Irish PM to call general election this week

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Tuesday that he plans to call a parliamentary election later this week, likely setting up a polling date for the end of the month.

Harris has until March to go to the polls but has been laying the ground for an earlier election since last month's 10.5 billion euro budget giveaway, with many voters starting to benefit from the package this week.

"I do intend to seek a dissolution of the Dail (parliament) this week, I don't think that will come as a shock to any person right across this country," Harris told reporters.

"We need to get through the business of the next few days first," he added, referring to legislation the government aims to pass through parliament by Thursday before Harris names the election date, expected to be November 29.

An opinion poll on Sunday put Harris' Fine Gael on 26%, its main coalition partners and fellow centre-right Fianna Fail on 20%, with the main opposition party Sinn Fein trailing on 18%.