Irish coalition partners go head to head in campaign

Since his election as taoiseach in March, observers have also been noting several high-profile interventions by Harris about events relating to both sides of the Irish border.

Twice in that time he has publicly rebuked people about how they used the Irish national flag.

On the day he accepted leadership of Fine Gael, he lambasted those who used the flag at the funeral of Pearce McAuley.

McAuley was jailed for 14 years for the manslaughter of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe who was shot dead by an IRA gang in County Limerick in June 1996.

“In a week where I saw the tricolour of this republic draped over the coffin of a Garda killer, I say shame. Let’s take our flag back,” he said.

In the summer, he returned to the theme when activists from Dublin waved the flag during an anti-immigration protest in Belfast.

The protest was followed by rioting.