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

There’s the old line about the Bourbons when they got back in power after Napoleon that “they had learned nothing and forgotten nothing”.  Then there’s Fianna Fail.  The Willie O’Dea confidence motion debate today was mercifully short because it showed a government that, after years of scandals and concerns about conduct in public office, has [...]

Willie is racing through a statement a few minutes ahead of schedule with a sullen Dermot Ahern sitting beside him.  Enda Kenny says he will move a motion of no confidence in him.  And now on to Labour’s bill to reform parliamentary inquiries.  At least someone is working on improving accountability. UPDATE: Much like Willie’s [...]

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin is in charge of the Lisbon II campaign.  With summer schools apparently forming the main forum for policy debate with the Dail in recess, he was perhaps giving us a preview of what the Yes campaign will look like in this evening’s remarks to the MacGill event.  Writing as [...]

Here we go again.  Aer Lingus is withdrawing more services from Shannon.  But this row is going to play out very differently than the end of Shannon-Heathrow.   The latter row caught the government on the hop but also featured an Aer Lingus in a very different mood, confident that it could launch a sub-hub in [...]

The first analysis from 1990 to the 2009 (tallies only) of the local election results in Limerick City with special thanks to John Browne and FiannaFuddy (politics.ie).

Many of the polls have showen a big slump in Fianna Failure and rises for Labour and Fine Gael. But if an election was called tomorrow who would lose out and who would win? I am going to try and do a review of all the constiuencies. If people have Views on anyone please drop [...]

The Oireachtas has today launched a detailed profile based on the 2006 Census of all the constituencies in the country. The information is quite interesting and comprehensive and details all 42 constituencies in the country.

Limerick Blogger brings us the background to a minor skirmish in Fianna Fáil in Limerick. The whole thing kicked off this week when Limerick County Councillor, Noreen Ryan, wrote to the Taoiseach Brian Cowan calling for him to sack Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea. The call comes after it emerged this week after it emerged [...]

And the overall economy?  Today’s Wall Street Journal reports on what sounds like advanced deliberations inside Dell about shifting its manufacturing capacity from Limerick to Lodz in Poland.  Office jobs in Ireland would be retained.  But as the article explains, Dell is unusual among computer makers in its retention of substantial manufacturing capacity — most [...]

A sizeable portion of the Moyross housing estate in Limerick is located in Limerick County Council territory. This area could now be a part of the city as early as next week when, as recommended by the Fitzgerald Report on regeneration and tackling social exclusion in Limerick. However, twenty years after the estate was built, [...]

The Cabinet pay raises are postponed for a year.  One wonders if they intend to backdate whenever they do implement it.  Interesting that of all people it was Willie O’Dea several months ago who was willing to air the unease about the pay raises.  Also interesting is the role of Garret Fitzgerald as wise old [...]

Maybe it’s just for public consumption but it’s another day of chastened-sounding statements from FF. Willie O’Dea managed to go a bit beyond Bertie’s “work harder” and dropped a hint that the Cabinet is taking another look at the pay review recommendations for ministerial and public service posts.

The report of the 2007 Consituency Commission is out, some would say a little bit too late but how and ever. Kerry is to remain split, with Kerry South a 3 seater while Kerry North joins to West Limerick in also remaining a 3 seater. Dublin Euro is a 3 seater, Dun Laoghaire is a [...]

Video from yesterday’s Save Our Slots Rally I am unable to embed them here, but they can be found at the below link Link. Update Simon. Video added below

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 [...]

I believe one motion on Shannon has been defeated by 1 vote. 68 to 67.  Watch or listen live.