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

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.

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;

In 2002 the Government was accused of buying the election with an overly generous budget. This year it could be argued that they’re trying to do the same again with the majority of SSIAs maturing in the coming weeks (what a coincidence!), the launch of the next NDP a few months ago and a not [...]

It’s not easy to think of a precedent for the PD’s promise today to have their stamp duty proposals at the top of the order of business of a next government of which they would be a part — a proposal with budgetary implications and yet having been not included in the recent budget to which [...]

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 [...]

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.

Suzy mentions that some of the Irish NGOs are preparing some online election-blogs. Of note is the National Womens Council of Ireland who are keeping an election blog and have launched their election manifesto for 2007 (you are all invited to the launch by the way-lovely part of the world it is in too). Theirs [...]

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 Labour [...]

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.

More than the other speeches so far, the clear emphasis is that Fine Gael are pushing Enday Kenny’s conviction politics. His image as conviction politician was the focus of the start of the speech “as leader I didnt just make a bond with Fine Gael but a bond with the Irish people”. While the start [...]

Where can I start the bidding, lads?
Do I hear lower taxes to opening things up, gentlemen? Anyone? Ah, yes, we have an opening bid of lower taxes from…hang, on – is that you, Mr Rabbitte? Are you serious?
OK then…we have lower taxes to get things going, any advance on that?

With the auctioneer hoarse already, let’s take a quick look at one of the promises unveiled over the weekend: abolition of stamp duty on house purchases for first time buyers and graduated rates when it is payable.

Q: What do these two things have in common?
A: They’re both in the news today for the same reason.
Two short quotes. The first one is from the list of motions for the Progressive Democrats‘ national conference today:

The Department of Education has just given us a master-class in undercutting the opposition, with its announcement on the appointment of 200 foreign language teachers:

With all eyes resting on random drug testing of school kids, the rest of Kenny’s Young Fine Gael speech seems to have gotten overlooked.
The policy Fine Gael probably hoped everyone would focus on - i.e. the one they put at the top of their press release summary - was that of lowering the blood alcohol [...]