Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been rewarded by voters who believe they have managed the economy well. Buoyed by strong corporation tax receipts, Ireland is running a budget surplus of at least €23 billion (£19 billion). As a result, all parties have committed to substantial increases in public expenditure, both current and capital.

Ireland has proved a partial exception to the anti-incumbent mood in elections around the world. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, which have dominated Irish politics for a century, remain in the driving seat, though their combined share of the vote has declined to just over 40%.

However, no one party fielded enough candidates to win the majority in the Irish General Election 2024, paving the way for another coalition Government - the outgoing Dáil Éireann, elected in 2020, saw Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and The Green Party come together in a coalition.