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

The Indo sounds the first real note of realism so far this election by asking the very pertinent question “what if there is a down turn?”. We noted earlier that the Green Party went with a 4% average estimate for growth in the coming years while FF are also below 5% on their last economic [...]

This morning we got two further announcments from the two major parties and Sinn Fein launched their transport policy;

The Greens launched their tax and economic policy this morning. It is interesting to note, first off, that the Green Party reckon growth forecasts should be no higher than 4% over the coming years. The PDs on Sunday used 5%+ and I think FG and Labour had a similar figure.

Yes tonight here on IE we are announcing the launch of ‘my candidates stuff is tackier than yours’. I still have metal badges and a sweatshirt from the Mary Robinson Campaign from 1990 but this is 17 years later and candidates and canvassers have access to so many more exciting things to give away, festoon [...]

Over at cearta, I have posted the following footnote to Election 2007: Now that An Taoiseach (the Prime Minister) has put us out of our misery and finally called the long-awaited general election, all Bills currently pending will fall with the outgoing Dáil (Lower House). Of those of particular interest to this blog, this means [...]

PD manifesto is up on the website some of the main promises; Reduce the Tax rates for the higher and standard rates to 38% and 18% respectively. REbalanc tax in favour of couples so that they can earn E40,000 tax free and up to E100,000 on the standard rate More below;

Will look something like this it seems, Pat today announced a 100 day in office plan (modelled on this?). Below are the ten priorities (from labour.ie):

They are getting it from both sides today. Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald reckons that Fianna Fail and the alternative government were engaging in a little bit of auction politics today. She took the opportunity to state the party’s position on stamp duty and broader tax policy (including a minimum wage of E9.90. She stated [...]

We have it, two weeks late and with rebuttal already out there. Protecting the Prosperity is the most important document to date in the Fine Gael-Labour pact (pdf). Interestingly the document signals a commitment to equality and social solidarity and rejects them as the price of prosperity. I knew there was a social-democratic wing of [...]

Fine Gael and Labour pencilled in this morning for the launch of their joint manifesto, on which more later. Fianna Fail played the interesting tactic of prebuttal (hat-tip DDP on Morning Ireland today); before the big FG/Labour launch they released their own document ‘FG/Labour Make Prosperity History‘. PDF here. As had been suggested elsewhere, there [...]

Good news, the election kicks up a gear with the Government launching a document on Economic Policy. Second bit of good news ; “Today’s document will also contain a commitment to review the regulation of the energy and the telecoms sectors to deal with concerns over rising energy costs.” An implicit admission that rises in [...]

Unanswered because it seems no one in the Dead Tree Press is asking them. I was drawn a fortnight ago to the Minister of Defence Willie O’Dea’s entry in the register of Oireachtas members interest. The minister as many people will know has a weekly column in the Sunday Independent. Now, politicians writing the occasional [...]

On this beautiful day, there seems to be a good deal of election gossip filling the news pages. Below the fold are the pick of the bunch, it looks like the two weeks back in the constituencies are coming to and end and the ramping up of the national campaign begins next week.

The Irish Times reckon the momentum of the contract theme will bring out the joint manifesto this week. It could be far enough out to let Fianna Fail get the knives in and do real damage to the document/promises. Or else it could be quite slim to combat that possibility. Any speculations? “Fine Gael and [...]

Thanks to Damien for pointing up this take on the “Next Steps” campaign uploaded by MacBegins. Anyone else got contributions along this ilk, feel free to email them to the address in the side bar.

That is to be the battle between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, the Taoiseach’s speech was absolutely saturated with promises to the electorate. Detailed promises on tax and spend, with the Taoiseach, the message went, its more, more, more. Enda Kenny took a completely different approach.