The majority of Irish people are expected to go back to not paying any attention to national politics this afternoon following the resignation of Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald.
Mass panic had set in at the thoughts of a snap election being called over the next few weeks when Frances Fitzgerald refused to resign over her role in the Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe email scandal.
However, her resignation this afternoon means that it is now unlikely the public will be called to the polls before Christmas, which will leave people scratching their heads wondering why they were paying so much attention to the news in the first place.
The thoughts of a snap election struck fear into the hearts of some, especially those who would lose out on the expected increase in social welfare payments in the event of an election.
One Blanchardstown local, Stephen Carthy (32) spoke to Oxygen.ie about his reaction to a potential election shortly before this morning’s news broke.
“No polls, only dole; that’s what I say!”, Mr. Carthy said.
“So what if she messed up with a couple of e-mails. Sure I don’t even check mine half of the time, it does only be some tool trying to send me money”
“If only these Nigerian princes were actually legit about it; then I could open my actual mail too. The Debt Bureau send me more leaflets than the chipper these days.”
Leo Varadkar stated over the last few days that he was reluctant to call an election, although one Fine Gael source told Oxygen.ie the actual reason for this was not previously made clear.
“It’s nothing to do with polls or votes or instability; Christmas is four weeks away and he hasn’t bought one present!”, the source said.
“Elections might take a lot of time and planning, but it’s nothing like trying to haul your arse down Grafton Street on the morning of the 24th of December to do all your Christmas shopping”.
“If it had have happened, I don’t think Santa would have been visiting the Varadkar home.”
The situation unfolds just 18 months after the country’s last general election, which transformed the government from a toothless cabinet led by Fine Gael to another toothless, more fractured Fine Gael led government.
Despite Frances Fitzgerald’s departure from the cabinet, bookmakers are suggesting that the an election will take place before the end of 2018.
Again, the public can expect another ‘major transformation’, with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil leading the latest opinion polls.
Until then, public interest is expected to revert back to pressing issues including the Late Late Toy Show, the upcoming Royal Wedding and the hotly-anticipated I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here final.