There are a number of road closures across the city centre and protests are expected outside Dail Eireann as Micheal Martin is set to be elected Taoiseach today. Fianna Fáil leader Martin will become Taoiseach this afternoon for the second time as the new Government is formed. As nervous Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs watch their phones to hear if they will be appointed to Cabinet, they will also have one eye on the door as they will not be back at work for two weeks.
Although the Dáil has not sat properly since November 7, TDs will not meet again until Wednesday February 5. It is understood that the break is to allow new ministers to settle into their new departments and read up on their briefs. The Dáil sat on December 18 to formally read the names of TDs in the 34th Dáil into the official record.
There was a failure to nominate a Taoiseach that day and there has been no sitting since. When business gets back under way in the Dáil on February 5, it will have been nearly two months since traditional business took place in Leinster House. The Dáil will sit today, however, with proceedings kicking off from 11am.
It is understood that Fianna Fáil’s youngest TD, Albert Dolan from Galway East, will nominate Micheál Martin as Taoiseach. This will be Mr Martin’s second time becoming Taoiseach, but it will be the first time his family will be present to mark the occasion as proceedings were curtailed in June 2020 due to the pandemic. He will travel to Áras an .