Sinn Fein and how do they form a government dilemma

Doesn't that speak to the paucity of credible alternatives?

All you need is one credible alternative

I get that but who else can quickly fix that?

I'm not interested in who can quickly fix it, I'm interested in who is willing to fix it, and I can name 3 parties off the top of my head who now feel they won't need to because they get a nice share of the votes anyway.

I live in the area and that hospital is a shítshow. This is also a local election so won’t impact the hospital.

The local candidates are representing FFG. If local FFG called for the hospital to be fixed the national govt would have to listen. Where's the motivation to do that now?

However, assuming FF/FG/G are in opposition next term, I’m not sure you can turn arguing the Limerick hospital issue very quickly.

The hospital has been decimated for years, it's gonna take years to fix, but it's getting worse, not better with FFG in power

Are you 100% sure that the issues with Limerick hospital are 100% political in nature and can only be fixed through the political system?

This seems to completely let the people who have operational accountability for that hospital off the hook. Shouldn't they be under the microscope as to why they are performing so poorly when compared to their peers?

The hospital is run by the HSE, the HSE is answerable to the govt. The govt have done nothing to alleviate pressure on the hospital. Remember this?

Agreed. But it is within the powers of the govt of the day, via the health minister, to do as you point out. But they won't be doing it now if they have support anyway. 2 people have died because of that same hospital recently from sepsis, and that's only the ones we heard about so far!

The people of Limerick need to quickly look at taking out private health insurance or risk death by UHL

It will be this year - no one is going to wait till march with the inevitable yearly trolley crisis still on going.

I think this thread title should be changed from "Sinn Fein and how do they form a government dilemma" to "When will the higher command in Belfast replace Mary Lou" or something.

When I think of her, I think of the 3 return trips (at least) she is know to have taken to America in the Spring - one a few weeks before Paddies Day, one a few weeks after that, and then one to Boston recently. Did anyone see her in economy class?

Did Mary Lou study maths at her €20k a year school? Ran too many candidates in the locals this time. Ran too few in the GE in 2020. I'd be looking for my money back.

What do you think their approach will be over the coming next few months?

Will they continue to shoutdown the governmet on the usual topics? or take a more nuanced pragmatic approach on a plan to fix what is currently wrong?

But that's the thing though, it's not tired trope. SF were getting my vote(for the first time) up until i got pi!!ed off with them every single week shouting and hollering in the Dail without offering tangible solutions.

I voted FF in EU and SD in LE only reason being the SD were the only one who bothered their bollox to knock on my door and tell me what they'd do in my locality.

I, like the majority, have no party allegiance, and have the cop on to understand when i am being spoofed.

For the record, I would be a natural supporter of SD's myself, but they offer no credible way to end the FF/FG hold on power, which is my goal.
Rory Hearne got my no 1. in the EU but they don't stand candidates here in the LE and the GE. So not an option.

IMO in terms of doing the duty of an opposition (of which performances in the Dáil chamber are only a part) SF did well holding Government to account across all the committees etc and in the Dáil as did other opposition parties. If you only look at leaders questions then you would be making a rash judgement IMO, all of them use those occasions to try score points and play to the gallery.

I started a thread on Leo fully a year before he resigned calling for him to go and he eventually did the right thing, and I was definitely a supporter.

I don't suppose you'll be doing the same for ML even though she's clearly a liability at this stage?