Fine Gael sources told the paper that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had hinted at the date as he didn’t want a winter election. However, the decision will ultimately be a joint process between Varadkar and the other government leaders, Micheál Martin and Eamon Ryan.


The latest the next general election can be held is March of 2025, five years on from the 2020 general election which saw Sinn Féin dominate for the first time, while Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil struggled.


The same article claimed Varadkar wanted to negotiate a pact with Fianna Fáil and the Greens to encourage voters in the next election to transfer between them.