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

John Gormley pledged today that he will review his department’s stance in relation to “archaeological practice and policy”. He also released the documents dealing with the site at Lismullen, which is on the route of the controversial M3 motorway. Such openness and transparency is to be welcomed; but the whole affair raises questions over how [...]

Last week the prospects for an alternative Government – already dealt a mortal mathematical blow by the electorate – finally bit the dust with the formation of a Fianna Fail/Green/PD/Bits & Bobs coalition. The role of the PDs is likely to be incidental, unless of course you’re waiting on a hospital trolley for treatment, while [...]

The blogging TD. becomes the blogging minister. He’s been busy investigating if he can do anything about the present left for him by Dick Roche.  We can look forward to reports from Cabinet meetings, tales of the files and folders being sent home with him at the weekend and other tid bits!

“Green Party Swap Principle for Power”,That is what many people how would say they are of the “progressive” ilk have been hammering the Greens for going into power with Fianna Fail. With some saying that the Greens should have stayed out to form a progressive block. To continue the fight against Fianna Fail etc. [...]

So Dick Roche decided to give the go-ahead on the M3 on Tuesday, around the time it became clear that a Fianna Fáil/Green coalition was going to happen. The decision didn’t need cabinet approval and the Department of the Environment decided not to issue a press release on the matter.  According to the department that [...]

So FF-Green have done a deal - now the guessing game before the full statement:

Does it include the PDs (and co-location)?
What ministerial positions will the Greens get?
Will Sargent stick to his guns and step down as leader, having guided the party to Government?
With or without Sargent, it’s likely to be another all-Dublin Taoiseach/Tánaiste team, what [...]

Fine Gael’s outgoing TD for Louth spoke to us from a cavalcade of canvassers currently running through mid-Louth.

Part of the Sinn Fein Manifesto is this
The experience of Norway where the mineral exploration sector has become one of the engines of economic growth proves the benefits of state involvement in the natural resources sector in particular. Earnings from oil and gas contribute almost one third of state revenue in Norway. In contrast, the [...]

They are back to old form, not bothering with the online version. So we are stuck with a press release. Much of this is in the manifesto from last Sunday. “Crucially, we believe that environmental sustainability can be delivered in a way that doesn’t damage the economy,” he [McDowell] said.
To be fair, they have [...]

I sincerely hope David McCleverclogs won’t mind my adapting his turn of phrase for my title.
I also hope Paige A Harrison won’t mind my sharing her bemused reaction to the country’s sudden cardboard infestation.
Just what are these posters saying to you? The following is what I hear.

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.

First sod turned for M3 motorway

Enda Kenny signs his contract with the people, but has he signed a carbon offset contract. From RTE it says he is going to travel 20,000KM. Which if he is travelling in one of the Fine Gael SUV’s will produce [...]

Via Blogorrah comes a pretty spectacular piece of spin by Bertie Ahern on the issue of e-voting.
Rather than accept that public money was spent on a system that turned out to be lacking a number of core security measures to ensure transparency and legitimacy, he elected to blame the opposition because they “took off on [...]

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):

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 [...]