Who are you giving your #1 vote to on Friday?

Probably Aontu because they are taking a tougher position on illegal immigration into this country.

Some ideas on how the country can be improved would be welcome.

We're an island, off an island, at the end of the world really.

It has been our low corporation rate, membership of the EU and language that have separated us from the pack over the last few decades.

Our infrastructure has not kept up with our economy. I've not heard any obvious fixes for this. I think if there were any, we'd hear about them but the politicians just have pushing on the end of string policies. If anything, there fiddling about and interventions make things worse - they probably should be removing schemes, grants, incentives that are counter-productive (and the quangos that go along with them) instead of trying to introduce even more.

Yes they did but you have people who will vote this Friday in the hope their representatives crash the economy and hence get them on housing ladder

Anyone whom lived through great recession like me in meantime just looking on in amazement

We seen it in US where 70 million people voted to wreck the best economy US ever had

Can't believe the greens are on 7%,also unbelievable that the new Greens(SDS) are on big numbers,hopefully its a glitch and both parties are consigned to the political wilderness.

They're not. Boards polls are notoriously inaccurate.

They are all traitors, no one with the guts to properly defend Ireland, many of them are calling for military support & aid to Ukraine to be stopped, despite the majority of European, EU & western democracies following this exact political policy.

These gombeens are all quislings & would collaborate with any invasion by certain dictatorial foreign powers as long as the gravy train continued.

Far right & hard left tankie traitors, shameful for a western supposedly freedom loving nation who's forefathers fought against such oppression & tyranny, the same as a fellow European nation is suffering for the last decade.

Glóir don Úcráin!

I have a few questions written on a card beside my door to put to candidates who come knocking. So far nobody has come. They must not want my vote.

Unless you're in all the time, you've probably missed someone.

That is assuming you live in a house, not a flat; and in an at least semi built up area. Apartment and rural dwellers are basically excluded from door to door canvassing.

I’ve read some quick news updates on the parties defence policies. SF, PBP, I4C, are all certainly traitors, just read their anti western / NATO / blame the USA / CIA rants calling for western weapons to be stopped, very similar delusional tankie mantra as Wallace & Daly FSB / KGB Pro Putin propaganda. SF deleted their years of pro Russian propaganda & support on their website regarding Ukraine but the same tankie viewpoints still remain

They are  followed by LP, SD & GP who are all still anti defence / EU Army / triple lock. Heads in the sand stuff.  All these parties above are obviously happy with present defence policy & don’t even want further serious co-operation with EU & European & other western nations in this time of world crisis.

It’s only FG & FF who actually say they are taking defence seriously, LOA3 gets mentioned by both parties but the stagnation & neglect has happened on their watch since the mid ’90’s, end of the Cold War era should not be overlooked.

So politicians & parties are still not serious enough on defence & such attitudes leave the nation & security in danger.  I hope if there’s another FF/FG government that they at least listen to other democratic nations considerations on these issues & hopefully we are not on our own if the situation gets even worse in future. 

Did anyone else try our the Irish Independent, VoteSmart: Take our election test to find out which parties and politicians align with your views quiz.

Apparently my smart vote is the Social Democrats followed by FG then FF.

On the way I'm actually going to vote they couldn't have been more wrong.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/elections-2024/votesmart/votesmart-take-our-election-test-to-find-out-which-parties-and-politicians-align-with-your-views/a1537193874.html

Tried it very different results from another one I took, also the questions in this one are a lot more leading I thought, some things were pushing towards answer due to the severity of the question

I think they will surprise many - there's a younger vote that I think they will get as well as the vote of the dissillusioned.

I do think they will get more than just the one seat.

There'll be a lot of independents voted in and I'd expect a good few of the independent Ireland group.

FF have put significant money into their campaigns though and I'd expect them to top the poll with FG coming a bit further back.

I really dont know how SF will do this time around. My cut is not as good as last time as their are more places to go with the votes they might have gotten last time out.

Main thing though - is to get out and vote - plenty people moaning all the time but never voted - there's no excuse.

That would be brilliant if Ireland was a private company rather than a society.