Election to be called Fri - predict outcome

Its hard to see past another FFG led coalition albeit I think the Greens will be trounced again as folk always do with the junior party.

So it'll be FFG and a 3rd party and a few independents.

SF are swimming against their own issues and if the opinion polls are accurate? Will be hard pressed to hold onto the number of seats won in 2020. They could still be the foundation of a "Coalition of the left" but I can't see them gaining enough support to do so.

I'm in Limerick city constituency and the likely returned TD's will be O'Dea, Quinlivan, and one of either Sheehan or Daly taking the 4th seat IMO. Last election Daly transferred well to Leddin on his elimination, this time round I expect that to be reversed.

The point would be, here is your alternative. You can stick with FFG or you can give this alliance a go. At the moment, people think voting for one of the others is a waste of a vote because they're not going into power anyway. If it actually was a viable option, people might vote for something different. The greens have to water down their policies anyway with FFG. They might actually have a better chance of getting things they want done with the rest of the alternatives. The same with Labour, SF, PBP, any aligned independents etc.

They could have done this a few weeks ago in the budget. If anyone believes them on this, they are more stupid than I thought

Comprising wouldn't be the leading word in any of those parties vocabulary but they have some things in common. There's definitely common ground there. If they ever really want an alternative they'll have to put egos aside. I think it would be good for all of us to have a viable alternative.

The only people that want Labour and the SDs to merge are some people who don't follow SD and Labour supporters

The SDs just doubled their seats in local elections, why in the name of God would they merge with a party like Labour

I hate to say it but I think that Sinn Fein will moer than likely get in, or if not go 50/50ish with FF.

I don't think they'll lose votes. The people who backed them in 2020 are still there, even with the narrative that they have gotten immigration wrong for their main support group. IMHO these same people aren't too concerned about the recent scandals either.

In many ways I'd morbidly like to see them have a shot in leading government if only to show up their lack of any substantial policy on anything outside of a 32 county Ireland.

Mary Lou is credible but well past her sell by date. I've dealt professionally with a lot of their back benchers and they are just pitiful. In the whole, their entry into the party and reason to be is exclusively a "F the brits" mentality.

"F the brits" is great n all but it doesn't build houses, put petrol in your car or add anything of substance in modern day Ireland.

Hard to listen to FFG spouting nonsense about what they'll do to make things better.

YOU'VE BEEN IN POWER FOR 100 YEARS

Why haven't you done it???

you don't think the country is better than 100 years ago? It's way, way better both in absolute terms and relative to pretty much every country in the world

They have committed to them all right. They have failed to reach their housing targets for every year of this Govt

Why should we trust them now?

Apologies, they have missed every social and affordable housing target in every year of this Govt but then again the people relying on this type housing don't usually vote FG so they couldn't care less

And what were those targets? If they missed them, you need to state them.

A portion of sinn fein vote has gone right wing, I only see another ff/fg coalition with independents, not sure they even need a minority party this time. It's on SF there isn't a viable alternative again.

Deary me Harry, have you normalised that for pipeline AND seasonality?

I suspect not, but I’d like you to give me a bit more analysis here (and no, an Indo article on us being a couple of hundred homes shy of last year at this stage does not suffice).

Harris with his 40k was moronic (not unsurprising for him) but it is likely we will again beat last year.

You know we exceeded the targets last year and built the most per head in Europe, right?

First LOL moment of the campaign. Here's hoping they keep this up.

Way to go in losing any chance of votes from teachers, FG. Or teacher's partners. Or teachers mammys and daddys.