Election to be called Fri - predict outcome

There were no Labour councillors in Sligo at the time, so I've no idea who you think you met.

Good idea.

Family cover starts at about 140 quid per month. Maybe we could do something like the new pension auto-enrolment, just deduct €140 from the salary or benefits of every household at source. You'd even get a tax break for it!

I can't see the left having a problem with universal healthcare if FG/FF were to make it happen.

Yeah?

Airlines don't want to be forced to operate into other airports if the demand isn't there… we have been down this road before with the Shannon Stopover… If that was the case we would have the foreign airlines that are currently operating into Dublin switching or expanding into the regional airports…. Cork has a year round KLM flight to Amsterdam, but the Air France and Lufthansa services are seasonal. KLM don't operate to Shannon even though they are free to start a service there if they wish… again demand.

Even Willie Walsh now CEO at IATA says that he has spoken to international airlines that say they want to operate into Ireland but only interested in Dublin (Being the capital and serving the larger population)….. It's a stupid notion to say to spread the flights around the island… Be like asking the American/Asian airlines to operate into Bristol to serve London instead of Heathrow or Gatwick, Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam Schipol. We have to look also at the pretty sub standard road and rail infrastructure outside Dublin (some would say even in Dublin) compared to our UK and Continental European neighbours.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2024/10/16/dublin-airport-cap-a-joke-says-willie-walsh/

Anyway back on topic with the elections… I can't see the Greens getting back in and I stand by my comment about Eamon Ryan's inaction and not being proactive in the transport portfolio… Don't get me started with Metro North… been talked about the past 20 years or so and still not built.

Can't believe Harris isn't being laughed at more. He's a complete weirdo.

Part David Brent, part Partridge, part school prefect.

Makes Varadkar seem like JFK.

Well hopefully - much as I detest FF I detest even more the idea that independents would have the balance of power or even be in cabinet, like in the previous Dail (Shane Ross, the most useless cabinet minister in the history of the state)

It's bad politics from Harris and clever by O'Gorman who stole his thunder. Harris looks silly pretending it will be in Feb/March for months. He wants to look like a statesman but he is now being led by the nose. He got his white house visit which was his childish priority. Now, if he agrees with 29-Nov, O'Gorman looks to be calling the shots. However 5-Dec is a bit too far out and too close to Xmas. He might pick 5-Dec just to prove he is the big man in charge but he won't want his deputy McEntee waffling for that long a campaign! His lack of returning TDs really hampers a long campaign. Martin is sitting back smiling at the inexperience.

There's not one half clued in person who thought it would be after Christmas.

It was all a dance and we knew it would be in November for the last few months .

Rodders has a good chance of losing his seat and doesn't come across as the smartest in general.

Quite the opposite, O'Gorman was simply trying to remind people that he's leader of the Greens project the idea that he's relevant to what's going on.

Ah but it's a totally different job. Nothing like the pressures and constant hassle from people. But maybe she just wants to retire

Baffling, that such an ally of Harris's couldn't (A) Have been let go when she says she first told Simon and allow them to prepare in the constituency or (B)be persuaded to win the seat, potentially topping the poll and bringing in a second candidate then step down.

She had support from everywhere here and to this moment it's difficult to guess at a replacement with anything near the profile/support she had.

The amount of harrassment she receives online is huge. We have had posters on here referring to "people of her background" only recently, a thin veil over their sectariainism. That is a mild version of what she faces, of what FG TDs all over the country have faced over the last few years from SF supporters online. Go on to any of their Twitter or Facebook pages, scroll down to the comments, and just look at the hateful bile posted by lads with a tricolour in their profile. It is worse for women, unbelievable stuff, it must take a huge toll on their mental health.

I agree with this but there is huge abuse of politicians on the left from those with 'centrist dad', 'leinster rugby' etc in their profiles, some of whom are reasonably well known FG activists, but many others from that broad 'centre' right political milieu who are intolerant of any perspective that doesn't match their own and spew some vile abuse and of course it's often dripping with misogyny too..

Then the risk is they become known as an 'opposition party' - A party with no interest in actually ever achieving power, just always being happy to snipe. That would become even more clear and concrete. if after this election, they did hold any balance, or were publicly being courted to join Government but were seen to refuse for anything other than very clear differences after trying to negotiate.

That was my view on why they would go in to government if invited to do so. I'm sure Holly has visions of grandeur for her political career