Analysis by BBC News NI political editor Enda McClafferty

When Higgins formally dissolves the Dáil, that will sound the starting gun on the election campaign.

But its quite clear the parties were not waiting for that gun – they already started this morning.

Along the street near government buildings, you can see the posters on the lampposts and large screens being driven around Dublin by Fianna Fáil trying to urge people to vote for them.

Not surprisingly, it’s only going to be a three week campaign so time is very much of the essence.

This morning, Micheál Martin took some early swipes at Sinn Féin, rejecting any plans to form a coalition government.

Mary Lou McDonald made it clear at a campaign launch on Thursday that her preference is a coalition of the left led by Sinn Féin.