Valentine’s Day massacre

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, centre, Minister for Business Heather Humphries TD, left, and Fine Gael chairman Martin Heydon at City Assembly House, Dublin ahead of a Fine Gael party meeting today

This afternoon.

Michael Brennan, in the Business Post, reports:

There has to be a three-week election campaign, because the election date must be between the 18th and 25th day of the clerk of the Dáil moving the writ for a general election.

So the earliest election date would be in early to mid-February – such as Friday 7 or Friday 14.

Varadkar has been joking that he could go for an election on February 14 for the love of the people and a “Valentine’s day massacre” of his opponents.

Right so.

Varadkar ponders a Valentine’s Day massacre (Michael Brennan, Business Post)

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

Meanwhile…