Forming the next Irish Government - policies and personalities

Fine Gael promised 60k a year, Fianna Fail promised over 75k a year

No, he didn't go through with it because he realised the prize he wanted most would not be available to him first - Taoiseach.
He's proving it now along with Harris.
Nothing is off the table in the cling to power.

Yeh, maybe, But that as they say, is an 'opinion'. Given his other behaviours, mine is not as charitable or blind.

I'd be interested in Michael Fitz part in this alliance given where he is coming from in his political history. A turfcutting campaigner and avid rural farmer, in an alliance of Independents replacing the Greens?

Might be one or two policy changes if any govt has to include him!

An a la carte 'opinion' if I may say despite all the proof you want that if Michael wants to leave his morals at home, he will at the drop of a hat.

The same moral compass that allows him to excoriate SF for their alleged treatment of a woman(Maria Cahill) while simultaneously treating another abhorrently.(Louise O'Keefe) or again excoriating SF for their alleged support for an alleged rapist while remaining resolutely mute on his Ceann Comhairle supporting a convicted rapist.

Plenty more examples if you want to inform your opine. I think the point is made though.

It wasn't even a temporary blip morally speaking.

MM made a remark one evening that was misinterpreted by some journalists as opening the door to Sinn Fein, which was repeatedly breathlessly by one poster on here. The following day, MM clarified his remarks that they didn't mean what the journalists said, and that FF were not considering SF, and as a result, the journalists never referred to it again, while the one poster still clings to that interpretation five years later, like a drowning man to a stick.

Here's RTE's senior political correspondent in 2023 referencing Martin's repeated ambiguity and refusal to rule it out completely.
'Language' is important and it is language similar to that being used to accommodate the dalliance with Lowry that will be used to make a fool of those championing Martin's moral compass. He doesn't have a discernible one and as shown there are plenty of examples of just what he will stand over if it comes to it.

Another noted his full frontal attack on Sinn Féin, in which he castigated the party for being anti-European, anti-enterprise and two-faced on climate action, but didn't actually close the door completely on a future coalition.

When is absolute absolute? Martin and his big decision

Same reporter who recorded for RTE the night he opened the door to SF. We know of course that he closed it the next day when he realised he was not going to have the seat advantage it looked like when he opened the door.

There is only one person in the whole country still harping on about it today. It was a case of MM not wanting to openly put all his cards on the table, and that being maliciously misinterpreted, something which most people dropped fairly quickly.

Well if you continue to ignore the evidence you won't have an informed opinion.

That is a very interesting analysis. There is no doubt that a lot of the sheen has worn off MLMD. She is seen both by the public and by other politicians as a tired option, with no positivity to bring to the table. When it comes to an election, people want hope, they want future ideas, and MLMD brings none of that, being perpetually negative.

The other point to note is that FF and FG won't be going into coalition with Lowry. You can't have a formal coalition without the Regional Independents being a formal group. Lowry won't be in cabinet either, and, as an independent, will be free to vote against the government, should he so choose. The only practical effect of this revelation is that Lowry will be extremely reluctant to force another election in case the issue becomes a significant problem for him locally. That is what is probably driving the angst being seen among SF activists.

Oh lord the arguments some people use to justify their perception of the best option.

As no party has convinced anything like a majority we find ourselves with party's running around willing to accept any help available for power. FF/FG aren't likely to get support from SF, the next evil will do fine.

Lowry has been used many times in recent years as the last prop for FG especially. A known crooked politician, Jesus wept when someone is arguing his virtues.