The Taoiseach has said he expects a “fascinating couple of days” after he cast his vote in the General Election minutes after polling stations opened. Simon Harris said that where transfer votes would go – a key part of Ireland’s proportional representation with a single transferrable vote system (PR-STV) – would decide the make-up and stability of the next government.

Ireland is voting Friday in a parliamentary election that will decide the next government — and will show whether Ireland bucks the global trend of incumbents being ousted by disgruntled voters after years of pandemic,

Ireland goes to the polls on Friday with the incumbent coalition parties neck-and-neck with opposition party Sinn Fein after a campaign marked by rancour over housing and cost-of-living crises.

Irish premier Simon Harris said he expects a ‘fascinating couple of days’ after he submitted his ballot minutes after polling stations opened.

Polling stations have opened across Ireland this morning after a three-week election campaign. Fine Gael's Simon Harris, Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin and Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald are all battling it out to become Ireland's next taoiseach - though no party has put forward enough candidates for a majority,