2024 Irish general election
The 2024 Irish general election to elect the 34th Dáil took place on Friday, 29 November 2024, following the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil on 8 November by President Michael D. Higgins at the request of Taoiseach Simon Harris. Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m UTC. It elected 174 Teachtaà Dála across 43 constituencies of between 3 and 5 seats to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's legislature. Under the Electoral Act 2023, the number of TDs was increased from 160 to 174, making it the largest Dáil in the history of the state, with an increase in the number of constituencies from 39 to 43. The main issues in the campaign were the cost of living, housing affordability and availability, immigration and asylum management, and economic stability amid external trade uncertainties, reflecting voter concerns despite the country's strong overall financial health.
The election resulted in Fianna Fáil remaining as the largest party, increasing its number of seats to 48. Its governing partner Fine Gael won 38 seats, with the two parties combined winning 86 seats, two shy of a majority. The Green Party, the third party of government, lost all but one of its seats, with only leader Roderic O'Gorman returning to the Dáil. Sinn Féin remained as the second largest party, winning 39 seats, while the Social Democrats and Labour each won 11 seats, an increase of five each.
On 15 January 2025, the formation of a coalition government was agreed between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and nine independents. Micheál Martin was appointed Taoiseach on 23 January 2025.
Background
The 33rd Dáil first met on 20 February 2020, and could have been dissolved no later than 19 February 2025. This meant that, per a calculation in The Irish Times, the latest date the election could have been held was 22 March 2025.In June 2020, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party formed a coalition government. The parties agreed on a rotation, with the two major party leaders alternating as Taoiseach. Micheál Martin, leader of Fianna Fáil, served as Taoiseach from 27 June 2020 to 17 December 2022; Leo Varadkar, leader of Fine Gael, served as Taoiseach from 17 December 2022 to 9 April 2024; and Simon Harris served as Taoiseach from 9 April 2024, shortly after succeeding Varadkar as Fine Gael leader.
For most of 2024, many pundits believed that an autumn election was likely; coalition leaders repeatedly said they would like the government to complete its full term but were open to an early election if the circumstances provided for it. Polling conducted in October 2024 indicated a majority of the public supported an early election to be held in November of the same year.
Following the announcement on 1 October 2024 of the 2025 budget, speculation began in earnest that an election would be called for November or December. In late October, Harris said that he expected the election to be held before the end of 2024. On 6 November, Harris confirmed that he would seek a dissolution of the Dáil on 8 November. Two days later, he asked the president to dissolve the Dáil. Later that day, Darragh O'Brien, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, signed the order for the election to take place on 29 November 2024 and a three-week election campaign began.
To stand for election to Dáil Éireann, candidates must be Irish citizens aged at least 21, and if unaffiliated with a registered political party, they must secure either 30 assentors from the constituency or lodge a €500 deposit.
Constituency revision
In August 2023, the Electoral Commission proposed a Dáil size of 174 TDs to be elected in 43 Dáil constituencies – an increase of 14 TDs and four constituencies. This was the first review of constituencies carried out by the Commission established under the Electoral Reform Act 2022, where previously they had been carried out by a Constituency Commission. This would be the largest size of the Dáil in the history of the State, surpassing the previous number of 166 TDs from 1981 to 2016. The Electoral Act 2023 implemented the recommendations of the commission.The preliminary results of the 2022 census showed a population of over 5.1 million, which required a minimum Dáil size of 171 TDs. The commission was required by law to recommend a size of the Dáil of between 171 and 181 TDs. This range reflects the growth in the population of the state, and the requirement of Article 16.6.2° of the Constitution of Ireland that there be one TD elected for no less than every 20,000 of the population and no more than every 30,000.
Electoral system
Under the system of single transferable vote, each voter may mark any number of the candidates in order of preference. The quota is determined at the first count in each constituency by dividing the number of valid ballots by one more than the number of seats and then adding one vote. Any candidate reaching or exceeding the quota is elected.If in the first count fewer candidates reach the quota than the number of seats to be filled, if any successful candidates have more votes than the quota, their surplus is distributed to remaining candidates based on the next usable marked preference on the ballot papers. If still it happens that fewer candidates have reached the quota than the number of seats to be filled, the last-placed candidate is excluded from the count and those ballot papers are transferred to the next usable marked preference. This is repeated until sufficient candidates have reached the quota to fill the available seats, or where a seat remains to be filled in a constituency and no candidate is capable of achieving a quota as there is nobody left to eliminate for a distribution, then the highest place candidate, even if not having quota, is deemed elected.
Seán Ó FearghaÃl, as Ceann Comhairle immediately before the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil, was automatically deemed to be elected a member of the 34th Dáil Éireann. This is provided for under the Constitution and electoral law.
Vacancies
Four TDs were elected to the European Parliament and took office on 16 July, vacating their seats in the Dáil. One TD, Joe Carey, resigned from the Dáil on grounds of ill health.Retiring incumbents
Thirty outgoing members of the 33rd Dáil did not seek re-election:Candidates
The 2024 general election featured 686 candidates and 20 registered political parties. A record 248 candidates are women, which is 36% of the total and a 53% increase from 2020. This was driven by a new 40% gender quota for both men and women in political party nominations, though women remain significantly underrepresented in the Dáil and Cabinet.Campaign
In the first week of the campaign, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, speaking at an event to launch the campaign of Peter Burke, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and an outgoing Fine Gael TD for Longford–Westmeath, criticised the number of former teachers in the Dáil and advocated for more private-sector professionals to address infrastructure challenges. O'Leary's remarks were widely condemned by teaching unions and representatives of other parties as disrespectful to teachers and public servants. O'Leary defended his comments as a call for professional diversity in politics, while some government leaders distanced themselves from his views, emphasising the value of teachers' contributions to society.Following the first week of canvassing, the BBC suggested the primary issues in the campaign were the housing crisis, strained healthcare services, the rising cost of living, concerns over public spending and immigration reform. The Guardian has suggested the main campaign issues are the cost of living, housing, healthcare funding, immigration, and the use of a €14 billion tax windfall following the resolution of Apple's EU tax dispute. It has suggested voters are concerned about rising living costs, high rents, and healthcare resources, while the topic of immigration has become polarising, with calls for tougher controls. The Apple windfall has sparked debates on whether it should fund housing, infrastructure, or social services.
In addition to the criticism Fine Gael received due to their selection of John McGahon as a candidate, the party were also challenged during the campaign on their handling of Patsy O'Brien, a Mayo candidate expelled from the party in 2020 for sending inappropriate messages to a party staff member. Fine Gael cited privacy concerns for not disclosing the reason at the time, while opposition parties accused Fine Gael of hypocrisy, noting Fine Gael's call for political accountability during the campaign. O'Brien, now running as an Independent, refused to comment on the allegations, citing legal advice. Further scrutiny emerged around Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton, who canvassed with O'Brien in 2020 despite allegedly knowing about his misconduct.
On 22 November, during the final weekend of the campaign, Simon Harris walked away from an emotional exchange with Charlotte Fallon, a carer from St Joseph's Foundation, in Kanturk, County Cork. Fallon, a worker in a section 39 disability organisation, accused the government of neglecting carers and people with disabilities. Harris dismissed her claims, leading to a tense exchange and his abrupt departure after she called him "not a good man". The incident, captured on video by RTÉ News, drew criticism from activists and opposition politicians who condemned Harris for his dismissive response. Fallon later said she felt "shaken" and upset. Harris rang her the following morning to apologise, admitting he had been "harsh" and should have given her more time. Fine Gael deputy leader Helen McEntee defended Harris, citing the long day of campaigning.
On 23 November Philip Sutcliffe Snr, a councillor for Independent Ireland and candidate for Dublin South-Central, quit the party after controversy arose over his association with Conor McGregor following McGregor being found liable for rape in a civil trial. Another issue was Sutcliffe's reported interest in meeting career criminal Gerry Hutch, who also ran in the election. Sutcliffe faced criticism from party leadership, who deemed his actions and public statements inconsistent with their commitment to law and order.
On 26 November, the Irish Daily Mirror alleged that on 22 November Fine Gael had pressured RTÉ News on how the video of Simon Harris in Kanturk would be framed. Later the same day, Fine Gael confirmed that contact had been made between the party and RTÉ, but insisted that communication between political party press offices and RTÉ was routine and a daily occurrence throughout the campaign. Mary Lou McDonald called the interaction "chilling" while Gary Gannon of the Social Democrats stated "The Taoiseach cannot have his cake and eat it. There were all sorts of videos put out of him dancing at the start of the campaign. We hear him talking a lot about a new energy but what was clearly lacking was a new empathy". How the political parties interact with the media has been another issue in the campaign. On 19 November during the launch of Sinn Féin's manifesto, it was noted by journalists that the manifesto contained a pledge to investigate RTÉ News coverage of the Gaza war if Sinn Féin enters government. Harris called the measure "chilling" while journalists from several Irish news outlets and the National Union of Journalists expressed deep concern about political interference in news coverage.
Although she was due to give birth, the leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns continued to work throughout the campaign, switching to social media in the final week. On 29 November, the day of the poll, Cairns gave birth to a girl.