Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are neck and neck in a new opinion poll.
The Sunday Times/ Behaviour and Attitudes December Poll shows Leo Varadkar's party is unchanged on 27%, while Micheál Martin's party has gained two points to 27%.
Sinn Féin is up three points to 20%, while Labour and the Greens are unchanged on 6%.
Solidarity People Before Profit are down one to 3%, Independent Alliance have dropped two points to 2%, while the Social Democrats are down one to 1%.
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The Taoiseach said tackling online hate while defending free-speech is a tricky balancing act.
Leo Varadkar said Ireland's laws are under review to rein-in those who incite hatred.
However, he suggested defining that in law is very challenging.
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The funeral of a young mum who died from injuries sustained in a serious assault last week takes place today.
Nadine Lott passed away in hospital less than four days after being attacked at an apartment in Arklow in Co Wicklow.
A 32-year-old man has appeared in court charged in connection with the incident.
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A lorry has crashed into a bus in Guatemala, killing at least 20 people, including children.
A dozen others are injured after it happened in Gualan, almost 160 kilometres east of the capital Guatemala city.
The HGV toppled onto its side along a curve on a two-lane road.
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Australia's prime minister says it's 'not credible' to link climate change to the devastating bushfires across large parts of the country.
Scott Morrison says 'many other factors' are to blame, despite a recent record-breaking heatwave, but acknowledged there's “no argument” regarding the links “between broader issues of global climate change and weather events around the world”.
Since September, the fire crisis in Australia has destroyed more than 700 homes.
His government has been criticised for not doing enough to fight climate change - cited as a major factor in the spate of bushfires.
