Blogger Suzy Byrne said on RTE's Frontline Monday night that 'reform' is one of the most abused words of the election campaign. And indeed, the idea of political reform has been co-opted by every party and Independent in this campaign. How much of the rhetoric is genuine and what will work?
Cavan-Monaghan
Most of those who know Dylan Haskins found him through the now infamous Youtube video that launched his campaign as a candidate in Dublin South-East. The short video showcasing the articulate nouveau-mod was an instant hit and has clocked tens of thousands of hits (video is embedded below). Interview with Eamonn Costello.
Carlow-Kilkenny
Is the Poolbeg incinerator plan actually too small? After the exit of the Greens, the Minister for the Environment is now Éamon Ó Cuív. Within a few weeks we will have another minister in place. What will happen to the issue of the proposed Poolbeg incinerator is anyone’s guess. Sandy Hazel reports.
Most election candidates are saying publicly that the incinerator is a bad plan, but they are in campaign mode and possibly telling the electorate only what it wants to hear. A recent readers’ poll by the Irish Times had 60-40 in favour of the incinerator being built.
Why did the Greens pull out of government? And will we see them there again any time soon? By Colin Murphy.
A party that had displayed extraordinary (perhaps suicidal) patience with Brian Lenihan’s fiscal strategy and Brian Cowen’s leadership withdrew, because, “Our patience has reached an end", in the words of party leader John Gormley on January 23.
The civil society group Claiming Our Future has launched a petition today demanding that political parties promote greater participation by women in politics. [Pictured: The nine People Before Profit election candidates, four of which are women]
“Poll: Give us Enda without Gilmore” was how the Sunday Independent yesterday headlined its lead story, reporting its latest poll results. The poll, however, found precisely the opposite. It found that more people would prefer a Fine Gael-Labour coalition (30%) to a Fine Gael overall majority or Fine Gael deal with Independents (28%).
The carnage of Fianna Fáil will be the only interesting facet of the election results next weekend. Maybe along with the disappointment of Labour – a Fine Gael government without them and little chance ever of ministerial preferment for the Labour wise owls, writes Vincent Browne.
Inclusion Ireland, as the largest national organisation representing people with an intellectual disability, knows the effect of cutbacks and the economic downturn on people with intellectual disabilities and their families. By Siobhan Kane