Sinn Fein and how do they form a government dilemma

So it’s SF, Soc Dems and Indos yeah? Can only really base it on existing TDs less the ones we know are gone. I can’t see Stanley involved and won’t include the gene poolers from other parties.

Tanaiste and Education: Cairns

Finance: Doherty

Public expenditure: Mairead Farrell

Foreign Affairs: Brady

Justice: Pa Daly

Housing: O’Broin

Social protection: Gannon

Health: Culinane

Disabilities (take out third level portfolio): Gannon

Environment: Whitmore

Agriculture: Carthy

Enterprise: O’Reilly

Transport: O’Callaghan

Gaeltacht: O Laoghaire

Rural Affairs: Kerrane

Arts, Sport, Tourism: Darren O’Rourke

Both parties are really weak with a lack of depth. The Soc Dems have nobody with experience on finance so can’t even take public expenditure. Clearly you’d need PbP and Labour in there but even still the opposition benches are not great…

I wonder would McDonald pull a James Dooge and bring a Northern MLA into the Senate.

Yes indeed. Very instructive to put the names in the slots. As a non-aligned voter, the slate looks very weak on economic portfolios, I think they would struggle to hold back the naive ambition of colleagues.

The scope for short term, populist and nepotistic policy calls in the secondary Depts would worry me also

On the Labour side it is bad as well. If you had them in there I could see Bacik as a highly competent senior minister as well as Alan Kelly. Ged Nash is grand in finance but doesn’t exactly make a splash.

Catherine Murph and Shortall are huge losses from a potential “change” government even if I frankly dislike both of them for how they operate in politics.

At least you could swap out a few of the real incompetents in that list from SF but it is really still so threadbear.

When you compare it to 2011 and what was available in terms of experience and young talent it is something else. SF obviously can’t help not having been in government before but the talent and experience is just so lacking across the opposition. You look at 2011 and you have people who had served in Cabinet 30 years prior - now the only one who could possibly serve with prior experience in the form of Alan Kelly and that is less than 10 years ago! Goes to show the changes in politics….

The fact that we basically have an opposition by accident (SF outperforming expectations and so many Independents) can’t have helped either.

Are you just basing this on your gut bias against Fine Gael? I see no logic to your argument at all.

 We didn't wanted the troubles in the Republic

Nobody wanted them, but they still happened.

For 60 years constitutionally the people of all this island were Irish and we had a duty to them.

It's amazing how polls that show a fall in supprt for SF are gospel but one on the majority of FG supporters not wanting a UI is flawed. 😂 it's great being able to pick the best of both worlds. 😂😂

FG position on a UI is clear. It's not on their agenda anytime soon. The position of the majority of FG supporters is clear. "We don't want a UI." I don't why you are so against accepting those facts.

"SF want democracy, it's a disgrace."

once the poll doesn't give them the answer they want it's rubbish and poll are useless

I have never seen anyone do that, can you link to an example?

We don't need another diatribe, just back up what you claim.

See Clo-Clo, what you've somehow failed to realise is that what FG say and actually mean are two completely different things and it's even proven in that link.

We support extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside the state. This referendum should take place on the date of the local and European Elections in May 2019.

How did that referendum go? Wait, let me guess, it's SFs fault it didn't happen, am I right? 😂

And this is exactly why anyone who thinks FG will ever hold a referendum on UI is deluding themselves. A UI will give SF a much stronger electoral position, and that's one of the many reason why FG will try their absolute best to never let it happen.

No links/back up when asked again just a diatribe and now some personals.