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

A thread on boards.ie has been the source of some impressive citizen activism in the last week and it seems the campaign there is just getting started.
As some people already know, Dublin City Council recently signed a deal with advertising group JCDecaux which would see a number of advertising panels erected on the city’s streets [...]

[Edit: To say hello and welcome stumblers. Take a look around and tell us what you think.]
The prevailing mantra of Irish and European politicians, still reeling at the Lisbon ‘No’ vote in Ireland, is that we as a small nation cannot hold up the EU. Apparently, if 26 nations have said ‘Yes’ the breaks should [...]

Today’s scenes in the EU Parliament, as detailed by Simon here, show a particular hypocrisy on the part of the protesters who urge the EU to ‘Respect’ the Irish vote. However they are not hypocrites because they only wish to respect the Irish voice now as opposed to a few centuries ago, as was oddly [...]

RT� News: Dublin council concedes to dog owners
Is it technically possible to make a ‘partial U-turn’?

Seamús Brennan has informed Brian Cowen that he won’t be putting himself forward for the incoming Taoiseach’s cabinet following speculation that he was for the chop in tomorrow’s reshuffle.
Legend has it that Brennan was not supposed to even be in Bertie Ahern’s cabinet of 2007 but he saved himself by taking the lead in the [...]

It would be foolish to completely rubbish the newly-announced plans to introduce road safety classes to Transition Year students as any move in that direction is a positive one; but the whole thing does leave you asking ‘is this it?’

Dublin City Council is considering the merits of imposing a “tourist tax” of €1 per night on beds in hotels, hostels and B&Bs in the city in order to raise additional revenue.
Ignoring the fact that this is the taxation equivalent of licking your plate clean after large a steak dinner, there are many questions that [...]

There’s little doubt that Brian Cowen will be the next leader of Fianna Fáil - be it after contest or coronation. The real power struggle seems to be for the Deputy Leadership / Tanaiste Portfolio, which will put the recipient in a prominent position for the next leadership race, whenever that might be.

There is a quickly growing consensus that the Mahon Tribunal will be little more than a footnote - albeit a very unsightly one - in Bertie Ahern’s legacy.
However while there is little doubt that Ahern has done the State enough service to be remembered fondly, his most loyal supporters worryingly seem to believe that this [...]

Breaking: Bertie Ahern to resign Tuesday 6th of May.
10:30am: Bertie Ahern has announced a last-minute, unexpected press conference to be held before his statement to the Dáil.
Reports on the substance are mixed although many outlets are suggesting that a resignation date, or even an immediate resignation from the leadership of Fianna Fáil, is expected.
RTÉ One [...]

According to many pundits and politicos, the panel debate held on The Late Late Show just before the last general election marked a turn in public opinion back towards Bertie Ahern and Fianna Fáil - carrying them to victory in May’s poll.
If this theory can be taken as fact and the logic of it carried [...]

The Sunday Business Post had another of its regular polls in this Sunday’s edition, which highlighted some interesting changes in public opinion.
One intriguing outcome of the poll that the amount of people who trust Bertie Ahern has fallen, while the amount of people who support Fianna Fáil has risen.
Critically, however, the number of people who [...]

Obama - “Just words?”
Time and time again Barack Obama has made the hairs stand on the back of my neck through his speeches alone. This is no different and it also acts as a simple and powerful rebuff to Hillary Clinton and John McCain’s attempts to undermine Obama as just a g

Tracking a lost camera to its owner - CNN.com
Saw this in one of the Sunday newspapers and had a look into the story behind it.
Pretty amazing work by the people that found it - fair play to them and here’s hoping they find my camera should I ever lose it!

Motivated by a Tax, Irish Spurn Plastic Bags - New York Times
Always interesting to read the foriegn perspective to an Irish law or practice, although the article almost paints Ireland as some kind of environmental Utopia.

Roche spent 10% of Affordable Homes budget on his own constituency
According to The Sunday Business Post, Dick Roche spent €4.6m of a €50m Affordable Housing budget in his Wicklow constituency just before the last election.
The money had been allocated to be spent on Affordable Housing in the Greater Dubln Area.