Announcement comes as polls show Simon Harris’s Fine Gael and coalition partners Fianna Fáil in position to win fourth term

Ireland will hold a general election on 29 November, the prime minister, Simon Harris, announced late on Wednesday, as polls show his centre right party Fine Gael and coalition partner Fianna Fáil in position to win a fourth term.

The country has been on election footing for the past month after the taoiseach confirmed he preferred to hold an election this year.