Politics

Behind the scenes: Spin doctors and insiders who will dictate year of elections

From old hands to fresh faces and political anoraks, Ireland’s parties are putting their teams together ahead of a year of make-or-break elections

Simon Coveney, Minister for Enterprise, is Fine Gael’s director of elections for the European elections, while Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, is heading up the party’s general election strategy. Picture: RollingNews.ie

In less than six months, the public will go to the polls in the local and European elections with a general election expected less than a year after that.

Each political party in Ireland has, since late last year, been gathering behind closed doors as these elections near - none more so than the three coalition parties, each of which will be vying for increased representation and another turn in government.

Sinn Féin, meanwhile, will ...