Ireland's Election: Housing Crisis and Tight Race Define Vote

Ireland is holding a closely contested election with the centre-right parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fail running neck and neck with the leftist-nationalist Sinn Fein, each garnering around 20% support. The election is dominated by issues such as the housing crisis and cost of living, despite Ireland's strong public finances. Fine Gael's leader, Simon Harris, called the election after announcing significant tax cuts and spending increases. The final results may take days to determine due to Ireland's proportional representation voting system.