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

Mary Harney was quoted in the Independent today on her future as party leader and when she would like to have the job handed over to her successor; “Obviously I will continue to assist the party in any way I can. But hopefully the party can now put a mechanism to have a leader in [...]

Harry McGee reports in today’s Examiner (also reported in the Irish Times) that Fine Gael have succesfully negotiated for double the number of Committee seats. In addition to the two committees it already chairs — the public accounts committee and European affairs — FG TDs will also chair the potentially important committee on energy, security [...]

So the figures on the live register come out today with something for all sides. The live register is down 13,500 on last month. This is clearly something government will look at in hope, however all the opposition parties will emphasise the fact that the seasonally adjusted number on the live register has risen by [...]

Enda Kenny this morning suggested Bertie had lost the moral authority to lead this country, a suggestion Bertie thumbed his nose at this afternoon suggesting in his own inimitable fashion that they can pfo. However in Ahern’s response (short and inarticulate tho it is) there is a nugget of insight, as there is with most [...]

The uneasiness that seemed evident last week (not with government itself rather the contortions positions its forces them into) is set to go on. Eamon Ryan was door stepped this morning and has again committed the Greens to seeing this whole government thing through. No doubt they are a little disappointed that Gormley’s raising of [...]

Updpate 21:25: full transcript from Mahon’s website. Gavin reckons there is some meat to it and is looking to take over from Vinnie Brown at 10pm. Update 15:45: Ahern denies receiving dollars and insists lodgement was in Sterling. Update 13:14: Bertie tried to limit Mahon to inquiring into his accounts while they were dormant from [...]

The examiner has an interview this morning wit former TD and now senator Fiona o Malley. She suggests that Harney will have stepped down as leader by early next year. She is quoted as relishing the role of leadin the PDs should the committe investigating the rules rule in her favour. As a senator she [...]

Ciaran Cuffe is surprised to learn that ballots for the Seanad election, for the TD/Senator/Cllr pool anyway, are not all that random. Councillor Tom Kivlehan pointed out to me a curious aspect of the Senate Election. Each ballot is marked with a unique number on the back. Before I told him my number, he was [...]

John Gormley pledged today that he will review his department’s stance in relation to “archaeological practice and policy”. He also released the documents dealing with the site at Lismullen, which is on the route of the controversial M3 motorway. Such openness and transparency is to be welcomed; but the whole affair raises questions over how [...]

Last week the prospects for an alternative Government – already dealt a mortal mathematical blow by the electorate – finally bit the dust with the formation of a Fianna Fail/Green/PD/Bits & Bobs coalition. The role of the PDs is likely to be incidental, unless of course you’re waiting on a hospital trolley for treatment, while [...]

Following on from Cían’s post about additional minister of state positions, Bertie Ahern has confirmed that Trevor Sargent will be one of the twenty put forward in the coming days. Sargent said he wouldn’t take a full ministry after he announced his resignation as Green Party leader – he said he would, however, take a [...]

While todays events were more easily digested by the very public negotiating and deal-making, there is still a great deal of questions to be answered. The most interesting (in terms of future party prominence) is the destination of the junior ministries in the next week. Bertie has been pretty conservative in picking his cabinet, though [...]

Bertie Ahern re-elected as Taoiseach for a third term by 89-76 in the vote  in the 30th Dail. He is speaking now; “I am conscious of the great duty this election imposes upon me…I wish you well Ceann Comhairle, on the 24th May democracy took its course as people went to the polls and elected the [...]

Vote began at 4:20  Sinn Fein oppose the time-limiting of the Taoiseach’s appointment. Tom Kitt announced a guillotine of the nominations to 16:30. Caoimhghin O Caoilain calls for an extended debate, “we have been returned from our constituencies and have a right to have our opinion heard”. He makes the request to the Whip and [...]

Following a vote in the Dail, O Donoghue was elected after the nomination of Ruairi Quinn  by the opposition forced a contest. Result: 90 votes to 75 votes# Incidentally, watch it live on Oireachtas.ie