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

For the past few days (ending on Friday), an Irish delegation of doctors and politicians was in Bahrain to seek the freedom from detention of doctors imprisoned during the protest crackdown in that country. The link arose because the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland has a long-standing partnership to train Bahraini doctors and some [...]

At this pace of news dumps, we’re going to need a bigger Dumpster.  Today it’s the report into why Brian Lenihan misled Chris Andrews in response to his parliamentary question about the payment of bonuses at Bank of Ireland (the same question triggered the AIB bonus row).  First, a digression.   Let’s suppose you were considering [...]

In a sequence that will revive memories of Dick Roche’s desk-clearing approval of the M3 motorway near Tara in 2007, acting Minister for Communications, Energy, and Natural Resources Pat Carey has approved the Corrib gas pipeline project.   As with Tara, the next minister might view this either as a hot potato glad to be off his to-do list or as a [...]

And then backing away. A great sequence on RTE Radio 1 News at One just now. Brian Lenihan said his position has always been that there is no vacancy for leadership so the question of his interest in it did not arise. Right afterwards, John McGuinness said that Lenihan had encouraged him and other backbenchers [...]

Stephen Collins today reading the mood in the corridors of Leinster House – When the Dáil resumes next month, the Greens, the Independents and disgruntled Fianna Fáil TDs will all be looking at each other to see if anybody looks like losing their nerve and making a bolt for the Opposition benches. The other side [...]

A couple of days ago, we had a discussion about whether a Fiscal Policy Council could work for Ireland.  There is one basic problem: as such a council would imply reduced power for Fianna Fail, they’d never go for it.  Anyway, move along to another power that FF governments will never surrender: appointments.  Today the [...]

A day after George Lee’s departure, we can see a situation that would have warranted another George politician to say “Heckuva job”.  Lee’s departure obscured the implosion of the year-long government talking point that NAMA would increase bank lending: the IMF had told them, quite sensibly, that it wouldn’t.  According to Enda’s statement yesterday, Lee [...]

So Boy George has bit the bullet. Fallen on his own sword, hoist by his own petard, crashed and burned, came a cropper. At 1pm today former RTE economist and more recently celebrity by-election candidate, George Lee, announced he is resiging his Dáil seat and his membership of the Fine Gael party. It wasn’t happening [...]

From Dublin City Council. Dublin City Council last night voted in favour of a motion by Councillors Tom Brabazon and Críona Ní Dhálaigh that will oblige developers give new estates in the city names in the Irish language only. The names of the new estates in Dublin city will reflect local history and topography. Now [...]

If you have a few minutes, read the 2008 Annual Report of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.  The 1st paragraph – We will develop Dublin Docklands into a world-class city quarter, a paragon of sustainable inner city regeneration, one in which the whole community enjoys the highest standards of access to education, employment, housing and [...]

Joe Higgins is both a councillor and MEP in waiting. The dual mandate ban means that he has to pick one over the other – with the choice being made by Joe to head to Brussels and nominate a replacement in his council seat. Only Fine Gael are miffed that he doesn’t take up the [...]

In case you missed it earlier here’s the entrance of Maureen O’Sullivan TD and George Lee TD into the Dáil Chamber this afternoon.

The most compelling race in the country is over with the victory of Alan Kelly in the race for the final seat. Kelly took the seat in a final head to head with Sinnot by 10,000 votes after Toireasa Ferris was eliminated as ever you had it first on the liveblog. The MEPs so far [...]

As talked about here. Video of Maurice Ahern after losing seat.

Quota: 101, 658 1st Count: Byrne, 18 956 De Burca, 19 086 De Rossa, 83 471 HIggins, 50, 510 Mary Lou 47, 928 McKenna, 17 521 Mitchell 96, 715 Ryan 55, 346 Simons, 13, 514 Sweeney 3,583 2nd Count (elim of Simons and Sweeney):

From ALexia at the RDS Dublin tallies. Mitchell 100k, DeRossa 87k, Ryan 66,205, Higgins 53,036, Mary Lou 50,980, McKenna 22,380, de Burca 21,991 Seat totals at 9:00 – FF (180), FG (293), Lab (123), GP (3), SF (48) and OTH (118) Recount called by De Burca – we now are behind. Higgins seat to lose [...]