After the votes are counted and the results calculated – common goals will be negotiated and a coalition formed. The shape of the next Irish government is set to be almost the same as the last one. But it will nonetheless take some weeks for the parties to agree a deal which will culminate with ministers taking office.

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.