dáil runs its full term.

The Taoiseach made his remarks following the launching of a “Flags for Schools” initiative, as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, at St Patrick’s Boys National School, Cornanool, near Castlebar.

He was joined for the ceremony by Minister for Heritage Heather Humphreys and by Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan and Rear Admiral Mark Mellett, chief of staff of the Defence Forces.

Students at St Patrick’s, where Mr Kenny received his national school education, were presented with a Tricolour and a copy of the Proclamation by officers of the Defence Forces, the first of 3,200 primary schools in the country to do so.