14 May 2022
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
When will the next general election take place?
The current Dáil – which is controlled by a Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Green coalition – must be dissolved no later than 19 February 2025. The 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”. The writ for the election must be moved on the dissolution of the Dáil. The election must take place on a day 18 to 25 days (disregarding any excluded day) after the writs have been moved.
So, while no precise date is known yet, the election has to take place in the next 2 years, 9 months, and 6 days. At that stage, the electorate will have their say on who they want to be their new between 169 to 179 TDs across 39 constituencies, although the number of constituencies may change before the election).
