The Taoiseach has said he believes the next General election should be held in May next year.

Leo Varadkar set out his preferred timetable in a speech at the Fine Gael think-in in County Cork this afternoon.

He said the meeting to be the last of this Dáil session.

“I have always said that I believed that the next General Election should take place in the summer of 2020,” he said.

“I think May 2020 is the right moment.

“It will allow to us to complete a full parliamentary session in the new year, discharge our Government duties around St Patrick’s Day and the March European Council and have a new Government in place well in advance of the next summer recess.”

He said the timetable “should” give enough time to secure a Brexit deal or see the country through the worst of No Deal.

He admitted however, that “timelines, when it comes to Brexit, are unpredictable.”

He said he believes Fine Gael can win the election should it be called and attacked Fianna Fáil – insisting the party can’t be trusted.

He also claimed the Green Party could be a Trojan Horse that lets Fianna Fáil back into government.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said he does not like the idea of agreeing an election date with so many unanswered questions surrounding Brexit.