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

Whatever happened to good old Robin Hood and taking from the rich to give to the poor? (First posted on Skinflicks.)

I tried to repost it here, but there seems to be some Style Sheet restriction of unfathomable form. See Tuppenceworth.ie/blog for its full glory 

Here is the real question, has any party in Irish history ever delivered real tax cuts after they have been elected?
While I voted in the last local elections in Cork a few years, my poor election memory has raised the the yellow card with regards to political promises. They never seem to happen.

With the auctioneer hoarse already, let’s take a quick look at one of the promises unveiled over the weekend: abolition of stamp duty on house purchases for first time buyers and graduated rates when it is payable.

Science and politics don’t mix. Because science is not political. Take for instance the Green Party the UN and top scientists comes out with a report about Global warming and they herald it , the UN and top scientists come out with a report about Chernobyl and they say it was adding insult to [...]

Thanks to everyone who voted we got shortlisted for 3 awards. Best Political Blog, Best News and Current Affairs blog, and Best Contribution to the Irish Bloggersphere for myself and Cian. The full list is here.
Edit by Cian: Seconded, thanks to everyone who voted for us! See most of you on the night!

The construction of a private hospital on the site of the Mid-Western Regional hospital will be to the detriment to plans to move the Regional Maternity and Orthopaedic hospitals into the Dooradoyle location. That is according to Limerick East Sinn Fein candidate, Maurice Quinlivan.
He is calling on Health minister Mary Harney to scrap plans [...]

In his speech at the National conferance . Colm O’Gorman said.
We must ensure that real choice exists in primary education, that all families have an opportunity to send their children to the kind of school they wish to attend. In an increasingly multi-cultural Ireland, choice must stop being considered as a middle class luxury. [...]

Take for instance the current poker election we are having we all these income tax cuts The PD’s cut top rate to 40% so Labour cut the bottom rate to 18% so the PD’s say they will cut the top rate to 38% and the bottom rate to 18%. While the mirad of stealth taxes [...]

Not auction politics. Poker politics. See Pat Rabbitte’s 18%, and raise it 38%.

Q: What do these two things have in common?
A: They’re both in the news today for the same reason.
Two short quotes. The first one is from the list of motions for the Progressive Democrats‘ national conference today:

What is this horribly ill-defined concept that the FF and PDs are using to talk down Labour’s tax pledge?
There are two points that I think we should bear in mind, especially our journalist friends, before this awful phrase takes pride of place in the election.

I am on Newstalk’s Taste programme this evening at 8:45 reviewing Sunday’s papers. Check it out if your around (listen online here)

Some interesting bits emanating from the PD conference today. Newstalk are reporting that the party has voted to reexamine the Cafe-Bar proposal with a view to reintroducing the policy and they have also voted against the forthcoming Privacy Bill being introduced by Michael McDowell. No shortage of soundbites distancing the PDs from Fianna Fail with [...]

Fianna Fail have launched a war against Cisterns and will use W-D40 as the weapon of choice.
Pub and nightclub owners should spray toilet lids, cisterns and washhand basins with the spray lubricant, WD-40, to make it more difficult for customers to snort cocaine off their surfaces, according to Dáil candidate Cllr Michael McGrath.
Feck Gardai. [...]

New Poll on the side. With all the talk about floating voters. How many are actually out there?