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

The early numbers are out from tomorrow’s breakdown of the European race. Keith had some of the early East constituency numbers online a while ago and the rest of the details is clearing up now. Yesterday had Fianna Fail on 20%, Labour on 23% and Fine Gael on 36% – interesting to see how the [...]

Issues with seeing it on the front page? Click here.

After Fine Gael announced its recent FairCare proposals for health service reform I contacted ILR contributor Dr. Gerry Burke, consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist in Limerick’s Regional and Maternity Hospitals and a vociferous campaigner against co-location to see what he thought of the proposals. I first asked him if the proposals would help improve patient outcomes [...]

While nothing to with the budget it is certainly worth noting. Recently the expenses of MPs have been big news in the UK. With Jacqui Smith getting the most heat. But Sinn Fein have also been caught up in it. From the Guardian Sinn Féin’s five MPs each claimed £21,000 in second-home allowances from the UK [...]

I guess lots of the bloggers are down at the blog Awards and have not got a chance to blog about the protests in Dublin  Alas I am not based in Ireland any more so can’t really talk about it as I can’t access the mood. I am sure many bloggers will be talking about [...]

ITs a good week for Red C to take the latest tracking poll for the Sunday Business Post. Markets are falling like stones (Friday has the potential to be another massive dead cat bounce) and the government don’t look to have stamped authority on many aspects of policy.

Stephen Collin‘s story in the Irish Times today is one of those ones that feeds into a zeitgeist. Political leaders who have let the Social Partnership talks slip, are in charge of an economic slowdown and on 13 weeks of summer holidays receive their final pay increase today. TDs WILL receive a pay rise of [...]

Even before the Irish people’s democratic decision to reject the fatally-flawed Lisbon Treaty, (which would have deepened the democratic-deficit in Europe still further), the source of Libertas funding was a bane of “yes” campaigners. To the elite, the possibility of the ‘mainstream’ parties being so decisively outspent by this upstart pro-business group with financial interests [...]

Missed this earlier today but didn’t spot it picked up here. Jamie Smyth got his hands on the confidential part of the Eurobarometer survey into the Lisbon result. The findings are interesting – also interesting they weren’t released. I would have guessed at who leaked were it not coming from Brussels correspondent. LISBON: party supporters’ [...]

The first poll after the Lisbon result comes with little by way of surprise. The Sunday Business Post/Red C poll finds the Irish electorate looks unlikely to have engaged in a mass volte face with regard to the major parties after Lisbon. Fianna Fail 40% (unchanged) Fine Gael 25% (-3)

In a great day for Irish and European democracy, the Irish people, on a higher turnout than Nice II, rejected the illegitimate and anti-democratic Lisbon Treaty by 53.4% to 46.6%. In doing so, they have struck a blow for freedom and against remote, unaccountable and undemocratic rule by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. They have shown [...]

In a packed Dail chamber, Brian Cowen was elected Taoiseach of Ireland after a vote to choose between him, Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore. The vote was won by 88 to 76. He was nominated by Bertie Ahern himself however it only became quite raucous as Mary Harney seconded Cowen’s nomination and defended the government’s [...]

The following is a synopsis of an article that appears on Irish Left Review. When Eamon Gilmore, TD launched his leadership bid back in August he laid out his primary objective: ‘Labour should break free of, and reject, the “half party” limit which others impose on us – and which, sometimes, we inflict on ourselves.’ [...]

Original image The Chancer.

The trend since the election has been the return of the 2+ party system and this poll does little to dispel that impression. Following closely on the Irish Times poll midweek, there is good news for both of the big parties in today’s Sunday Business Post poll. Fianna Fail are up four to 36% while [...]

What they spent Report on disclosure of donations and election expenses at Dáil general election of 2007. Breakdown Fianna Fáil €3,650,240.55. Fine Gael €2,809,474.25 The Labour Party €1,477,321.48 Progressive Democrats €1,012,707.52 Non-Party €795,862.25 Sinn Féin €685,095.66 The Green Party €553,858.70 Socialist Party €56,125.49 The Workers Party €30,200.14 Christian Solidarity Party €11,427.06