Irish Election - Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs

Now one of the points people make against the abolition of stamp duty is that the money will go to the developer rather then the people. So here is a quick idea. How about instead of cutting the tax what about letting people write their income tax payments off against this. I.E they don’t pay [...]

Are you a floating voter. No 62% Yes 32%. So still 32% of the electorate (IE readers) to play for people.
New Poll.
What is more likely to influence your voting
Economy or Environment.

Where can I start the bidding, lads?
Do I hear lower taxes to opening things up, gentlemen? Anyone? Ah, yes, we have an opening bid of lower taxes from…hang, on – is that you, Mr Rabbitte? Are you serious?
OK then…we have lower taxes to get things going, any advance on that?

Ireland into the 21st century – with such a bewildering speed and transformation that future historians will rely on the refrain of ‘all is changed, changed utterly.’ Even the prospective power-sharing alignment in the North only confirms, and conforms to, this modernisation. The exception, of course, is the Republic’s stubborn maintenance of the [...]

Donegal South-West, not wanting to be left out the fun and games in North-East, has apparently seen a power play by FG HQ.  Joining the trend of unretirements, Dinny McGinley says he’s back on the ticket at the expense of Cllr Terence Slowey, who apparently has been persuaded to withdraw [UPDATED 2 MARCH].

Most of Labour’s critics, armed with a deadly cocktail of ignorance and arrogance, have dismissed it as a sideshow. There was never a strong left-wing party in Ireland, they say, because there was never a strong industrial base from which to build such a party. The only place where a true working class existed, the [...]

Stardust survivor Antoinette Keegan is set to run in Dublin North Central in protest at the lack of inquiry into what took place that evening.
“The Government has set up an independent examination to assess whether or not a new inquiry is warranted.However, the Stardust Victims Committee, for which Ms Keegan is a spokesperson, has rejected [...]

Simon noted his last appearance, at Newgrange.  Monday’s Irish Times has found him again.

Carlow Nationalist
Carlow area is bottom of the league for gardaí
Clare People
Ryanair grounded for junket
Kildare Nationalist
Following Enda’s train of thought
Leitrim Observer
Fine Gael on election footing at packed regional rally
 Roscomman Herald
Major expansion plan underway at prison
Western People
Beverley denies ‘pact’ with FF
Drogheda Independent.
FF in Meath East carve up constituency for election
Meath Chronicle
Candidate Geraghty slams Tanaiste’s crime measures 
Nenagh Guardian.
Town [...]

You really can’t make this stuff up. From Fianna Fail on the launch of ASBO’s. One of the “crimes” to be dealt with by ASBO’s
persistently knocking on doors
This being an election year, it is probably the politicans that are doing most of the knocking on doors at the moment.

There is many interesting things coming out of the green convention but the one thing that made me look twice was the call for a

‘buffer period’ for government officials before they take up employment in the private sector.

Now this was in the context of banning corporate donations. Something I agree with. However the [...]

Reading smiffy’s post here and some of the responses to it, what strikes me most forcibly about this period of Labour history is how it has ceased to be a national party (the 1/2 in the dreaded 2 and 1/2 party system) and is now one of a number of parties of and on the [...]

Cork South Central TD Dan Boyle led the chorus of merry Green Party members as he strummed his guitar in the wee hours at the Galway Bay Hotel and sang that famous Monkees tune: “I’m a believer. There’s not a trace of doubt in my mind.”

I am not sure whether to be amused or nervous about this. One of the Republican Sinn Fein Limerick posse are considering standing as an “abstentionist” member of Dail Eireann.
That is right, he would collect a TD’s salary, but not turn up for work. He would just be changing the place where he [...]

Sunday’s Business Post has the monthly poll in it. Results:
Fianna Fail: 38% (-4)
Fine Gael: 22% (+1)
Labour: 14% (+2)
Greens: 8% (+1)
Sinn Fein: 7% -
PDs: 4% (+1)
Independent/Other: 7%
While there are a multitude of trends emerging from these polls, the overarching impression seems to be the realtion between press exposure (of almost any kind) and party support.  The [...]