Second General Election Backed As Deadlock Continues

The odds on a second general election taking place in Ireland this year are falling again after new Labour leader Alan Kelly appeared to reiterate his party’s policy on joining a coalition.

The Tipperary TD was confirmed as Brendan Howlin’s successor before the weekend as he saw off Aodhán O Ríordáin in the leadership race triggered by the election result, which saw the party return to the Dáil with just six TDs.

Kelly’s first statement as leader however has dampened expectations of a breakthrough in coalition talks, as he insisted it is ‘up to other parties to form a stable government’ with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael continuing to seek agreement from a third party to form a majority.

With both the Green Party and Labour not yet willing to come on board, the chances of a second election this year are once more being gambled as BoyleSports cut the odds into 9/2 from 7/1 at the weekend.

That prospect had been out at 10/1 when polling stations opened on February 8th.

The chances of independent TDs making up the numbers is now the 7/4 frontrunner of the most likely outcomes, but that solution is unlikely to prevent calls for a second election to be triggered before the end of the year.

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