Fianna Fáil saw further exodus of some of its most familiar faces last night as two more sitting TDs announced they will not contest the general election. This morning, Galway East TD Noel Tracy also said he will not stand in the upcoming election. By Alison Spillane
The resignation was the only dignity of the week. A week of blunder, chaos and finally pathos, writes Vincent Browne.
Last Thursday morning, I received an e-mail from Brian Cowen. Nice and personal, starting off with ''Dear Vincent''.
The Green Party salvaged some political standing on Thursday in forcing Brian Cowen to backtrack on a proposed Cabinet reshuffle and also set a date of 11 March for the general election. But by resigning from government this afternoon but stating their intention to support the Finance Bill from opposition benches, the Greens have cast further uncertainty on the date for an election. They also place the Dail in a Constitutional quandary and may have nullified whatever modest gains they made politically. By Malachy Browne
It was persistent questioning by Sinn Fein's Caoimhgin O Caolain in the Dail last week that wheedled out of Brian Cowen the revelations that not only did he play golf in Druids Glen with Sean Fitzpatrick in July 2008, but that he spent the evening in the company of Fitzpatrick, another senior Anglo banker and Alan Gray, a board member of the Central Bank. It was a "long-standing" engagement, Cowen said, and he took the opportunity to discuss the economy with the trio.
Fianna Fáil's election strategy got off to a shambolic start yesterday as a botched attempt at a Cabinet reshuffle once again raised questions about Brian Cowen's leadership. By Alison Spillane
At 13.30 this afternoon Taoiseach Brian Cowen made a statement to the Dáil in which he announced that the resignations of Deputies Harney, Ahern (Dermot), Killeen, Dempsey, and O'Keeffe had been accepted. He also set the date for the general election which will now take place on 11 March.
Last night Minister for Health Mary Harney announced she would not contest the general election. In a surprise move, she also offered her resignation to Taoiseach Brian Cowen. By Alison Spillane
One of the longest-serving members of Dáil Eireann, Ms Harney explained she felt someone who was not running in the general election should not continue to serve in the Cabinet.
Fine Gael and Labour promise radical changes but they cop out on the big issues, writes Vincent Browne.
The most depressing feature of this coming election is that so little will change with it. Fine Gael and Labour have promised that.
Yesterday Is Féidir Linn (IFL) published its position paper on the 2011 general election. The paper sets out the group's position on the banking crisis, the government's four-year plan, the EU-IMF-ECB bailout and Budget 2011. As well as this it outlines policy priorities for the next government.