Irish voters look likely to dump Prime Minister Leo Varadkar from power in an election on Saturday amid a surge by Sinn Fein that could alter the political landscape, even though the nationalist party is unlikely to win a place in government this time.

Opinion polls in recent days have pointed to the main opposition Fianna Fail winning the most seats and forming a multi-party coalition or minority government, with policies on the economy and post-Brexit broadly similar to those of Varadkar and his centre-right Fine Gael.

However, the left-wing Sinn Fein could win the popular vote if the vote reflects recent polls. On Monday, the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was polling at 25 per cent, ahead of Fianna Fail on 23 per cent and Fine Gael on 20 per cent.

<img alt="Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5c28cfae-9132-4966-8a6c-dd3cf795d5a8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design_68.jpg" /> 
[&nbsp;Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

Sinn Fein has put forward too few candidates to capitalise, as the groundswell of support caught the party itself off guard after it sunk to 9 per cent at local elections last year. Analysts say it may only be able to gain a few seats and retain its position as the third-largest party in parliament.

Yet while both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael insist they will not govern with Sinn Fein, citing its IRA past and differing economic policies, such an outcome would demonstrate an appetite for change in decades-long centrist Ireland.

The IRA fought against British rule in Northern Ireland in a 30-year conflict in which some 3,600 people were killed before a 1998 peace deal. Sinn Fein's ultimate aim is to unify Ireland and British-run Northern Ireland, where it shares power.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/northern-ireland-abortion-laws-violate-womens-rights-un-body-33835">Northern Ireland abortion laws violate women's rights: UN body</a>

Polls close at 2200 GMT on Saturday and will be followed immediately by an exit poll giving the first indication of the outcome. Counting begins at 0900 GMT on Sunday with some results expected from the early afternoon.

"We just need a change in Ireland, it's very obvious," said Eilis Wall, a 40-year-old preschool owner who travelled 200 km (125 miles)to Dublin from the western county of Clare on Wednesday to join thousands of childcare workers calling for better state funding.

"Fine Gael has let us down and Fianna Fail were worse before that. I'm voting for change," she said, adding that meant switching to Sinn Fein from Fine Gael.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irish-pm-leo-varadkar-to-hold-a-parliamentary-election-in-february-274252">Irish PM Leo Varadkar to hold a parliamentary election in February</a>

Wall said she plans to change careers away from childcare because she cannot save for a pension - the sort of economic worry affecting large swathes of voters who feel left behind amid a boom that has made Ireland's economy the fastest growing in the European Union for six straight years.

Varadkar had hoped the upturn his party has overseen since 2011 and his diplomatic successes so far on Brexit - helping prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland after Britain's departure from the EU - would extend his near three-year premiership.

<img alt="Varadkar" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3b73db71-3487-48b6-99e7-00425b674e63" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_82.jpg" /> 
[Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (Courtesy: Reuters)]

The strategy appears to have fallen flat amid domestic issues such as healthcare and housing. The immediate beneficiary looks set to be Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, a 59-year-old former teacher whose party suffered an unprecedented electoral collapse nine years ago after the government he was a member of had to seek an EU/IMF bailout.

The election could be most pivotal for Sinn Fein, which has moved on from the long leadership of Gerry Adams and is run by a new generation of politicians led by Mary Lou McDonald. The party has struck a chord with younger voters on the defining election issue: the cost and availability of housing.

"We're seeing a version of what we've seen elsewhere, a growing constituency, particularly among younger voters and those who feel left behind that the neoliberal agenda has not worked for them," said David Farrell, professor of politics at University College Dublin. "The gains Sinn Fein are making are consistent with what we're seeing in other democracies."

Irish voters look likely to dump Prime Minister Leo Varadkar from power in an election on Saturday amid a surge by Sinn Fein that could alter the political landscape, even though the nationalist party is unlikely to win a place in government this time.

Irish voters look likely to dump Prime Minister Leo Varadkar from power in an election on Saturday amid a surge by Sinn Fein that could alter the political landscape, even though the nationalist party is unlikely to win a place in government this time. Opinion polls in recent days have pointed to the main opposition Fianna Fail winning the most seats and forming a multi-party coalition or minority government, with policies on the economy and post-Brexit broadly similar to those of Varadkar and his centre-right Fine Gael. However, the left-wing Sinn Fein could win the popular vote if the vote reflects recent polls. On Monday, the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was polling at 25 per cent, ahead of Fianna Fail on 23 per cent and Fine Gael on 20 per cent. [ Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Sinn Fein has put forward too few candidates to capitalise, as the groundswell of support caught the party itself off guard after it sunk to 9 per cent at local elections last year. Analysts say it may only be able to gain a few seats and retain its position as the third-largest party in parliament. Yet while both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael insist they will not govern with Sinn Fein, citing its IRA past and differing economic policies, such an outcome would demonstrate an appetite for change in decades-long centrist Ireland. The IRA fought against British rule in Northern Ireland in a 30-year conflict in which some 3,600 people were killed before a 1998 peace deal. Sinn Fein's ultimate aim is to unify Ireland and British-run Northern Ireland, where it shares power. Also Read: Northern Ireland abortion laws violate women's rights: UN body Polls close at 2200 GMT on Saturday and will be followed immediately by an exit poll giving the first indication of the outcome. Counting begins at 0900 GMT on Sunday with some results expected from the early afternoon. "We just need a change in Ireland, it's very obvious," said Eilis Wall, a 40-year-old preschool owner who travelled 200 km (125 miles)to Dublin from the western county of Clare on Wednesday to join thousands of childcare workers calling for better state funding. "Fine Gael has let us down and Fianna Fail were worse before that. I'm voting for change," she said, adding that meant switching to Sinn Fein from Fine Gael. Also Read: Irish PM Leo Varadkar to hold a parliamentary election in February Wall said she plans to change careers away from childcare because she cannot save for a pension - the sort of economic worry affecting large swathes of voters who feel left behind amid a boom that has made Ireland's economy the fastest growing in the European Union for six straight years. Varadkar had hoped the upturn his party has overseen since 2011 and his diplomatic successes so far on Brexit - helping prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland after Britain's departure from the EU - would extend his near three-year premiership. [Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (Courtesy: Reuters)] The strategy appears to have fallen flat amid domestic issues such as healthcare and housing. The immediate beneficiary looks set to be Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, a 59-year-old former teacher whose party suffered an unprecedented electoral collapse nine years ago after the government he was a member of had to seek an EU/IMF bailout. The election could be most pivotal for Sinn Fein, which has moved on from the long leadership of Gerry Adams and is run by a new generation of politicians led by Mary Lou McDonald. The party has struck a chord with younger voters on the defining election issue: the cost and availability of housing. "We're seeing a version of what we've seen elsewhere, a growing constituency, particularly among younger voters and those who feel left behind that the neoliberal agenda has not worked for them," said David Farrell, professor of politics at University College Dublin. "The gains Sinn Fein are making are consistent with what we're seeing in other democracies."

The end for Varadkar is nigh; Irish vote may give Sinn Fein a surging lead

Irish Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/irish-prime-minister-leo-varadkar-visits-family-in-india-270879">Leo Varadkar</a> will ask President Michael D. Higgins to dissolve parliament on Tuesday in order to hold a parliamentary election in February, the president's office said.

The Irish Times and national broadcaster RTE said Varadkar had told his ministers the ballot would be on February&nbsp;8.

The campaign is set to pit the 40-year-old prime minister's record on the fast-growing economy against struggling services, particularly in the health service and expensive housing market, in contest polls suggest is too close to call.

Varadkar's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/northern-irelands-dup-oppose-united-kingdom-governments-brexit-plan-256446">Fine Gael</a> and the fellow center-right <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-ireland-beat-britain-in-the-brexit-divorce-battle-179372">Fianna Fail</a> are closely matched in opinion polls, and some distance ahead of their other rivals, increasingly the likelihood that one of the two parties with similar policies on the economy and Brexit will lead another minority administration.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We’ve made some good progress since I’ve become Taoiseach. But I know it’s not enough, and we want to do much more. <a href="https://twitter.com/FineGael?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FineGael</a> has the team, the track record and the plans to build a future we can all look forward to.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LookForward?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LookForward</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tox3EBxHVm">pic.twitter.com/Tox3EBxHVm</a>
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeoVaradkar/status/1217053753095983104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Fine Gael has led a minority government since 2016 through a cooperation deal with Fianna Fail, their fiercest rivals, after neither party came close to getting enough votes to form a working coalition last time out.

Varadkar, 40, became the once-staunchly Catholic country's first gay premier in 2017, a year after the last election when his party hoped a generational shift could lead them to a third successive term for the first time.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail both refuse to govern with the country's third-largest party <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-general-election-a-look-at-possible-outcomes-of-the-uk-vote-267764">Sinn Fein</a>, once the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), meaning smaller parties such as the resurgent Greens could decide whether Varadkar or Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin become the next prime minister.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will ask President Michael D. Higgins to dissolve parliament on Tuesday in order to hold a parliamentary election in February, the president's office said.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will ask President Michael D. Higgins to dissolve parliament on Tuesday in order to hold a parliamentary election in February, the president's office said. The Irish Times and national broadcaster RTE said Varadkar had told his ministers the ballot would be on February 8. The campaign is set to pit the 40-year-old prime minister's record on the fast-growing economy against struggling services, particularly in the health service and expensive housing market, in contest polls suggest is too close to call. Varadkar's Fine Gael and the fellow center-right Fianna Fail are closely matched in opinion polls, and some distance ahead of their other rivals, increasingly the likelihood that one of the two parties with similar policies on the economy and Brexit will lead another minority administration. We’ve made some good progress since I’ve become Taoiseach. But I know it’s not enough, and we want to do much more. @FineGael has the team, the track record and the plans to build a future we can all look forward to.#LookForward pic.twitter.com/Tox3EBxHVm — Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) January 14, 2020 × Fine Gael has led a minority government since 2016 through a cooperation deal with Fianna Fail, their fiercest rivals, after neither party came close to getting enough votes to form a working coalition last time out. Varadkar, 40, became the once-staunchly Catholic country's first gay premier in 2017, a year after the last election when his party hoped a generational shift could lead them to a third successive term for the first time. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail both refuse to govern with the country's third-largest party Sinn Fein, once the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), meaning smaller parties such as the resurgent Greens could decide whether Varadkar or Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin become the next prime minister.

Irish PM Leo Varadkar to hold a parliamentary election in February

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The end for Varadkar is nigh; Irish vote may give Sinn Fein a surging lead

Irish PM Leo Varadkar to hold a parliamentary election in February