Counting has begun in the Irish general election, as exit polls suggest a close contest between the three major parties.

The Irish General Election 2024 will be held this Friday, November 29 - here, an overview of the major political parties running candidates. What parties are running in the Irish General Election 2024?

Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris has said it is "too close to call" how many seats his party will win in the Irish general election. Exit polls suggest a close contest between the three major parties. Figures show Sinn Féin slightly ahead of both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in first preference votes.

Gradually reduce the rate of annual spending growth from 6.6% in 2026 to 5.5% by 2030, with no cap on day-to-day spending. Transfer the same amount as Fine Gael to the two wealth funds. Sinn Fein: Increase current and particularly capital expenditure by more than the other two parties to leave 15 billion euros to invest in the wealth funds.

Join Chris Buckler and Elaine McGee for live coverage of the race for the Dáil.

The leaders of the three main Irish political parties have all been re-elected to serve in the Dáil (Irish parliament). So far, 41 of the Dáil's 174 seats have been filled, with counting to resume on Sunday morning.

Sinn Féin, the former political arm of the IRA, is hoping Ireland's 2024 election will bring it to power for the first time ever.

Counting is to get under way later on Saturday morning in the Irish general election, as exit polls suggest a close contest between the three major parties. Figures from Friday's exit poll show Sinn Féin slightly ahead of both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in first preference votes.