Odds Of A Second General Election Have Been Halved

The odds on a second Irish general election taking place this year have been slashed in half just days before the country visits the polls.

No party is being backed to return with enough seats to command a majority in the Dáil after Saturday’s vote, with a complex round of negotiations expected in a bid to form a coalition government.

1/9 election favourites Fianna Fáil, as well as Fine Gael, have ruled out forming a coalition with Sinn Féin despite a surge in the polls which saw Mary Lou McDonald’s party ahead of the two main parties according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI figures.

Now the odds on a second general election being called have been cut into 10/1 from 20/1.

Should it come to pass, it would be the first time since 1982 that the country has staged two general elections in the same year.

Despite Micheál Martin’s continued resistance to the idea, a Fianna Fáil/Sinn Féin Coalition remains the most likely outcome in a competitive betting market at 3/1.

*Prices correct at time of publication