Most people expect early general election in autumn, says Labour leader

Most people in Ireland now expect an early general election will be held in the autumn, Labour leader Ivana Bacik has said.

Ms Bacik was reacting following the results of European and local government elections across the state.

Results emerging from the three elections have provided a political fillip for coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, while opposition party Sinn Fein has initiated a review after performing well below its own expectations.

This has led to increased speculation that Taoiseach Simon Harris could call an early general election.

“I think most people believe the general election will be held in the autumn,” Ms Bacik told RTE’s The Week In Politics show.

She added: “I think it’s most likely to be late October. We are ready for it when it comes.”

Fine Gael minister of state and Government chief whip Hildegarde Naughton said the timing of the election was a matter for Mr Harris.

Fine Gael minister of state Hildegarde Naughton said the centre had held in recent elections (Brian Lawless/PA)

She added: “We have a lot of legislation we need to get through and we are really focused on that.”

Ms Naughton said it had been positive elections for Fine Gael, which received the biggest share of the vote in both the European and local polls.

She said: “For government parties in a mid-term election, I think right across the globe, there is always the understanding that you will get a hit – I think it’s important to acknowledge that.

“The centre, in the main, held in these local and European elections.

“We did get Nina Carberry and Maria Walsh over the line and elected in Midlands-North-West and Regina Doherty in Dublin.”

Asked about the failure to secure a second MEP seat in the Ireland South constituency, the minister said “it just didn’t work out this time”.

She added: “That is something we will reflect on, but overall the party did well and the centre did hold.”

Kathleen Funchion was elected as a Sinn Fein MEP in Ireland South.

Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald, left, celebrates with Sinn Fein candidate Kathleen Funchion (Brian Lawless/PA)

She said that while her party had made some gains, the overall election results were disappointing.

Ms Funchion said: “I think it is really important to be honest and say that wasn’t the day we were hoping for, that wasn’t the election we were hoping for.

“We have to acknowledge that. We do have a job of work to do now to figure out where the messaging went wrong.”

She added: “There is a number of different factors we need to look at now the counting is done.

European Labour candidate Aodhan O Riordain was elected MEP for the Dublin constituency (Gareth Chaney/PA)

“We do have to focus on that now and be ready, because the key thing I think is we really do need a change of government.”

Ms Bacik said her party was thrilled with the election of Aodhan O Riordain as an MEP in Dublin.

She said: “I think what we saw is that voters recognise there is a policy commonality, a commonality of purpose between ourselves, the Green Party and the Social Democrats, the centre-left progressive parties.

“It is a time where across Europe we are seeing centre-left progressive and green parties coming together as they have done in the Netherlands, as they are doing now in France in the face of the common threat of the far right.

“I do believe we need to do more of that in Ireland.”