Election to be called Fri - predict outcome

I think they have abandoned winning it on their record(or see that as extremely risky, given the hammering they are taking on housing so far) and are hoping they can buy power back.

Rents up 43% from 2019.

"B-b-but FFG are smashing all the housing targets"

Apartment delivery in Dublin has cratered, it's not looking good at all

https://www.thejournal.ie/average-rents-up-43-on-pre-covid-levels-daft-price-rental-report-6540424-Nov2024/

I'm old enough to remember when Labour came out with the 50k houses a year target, and FF and FG was apoplectic in telling them how ridiculous and non feasable it was.

No, she doesn't have ministerial experience as she hasn't been in government nor did ROG before being appointed a minister, nor have several others such as Norma Foley and Catheirne Martin.

While not the most likely outcome, it's not completely ruled out that Ivana Bacik or Holly Cairns could be Minister for Foreign Affairs with no ministerial experience - yet you've no issue with Labour or the SDs.

And of course for the third time, nor did Enda Kenny, Sanna Marina, Jacinda Ahern and Kaja Kallas - have any significant/any experience before becoming their country's Prime Minister/Taoiseach - it's interesting you've ignored this point.

The issue here isn't experience, that's a red herring you've raised, you want a pro US lackey and to you MLMD is not that.

The point about Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Israel is that they are all reprehensible states that are supported by US imperialism yet you are critiquing MLMD over her alleged 'support' for countries that are opposed by the US. As for the stupidity of Harris and Martin, you're right they do stay onside with US imperialism so they turn a blind eye to the US sending arms to Israel through Irish airspace, they are happy to trade with the Saudis irrespective of their human rights record or illegal bombing raids in Yemen and Qatar and of course we ceased no trade with the genocidal Netanyahu regime.

And SF would wipe the national debt and also maintain our employment rates, FDI and job creation levels?

I dont think so.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I really dont see a better viable option than an FFG govt. I am by no means saying its a perfect option by the way, but its the best we have.

For context, I am not a supporter of any of the three of them.

Enda Kenny had been Minister for Tourism and Trade, and also Minister of State for Education and Labour so you are wrong again.

Nobody in Ireland supports Qatar and Saudi Arabia (bar Mary Robinson, icon of the left), but MLMD's naivety in supporting evil in Hamas, Russia and Maduro makes her dangerous.

I am not looking for a pro-US lackey, but in a country which is dependent for its wealth on US multi-nationals, putting a naive anti-US idiot into leadership is a really bad idea. Maybe you will accept poverty and mass emigration in order to have your country support organisations like Hamas and dictators like Maduro and Putin. Well, I won't.

It is a fair point.

We need a partnership relationship with the US, if our economy is to survive in the medium term.

Again, with FFG, we have a solid relationship with the US, that is open to continued FDI.

100%.

There are far too many risks to the SF proposal & when you contrast their approach with a steady rise in completions under the current govt, coupled with the impact of the planning bill and investment in additional planning staff, as well as an increased residential construction workforce, it just doesn't make sense to change the govt and lose all of that momentum.

Are the anti-business Sinn Fein going to result in commercial construction picking up again?

How is that relevant to the decision of FFG Vs SF?

If anything SF may cause commercial market to crater even more freeing up more labour for residential.

How could it be worse ? Outrageous taxation over a pittance? Yeah we have that. World's largest welfare state, yeah we have that too... you mean you think it can get worse?

Simon Harris still can't identify the 6 asylum reception centres apart from Thorton Hall which still hasn't taken any refugees.

E Murphy admits what everyone knew - FG have never wanted to solve the housing crisis.

When talking about the riots this month last year, Collette should have asked Harris why no one has been convicted yet.