Irish General Election - Friday, November 29th *Read OP for Mod Warnings*

The people who voted for FFG represented about 27% of the total possible voter pool (60% turnout, FFG got 43% of that).

The older generations vote and they are being handed the key decision, time and time again by the indifference of others .

The control FFG have can be easily overcome…….27% shows that ……..but it requires effort.

This country is paradise compared to pre 90s Ireland.

Say what you like but I'm voting for the DFLP.

No matter who is in power housing will continue to be a problem for years for a myriad of reasons .A government would nearly have to railroad through planning and with a state building company build affordable houses and ignores the outcry from existing home owners worried about their expensive houses losing value due to cheaper hoses going up near to them .T

I am fair convinced FG wanted to go into opposition for a while to train up all their new TDs and run away from the massive promises. They probably didn't think FF would go so well and that Martin would rule out a SF coalition. FG might drive a hard bargain but will be dragged back into govt. How they go will depend on a few things including the economy. FF will definitely allude to them as the minor party after all the FG sneering since 2011. Willie O'Dea and McEntee should take Justice together...

FG's greatest achievement was the rehabilitation of FF.

The new govt will get a good grilling from strong ladies in SDs, Labour, SF and Independents. They won't like that.

Average weekly earning increased more than double inflation rate in last year

No wonder people voted for existing parties

I think they wanted to be in FF's position with at least 10 more seats and ideally be the senior partner in government.

At that point I'm not sure they'd be inclined to give up rotating Taoiseach. They may well have been prepared to call FF's bluff by either forcing FF to cause an election or go into government with SF in much the same way as they went in with FG in 2020.

FF accept no rotating Taoiseach - FG are clearly the bigger party.

FF don't agree and no government can be formed FG blame FF saying that they should have accepted the offer or tried to form an alternative government.

FF somehow get rid of MM and end up in government with SF and things go badly or even if they don't they will look to get FF supporters that dislike SF and they're back towards a 2011 type majority.

I, for one, am happy with the outcome. The parties I backed did very well indeed. 😊

I'm not old, 30 but if young people want change then stop complaining on social media, get off your arse and vote.

In the 80s and 90s there was still new social housing estates being built unlike present days and in the 80s and 90s there were no vulture funds buying up new housing estates thus further pricing people out of the housing market.

There won't be any figures to show why people didn't turn up to vote.

If they are on the register polling cards are posted out.

We need to reform the register, there are issues all over the country.

What’s harming young voters is their inability to walk into a polling booth.

But perhaps they also see the lack of options……we now have FFG on one side and 3/4 protest parties full of idealism but not a lot of substance behind them

SF and SD want wealth taxes which won’t hit the super rich as they will move abroad. SF in the past have said they would tax private sector pension schemes but not public sector ones as they are not pension funds 🤔.
During the election campaign SF also wanted to increase inheritance tax as it doesn’t bring in much. That would hit single people even more who want to give property to nieces/nephews but not an issue for SF as Eoin O Broin’s parents home was divided up between sons and daughters and he was all right Jack.

Richard Boyd Barrett has a major issue about Ukraine’s NATO application because he hates NATO. He seems to forget that a war is ongoing and NATO membership is probably the only thing that will keep Russian troops from taking complete control when Trump likely pulls the plug on US involvement.

And then we have Labour, whose brand new TD Marie Sherlock only wants to go into government with other small parties……so that rules out SF. And yet Marie Sherlock is so much better than Gerry Hutch ?. Her party colleague Alan Kelly has already indicated he wants to go into government with FFG so once more, Labour Party is at odds with each other between idealism and pragmatism.

I have voted for decades and have only missed two GE in nearly 40 years but found the choice this time, harder than ever.FFG is full of wafflers but at least it’s wafflers with some regard for consequences for actions.

I voted FF for the very first time as he is local and active. Don’t agree with all his claptrap but he is far far more active than the other outgoing TD’s who fell asleep in 2020 and only woke up six weeks ago.

Yes, young people should vote, and vote for change if they so wish, but let’s not pretend that the other side have any more interest in the young people other than as a means to get into power.

If any party had said……….we will reform the HSE and introduce compulsory job losses if necessary…..it would have got my vote. But that would be a brave move and we just elected 174 clowns whose main goal is benefits for themselves and re election.

I still have the nagging feeling we should have kept the Trioka, we may have got some accountability.

So the only sane option is FF FG. Given the shenanigans of the smaller parties after the election it seems to be true.

They need to be told no, FF have 10 more seats, they hold the cards.