Election called for Saturday 8 February

Thelonious Monk

Can't see a thread on this. That's pretty soon huh? I hope people vote anything but FF/FG. Why not do something different for a change?

elperello

To be confirmed.

Pintman Paddy Losty

FG for a historic 3rd term with support from the greens and Labour. Hopefully can jettison FF as a confidence and supply partner and continue the good work in growing the economy.

No one wants to go back to the Bertie style giveaway politics.

is_that_so

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Can't see a thread on this. That's pretty soon huh? I hope people vote anything but FF/FG. Why not do something different for a change?

Like what?

average_runner

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Can't see a thread on this. That's pretty soon huh? I hope people vote anything but FF/FG. Why not do something different for a change?

Because other parties don't have enough candidates to form a government

banie01

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Can't see a thread on this. That's pretty soon huh? I hope people vote anything but FF/FG. Why not do something different for a change?

What alternative party is there that can draw enough support to actually hold enough away to form a significant pillar of a coalition?

I honestly don't think the greens will have more than 4 seats.
Labour are still being whipped for their last stint in coalition.
Sinn Fein have been labelled by both main parties as not coalition material.
The rest of the left is a basket of idealogy over policy.

I 100% agree that change is desperately needed, but where will that change come from if there are no viable alternative parties to actually lead a government?

Riskymove

average_runner wrote: »

Because other parties don't have enough candidates to form a government

Well, the Greens are running candidates in every constituency

Thelonious Monk

average_runner wrote: »

Because other parties don't have enough candidates to form a government

Well I'm hoping we get a new transport minister anyway, and health.

Thelonious Monk

banie01 wrote: »

I 100% agree that change is desperately needed, but where will that change come from if there are no viable alternative parties to actually lead a government?

So you think it's an entirely pointless exercise? All those stupid posters printed for nothing...

Out with Harris, Flanagan & Ross. Varadkar as an added bonus.

Bannasidhe

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

FG for a historic 3rd term with support from the greens and Labour. Hopefully can jettison FF as a confidence and supply partner and continue the good work in growing the economy.

No one wants to go back to the Bertie style giveaway politics.

Growing the number of people on hospital trolleys would certainly be historic given FG have consistently broken all previous records.
Not to mention the record breaking costs of hospitals still not built. Also one for the history books.

Imo it would be very unwise of either the Greens or Labour to go into a coalition with either FG or FF - doing so in the past nearly killed both parties off.
Much better for the smaller parties would be a 3 way coalition similar to the Rainbow Coalition of the late 90s.

JohnnyFlash

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

FG for a historic 3rd term with support from the greens and Labour. Hopefully can jettison FF as a confidence and supply partner and continue the good work in growing the economy.

No one wants to go back to the Bertie style giveaway politics.

Going to be tight, Paddy. Won’t be a fanny hair in it.

goldenhoarde

While change is good, hand on heart will new minister's in the health and housing actually solve the issues.

The people under them remain the same so if they are unable under Harris and Murphy to solve it, why would a minister change suddenly fix all the woes


FF or FG none have fixed much over all their years in power but no real alternative

is_that_so

Deleted User wrote: »

Out with Harris, Flanagan & Ross. Varadkar as an added bonus.

All of them will be returned.

horseboxxx

Easy to predict this election
Look to the recent elections in Europe
The main stream parties lack the Wit and Courage to do what everyone knows needs to be done
So the public ls rejecting them
Not quite ready to elect the people that will get the job done, the public have turned to a “outsider” party, The Greens.
No doubt Ireland will be the same as Europe
We will get the usual swing from FG To FF
So bet the farm on a FF/Green government
Nothing will change, might even get worse with the Greens, then in the next European election cycle, including Ireland, i would expect the Far Right to sweep to power.

Pintman Paddy Losty

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

No one wants to go back to the Bertie style giveaway politics.

You want a bet?

Thelonious Monk

goldenhoarde wrote: »

While change is good, hand on heart will new minister's in the health and housing actually solve the issues.

They wont, no, but I just find SH insufferable. He's a little nerd bringing in stupid party spoiling alcohol and vape rules while the real problems spiral out of control.

L1011

is_that_so wrote: »

All of them will be returned.

I think they may have meant as Ministers.

However, Ross lost most of his supporting Councillors in May; I suspect he's gone

Flanagan has a constituency change to contend with but I'd say he's safe. Harris is likely to get a different portfolio if they end up back in Government.

boombang

Saturday election: teachers must be gutted.

Very unimpressed by FG, but would FF be any better?

Greens are the (justified) moral high ground party; shame they're full of loopers.

Labour: who?

is_that_so

goldenhoarde wrote: »

While change is good, hand on heart will new minister's in the health and housing actually solve the issues.

The people under them remain the same so if they are unable under Harris and Murphy to solve it, why would a minister change suddenly fix all the woes

They will have the advantage of stepping into a plan of sorts and they'll get most of this year to just be seen. If, as claimed, things get better in 2020 and 2021 they'll look brilliant.

Kivaro

Would like to see Flanagan gone.
Also Catherine "Allahu Akbar" Zappone should be returned ................. to Seattle after she losses her seat.

banie01

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

So you think it's an entirely pointless exercise? All those stupid posters printed for nothing...

I think the posters are pointless, yes.

I do not think our vote nor our PR system are pointless at all.
Our method of actually choosing a government based on locally selected and elected representatives however?
Very much so.
There are many TD's sitting in DE by dint of their local profile and apparatus.

I myself have been guilty of voting for a local TD solely on the basis of "Their good local work".

We need to get our electorate and our parties away from the "Local" when it comes to GE's.

Quite often even the main parties win seats on local issues.
Our system of representation is broken when a local issue can decide who sits in our National Government.

Voters need to focus on manifesto and more importantly policy.
However a lot of Irish GE electioneering is based solely on the logo and the personality.

A party list system, or similar where the vote is for the policies and party rather than the photo would allow far better discourse and professionalism in National Politics.

Thelonious Monk

Does a gen elec mean all Ministerial positions are dissolved?

goldenhoarde

is_that_so wrote: »

They will have the advantage of stepping into a plan of sorts and they'll get most of this year to just be seen. If, as claimed, things get better in 2020 and 2021 they'll look brilliant.

They'll have the "give me time to find my feet" excuse, commission reports etc

is_that_so

L1011 wrote: »

I think they may have meant as Ministers.

However, Ross lost most of his supporting Councillors in May; I suspect he's gone

Flanagan has a constituency change to contend with but I'd say he's safe. Harris is likely to get a different portfolio if they end up back in Government.

Read a while back Ross was pleased with internal polling. He's a good constituency TD and everyone loves to have a minister to call on. He also topped the poll with nearly 25% so it would have to be a massive falloff in support for him to lose. At a glance the result looks like as you were .

L1011

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Does a gen elec mean all Ministerial positions are dissolved?

No. Indeed a Minister that loses their seat, or doesn't even run, is still Minister until the new Taoiseach is appointed. In 2016 I think all sitting Ministers ran (Labour cleared the retirees off the front bench in 2014) but James Reilly and Alex White lost their seats.

is_that_so

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Does a gen elec mean all Ministerial positions are dissolved?

Technically the current government remains in place until a new one is agreed.

Billcarson

is_that_so wrote: »

Like what?

Sf

Wanderer78

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Can't see a thread on this. That's pretty soon huh? I hope people vote anything but FF/FG. Why not do something different for a change?

You're gonna be extremely disappointed if you think we re ever gonna have a government without either of these to, bring on the no change

YFlyer

Not worked in a polling station before. Would it still be possible to get a job there on the election day?

Billcarson

Wanderer78 wrote: »

You're gonna be extremely disappointed if you think we re ever gonna have a government without either of these to, bring on the no change

Indeed it will just be the same old white going around in circles...

is_that_so

Billcarson wrote: »

Sf

Going backwards. Will do well to limit losses to 6-7 seats. Then there is that predilection to tax anyone who wouldn't vote for them, fill the country with social housing and spend obscene amounts of money to "free" the HSE so no.

Billcarson

is_that_so wrote: »

Going backwards. Will do well to limit losses to 6-7 seats. Then there is predilection to tax anyone who wouldn't vote for them, fill the country with social housing and spend obscene amounts of mony to "free" the HSE so no.

What will ff or fg do? No thanks either!

Wanderer78

is_that_so wrote: »

Going backwards. Will do well to limit losses to 6-7 seats. Then there is that predilection to tax anyone who wouldn't vote for them, fill the country with social housing and spend obscene amounts of money to "free" the HSE so no.

SF are goosed, I can't ever see them in government

is_that_so

Billcarson wrote: »

What will ff or fg do? No thanks either!

Get a whole lot more seats. Be all things to all people and form a government.

average_runner

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Well I'm hoping we get a new transport minister anyway, and health.

Doesn't matter who gets the two roles unless there is a hunger in the government and the unions to change things.


Oh and the answer is no

Bishop of hope

Taoiseach o 1 o clock news and we are officially off and running.

Wanderer78

Bishop of hope wrote:

Taoiseach o 1 o clock news and we are officially off and running.

I wouldn't exactly class it as a run, there's gonna be very little changing here, we re not ready for that

Water John

I'd hope contributors here would attempt a fair analysis by posters. I respect people having different viewpoints but bringing those views blindly to a thread is of no benefit.

Billcarson

is_that_so wrote: »

Get a whole lot more seats. Be all things to all people and form a government.

Dummies for dummies

is_that_so

Finian is out so opens up the possibility of Aodhan O'Riordan picking up a Labour seat.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/finian-mcgrath-confirms-he-wont-stand-in-february-election-975398.html

Snow Garden

I am not going to vote FFG or SF.

Not sure who will get my vote but I am hoping if enough people avoid the civil war parties there will be some movement towards new parties with better calibre candidates down the line.

After 20 years voting FG, I will probably go IND.

KrustyUCC

Voted for an Independent as the best of a bad bunch the last time round

Unfortunately he is now running for FG this time round so I'll have to find someone else for my vote

KrustyUCC

is_that_so wrote: »

Finian is out so opens up the possibility of Aodhan O'Riordan picking up a Labour seat.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/finian-mcgrath-confirms-he-wont-stand-in-february-election-975398.html

Just what the country needs

Amadan O'Riordain back in the Dail

Fierce pity he got into the Seanad after losing his seat the last time

MrMusician18

Great to see DCC taking down the early election posters this morning in the city centre.

is_that_so

Billcarson wrote: »

Dummies for dummies

If SF were seen as a realistic option they'd be one of those dummies.

Fr_Dougal

I can see a FF&FG coalition.

mlem123

SF/AAA-PBP make good opposition, but I wouldn't trust them to know what to do in Government more than I could throw them. If people think that they'll change Health etc than more fools they are. People act like out health system was great pre-FG - not that FG have done a good job, it's just a moneypit needing reform.

Also there is a point where you get too many independents and they just turn into glorified local councilors, but it looks like every tom, dick, and verona are going for it so we shall see.

Snow Garden

is_that_so wrote: »

Technically the current government remains in place until a new one is agreed.

What's your honest prediction for FG's total seats?

john9876

What's the logic behind having it on a Saturday?

Fr_Dougal

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

I can see a FF&FG coalition.

We already have one.