Next Irish general election
The next Irish general election to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of Ireland's parliament, the Oireachtas, will be held on or before Thursday 20 February 2025, to elect 160 TDs across 39 constituencies.
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As the 2020 general election resulted in a situation whereby government formation required the participation of a minimum three political groups (or two political groups plus a number of independents), the possibility of a snap election being held before the end of the five-year term of the Dáil remains high.
No Taoiseach with a mandate to form a government was nominated by the Dáil when it first met on 20 February. Leo Varadkar resigned as Taoiseach, but continued to carry out the duties pending the appointment of his successor.[1] Negotiations continued, and concluded on 27 June 2020 with the election of Micheál Martin as Taoiseach in a three-way coalition government, consisting of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party.
Electoral system
The 160 members of the Dáil will be elected in 39 multi-member constituencies, each with between three and five seats, using the single transferable vote system in which voters rank candidates on their ballot papers. When the ballot papers are counted, an electoral quota is created by dividing the number of valid votes by the number of seats, plus one.
Any candidate receiving a number of votes exceeding the quota is elected. If fewer candidates reach the quota than the number of seats to be filled, the last-placed candidate is removed from the count and the second or subsequent preferences on those ballot papers are redistributed until a candidate is elected. If such a candidate now has more votes than the quota, their surplus is given to other candidates in order of ranking on the ballot papers. This is repeated until sufficient candidates have passed the quota to fill the available seats,[2] 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 without a quota is deemed elected at that point.
The outgoing Ceann Comhairle will be returned automatically unless they announce to the Dáil that they wish to retire as a TD.[3]
Constituency Boundaries are automatically revised every 5 years after publication of census data from censii normally held in the 1st and 6th year of a decade. In the normal course of events this would result in a revision of constituency boundaries the following year, 2022 in this case. Owing to a one year delay in holding census 2021 there will be no change to constituency boundaries or seats before mid 2023. [4]
Latest possible date
The next general election cannot be held later than Thursday 20 February 2025. This date derives from the Electoral Act, 1992: Section 33, which states that the same Dáil shall not continue for a longer period than five years from the date of its first meeting.[5]
Opinion polls

Last date of polling |
Polling firm / Commissioner | Sample size |
SF | FF | FG | GP | Lab | SD | S–PBP | Aon | O/I[nb 1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 January 2021 | Red C/Business Post[p 1][p 2] | 1,000 | 27 | 16 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
17 January 2021 | Ireland Thinks/Irish Mail on Sunday[p 3] | 1,247 | 29 | 15 | 28 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
15 December 2020 | Behaviour and Attitudes/The Sunday Times[p 4] | 916 | 32 | 22 | 27 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
29 November 2020 | Ireland Thinks/Irish Mail on Sunday[p 5] | 1,044 | 28 | 17 | 28 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
25 November 2020 | Red C/Business Post[p 6] | 1,000 | 30 | 12 | 33 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
24 October 2020 | Red C/Business Post[p 7][p 8] | 1,000 | 27 | 11 | 37 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
17 October 2020 | Behaviour and Attitudes/The Sunday Times[p 9] | 931 | 30 | 19 | 31 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
6 October 2020 | Ipsos MRBI/Irish Times[p 10] | 1,200 | 29 | 17 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | – [nb 2] | 8 |
26 September 2020 | Ireland Thinks/Irish Mail on Sunday[p 11] | 1,200 | 28 | 14 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
15 September 2020 | Behaviour and Attitudes/The Sunday Times[p 12] | 900 | 32 | 19 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
9 September 2020 | Red C/Business Post[6] | 1,000 | 27 | 10 | 35 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
22 August 2020 | Ireland Thinks/Irish Mail on Sunday[p 13] | 1000 | 30 | 11 | 35 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
28 July 2020 | Behaviour and Attitudes/The Sunday Times[p 14] | 921 | 30 | 20 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
18 July 2020 | Ireland Thinks/Irish Mail on Sunday[p 15] | 1,000 | 26 | 12 | 38 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – [nb 2] | 10 |
20 June 2020 | Ireland Thinks/Irish Mail on Sunday[p 16] | 1,000 | 27 | 13 | 34 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – [nb 2] | 10 |
14 June 2020 | Ipsos MRBI/Irish Times[p 17] | 1,200 | 25 | 13 | 37 | 12 | 2 | [nb 3] | [nb 3] | [nb 3] | 10[nb 3] |
27 May 2020 | Red C/Business Post[p 18][p 19] | 1,000 | 27 | 15 | 35 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
23 May 2020 | Ireland Thinks/Irish Mail on Sunday[p 20] | 1,012 | 27 | 16 | 36 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – [nb 2] | 6 |
29 April 2020 | Red C/Business Post[p 21][p 22] | 1,019 | 27 | 14 | 35 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
25 March 2020 | Red C/Business Post[p 23][p 24] | 1,062 | 28 | 18 | 34 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
10 March 2020 | Behaviour and Attitudes/The Sunday Times[p 25][p 26] | 912 | 35 | 19 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 |
25 February 2020 | Behaviour and Attitudes/The Sunday Times[p 27][p 28] | 917 | 35 | 20 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
16 February 2020 | Amárach Research/Extra.ie[p 29][p 30] | 1,040 | 35 | 17 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 3 | – [nb 2] | 10 |
8 February 2020 | General election | – | 24.5 | 22.2 | 20.9 | 7.1 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 13.9 |
Opinion poll footnotes
- The figure for 'Others/Independents' is the remainder when all others are removed. As with all such calculations, the figure shown may be slightly inaccurate due to rounding effects.
- Not specifically mentioned in the report.
- The figure for 'Others/Independents' is the remainder when all others are removed. In the MRBI Poll conducted up to 14 June this figure appears to include all independents as well as all of S–PBP, Aontú and the SocDems.
Opinion poll sources
- "Fianna Fáil and Social Democrats make gains in latest Business Post/Red C poll". Business Post. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Business Post/Red C Poll". Twitter. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Next Irish General Election". Twitter. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- Moloney, Marita (20 December 2020). "Sinn Féin has overtaken Fine Gael to become the most popular political party in the country". Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- "Next Irish General Election". Twitter. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- "Boost for Sinn Féin in latest poll but Fine Gael remains most popular party". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- "Budget earns Fiana Fáil 'baby bounce' of just 1% in latest poll". Business Post. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- "Red C Research". Twitter. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- O'Brien, Stephen. "Steady support locked down for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and government in poll". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- Editor, Pat Leahy Political. "Irish Times poll: Approval ratings for Government and main party leaders fall". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 October 2020.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- Grennan, Dan (27 September 2020). "New poll finally shows surge in support for Taoiseach as Sinn Fein start to drop off". extra.ie. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- Cunningham, Paul (19 September 2020). "Slight rise in support for Sinn Féin and Fine Gael". RTÉ.
- "Fine Gael remains most popular party as support for Sinn Féin surges in new opinion poll". Galway Daily. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- https://banda.ie/wp-content/uploads/J.202038-Sunday-Times-July-2020-Report.pdf
- McDermott, Stephen (19 July 2020). "Fine Gael's popularity continues to rise as support for coalition partners falls". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- "Opinion Poll by Ireland Thinks for Mail on Sunday, 19–20 June 2020". filipvanlaenen.github.io. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- Leahy, Pat. "Irish Times poll: Almost half of Green voters support proposed coalition government". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- Beresford, Jack (31 May 2020). "New opinion poll shows support for Fine Gael remains high during Covid-19 pandemic". Irish Post. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- Colwell, Richard. "General Election Opinion Poll May 2020" (PDF). RedC/Business Post. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- Drennan, John (24 May 2020). "Latest poll shows support for Fianna Fail has dropped with one winner". Extra.ie. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- Lee, John (3 May 2020). "Fine Gael pull streets ahead of Sinn Fein in latest poll sparking rumours of new election". Extra.ie. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- "General Election Poll, May 2020" (PDF). 3 May 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- McCrave, Conor (29 March 2020). "Coronavirus measures bring surge in public support for Fine Gael, new opinion poll suggests". The Journal. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- "Post-Election & Covid-19 Opinion Poll March 2020" (PDF). Red C. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- Cunningham, Paul (14 March 2020). "Opinion poll suggests increase in support for Fine Gael". RTÉ. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- McShane, Ian (14 March 2020). "Sunday Times March 2020 Poll" (PDF). B&A. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- Lehane, Mícheál (1 March 2020). "Opinion poll suggests increase in Sinn Féin support". RTÉ. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- McShane, Ian (2 March 2020). "Sunday Times February 2020 Poll" (PDF). B&A. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- Grennan, Dan (19 February 2020). "Sinn Fein popularity would rise to 35% in event of a second election — Extra.ie Poll". Extra.ie. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- "Ireland, Amárach Research poll". @EuropeElects. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
References
- Carroll, Rory (20 February 2020). "Varadkar resigns as Irish government enters stalemate". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives)". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 24 March 2019.; "Electoral Act 1992 [Part XIX]". Irish Statute Book. 5 November 1992. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- "Electoral Act 1992, Section 36: Re-election of outgoing Chairman of Dáil". Irish Statute Book. 5 November 1992. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- "Census 2021 postponed until 2022 due to Covid-19". RTÉ. 15 September 1992. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- "Electoral Act, 1992; Part VI. Duration and Membership of Dáil". irishstatutebook.ie. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- "Poll: Fianna Fáil fades in office as Fine Gael holds strong". Business Post. Retrieved 13 September 2020.