Taoiseach explains thinking behind Saturday election
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed that he asked President Michael D Higgins to dissolve the 32nd Dáil as the country is set to go to the polls on February 8.
Unusually, the General Election will take place on a Saturday - making it the first time in over a century that the vote will take place at the weekend.
"In holding the General Election on a Saturday for the first time, I do so knowing the inconvenience to families of a polling day on a weekday during school term - time off work, lost income, increased childcare costs," the Taoiseach explained.
"I also want to make it easier for students and those working away from home to cast their votes."
While saying that the economy "has never been stronger", Mr Varadkar acknowledged that not everyone is seeing the benefits.
"Many people don’t feel the strength of our economy in their pockets and they don’t see it in their payslips or in their towns and parishes.
"We have a plan for fairer taxes – for future jobs and for rural Ireland - to put that right."
Among the key issues for the next Dáil will be dealing the Brexit - a process Mr Varadkar is "not done. In fact, it's only half-time," he said.
