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LAST UPDATE | 22 Jan
THERE WILL BE no new Taoiseach today after chaos in the Dáil has ultimately led to it being suspended until tomorrow morning.
The Dáil started to meet at 11am this morning and was supposed to be voting on a new Taoiseach, with Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil the only contender with enough support backing him to take on the role.
If all had gone to plan, Martin would’ve been elected Taoiseach by the Dáil, travelled to Áras an Uachtaráin to visit President Michael D Higgins to officially be appointed the new leader and returned to Leinster House to hand out portfolios to Cabinet ministers, who would then travel to the Áras themselves.
However, the day took a very different shape than expected.
Proceedings kicked off in Leinster House just after 11am and quickly livened up as the row over the Regional Independents potentially getting opposition speaking rights descended into chaos.
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy had to suspend the Dáil for 15 minutes. It came back again briefly and rapidly returned to more shouting and roaring before being suspended for a second break, that time for 30 minutes.
Afterwards, another 45-minute break was requested to allow the whips of each party to meet to try to come to a resolution. This suspension actually lasted a couple of hours – and when the Dáil came back, chaos quickly erupted again and the wheels of the day began to fall off.
With updates from Muiris Ó Cearbhaill, Lauren Boland and Órla Ryan
Good morning! Lauren here from The Journal. It’s almost time for Dáil members to sit to vote in a new Taoiseach.
Short of a major upset, the session will play out with Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Regional Independents voting for Micheál Martin, who will then go on to appoint a Cabinet.
The Dáil sitting is due to get underway shortly at 11am.
There are some road closures around Leinster House today as the new Dáil members sit. If you’re planning to travel in Dublin city centre today near Kildare Street or Merrion Square, you’ll have to find an alternative way to get where you’re going.
🌄Good Morning🌄
— LiveDrive (@LiveDrive) January 22, 2025
There are road closures due to Dail Eireann reopening today.
Kildare Street
Merrion Square West
Merrion Square South
Merrion Street upper
Tune in to @dublincityfm for more updates.@DCCTraffic @TFIupdates
There’s the new TDs now filing in to the Dáil. The action should be starting in the next few minutes.
Interested in how the day will play out hour by hour? Our politics editor Christina Finn has a full rundown for you on The Journal.
Sinn Féin will nominate Mary Lou McDonald for Taoiseach but she doesn’t have the numbers behind her to clinch the job.
Fianna Fáil will nominate Micheál Martin, and with his own party as well as Fine Gael and the Regional Independents behind him, he’ll have enough to get over the line.
After the Dáil voting process is complete, probably around 1.30pm, Martin will travel from Leinster House to Áras an Uachtaráin where he will be formally appointed Taoiseach by President Micheal D. Higgins.
The new Taoiseach will then return to Government Buildings and summon new Cabinet members to his office to inform them of their portfolios.
The Dáil will sit again at 5.30pm for new Cabinet members to be voted for and approved by the Dáil. The new ministers will make their way to the State Reception Room in Áras an Uachtaráin, where President Higgins will present each minister with their Seal of Office.
Got all that?
But before the business of voting on a Taoiseach starts, another matter being addressed: the question of whether the Regional Independents, who are going to be supporting Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the government, will also have the speaking rights in the Dáil that opposition members have.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who’s speaking now in the Dáil, has accused the push for the Regional Independents to have Opposition speaking rights of being a “ruse”.
Aontú TD Peadar Tóibín, who is supporting the Regional Independents, criticised Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for extending the Dáil’s break – but his remarks were met with grumblings from other TDs: “You’re in the technical group…” one called.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, who spoke next after Tóibín, said that the sitting was “off to a farcical start”.
Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy is now exclaiming, along with some finger pointing, that the allocation of speaking time is “completely unfair”.
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy is asking him to resume his seat.
Labour TD Alan Kelly has said Ireland should not set an international precedent of parliamentarians who are supporting the government being able to sit with the opposition. “What a bloody farce,” Kelly said.
Members are – with a fair bit of passion, let’s say – asking Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy to pin down a date by which the issue of speaking rights will be dealt with.
“Rather than shouting at me and jumping out of your seat – I’m prepared to hear you, but regarding a date, I cannot yet set it because I have not yet received all the submissions,” Murphy says.
Breaking: The Dáil has been suspended for 15 minutes after the tumultuous row descended into chaos, just 26 minutes in to the sitting.
Meanwhile, protesters outside Leinster House are pushing for the new government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill.
As government formation gets underway, a protest to enact the Occupied Territories Bill takes place outside the Dáil. pic.twitter.com/cjboM9mrc6
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) January 22, 2025
That was a bit of a wild start to the morning. What actually just happened??
The speaking rights debacle has been brewing for days now – if you need to catch up, we have an explainer for you on The Journal.
At the start of the sitting, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy – who was one of the founding members of the Regional Independents technical group – promised to run the Dáil fairly as she began the proceedings with the opening prayer.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, the first Opposition TD to speak, said that proposed speaking arrangements were a “cynical and unprecedented ruse” to allow supporters of the Government sit among the Opposition.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibin spoke soon after, criticising the long break in government since the election. Tóibín is in an unusual arrangement – he is aligning himself with the Regional Independents and was speaking in that capacity, but is not part of the group’s supporting of Government.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said Independents were supporting government while “Pretending to be in opposition” and that the situation has “taken the art of speaking out two sides of your mouth to a new and higher level”.
From there on, it all became a bit chaotic. Murphy was trying to keep the proceedings running along but Opposition TDs grew increasingly dissatisfied with the situation.
Michael Collins of Independent Ireland said that TDs “cannot be on the inside and on the outside”. Labour’s Alan Kelly said the Dáil could be “made a show of around the world”, while Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy also loudly and repeatedly demanded that the matter be resolved.
Amid shouting and grumbling from the benches, Murphy had to suspend the session.
The Dáil was meant to resume at 11.43 after a 15-minute suspension – but here we are ten minutes later and still no resumption in sight.
The Dáil has resumed again and it is straight back in to absolute chaos.
The individual shouts in the chorus are almost indistinguisable. One common one is: “We need the legal advice!” About the speaking rights situation, that is.
And the Dáil has just been suspended again. This time for 30 minutes. What a start to the day.
Our politics editor Christina Finn, who is at Leinster House, warns that these suspensions mean a definite delay in the timeline that was expected for the day.
The Dáil has been suspended for a second time and is due to resume at 12.28pm putting today’s schedule way behind now.
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) January 22, 2025
The Dáil had resumed for barely a couple of minutes when TDs from the opposition putting pressure on the Ceann Comhairle to give answers to the speaking rights row led to the second suspension.
And the Dáil has just been suspended again - this time for 30 minutes. pic.twitter.com/IAwkHH18Zg
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) January 22, 2025
While the Dáil is suspended, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett is hitting out at the prospective Government parties, accusing them of “bringing our democracy into disrepute” with “cynical manoeuvres”.
Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and so-called regional 'independents & Healy-Raes bringing our democracy into disrepute with sleeveen politics and cynical manoeuvres to subvert the people's right to a real opposition.The Ceann Comhairle should stop facilitating this sabotage of democracy https://t.co/1HBsRqhVRI
— Richard Boyd Barrett (@RBoydBarrett) January 22, 2025
Our politics reporter Jane Matthews has a full rundown for you of the events leading up to the double Dáil suspension.
“The Dáil back with a bang – and has been suspended not once, but twice already,” Jane writes.
“That bang is a blazing row over speaking time, with Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy suspending the Dáil after 26 minutes into its return. When the shouting immediately resumed after the 15 minute suspension, Murphy suspended it again for 30 minutes.”
Read Jane’s full coverage of the suspensions on The Journal.
Update from our politics editor Christina Finn on the ground: “Lots of excitement and a bit of chaos in the halls of Leinster House this afternoon after the suspension of the Dáil. Opposition are not for moving until guarantees given and they want an urgent meeting of the Business Committee.”
That could really put a spanner in the works.
Lads – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent a tweet – likely a pre-scheduled one – congratulating Micheál Martin on his appointment as Taoiseach. He has not, of course, been appointed as Taoiseach yet.
The tweet has now been deleted but this is what it said:
“Looking forward to working you again. Together, we will make Europe and Ireland more competitive in these turbulent times. Comhghairdeas leat!” she wrote.
Will she write a new tweet later or send the same one again?
The Dáil was due to come back at 12.28pm but much like the first suspension, its return has been delayed by at least another ten minutes.
We understand that Ivana Bacik, Alan Kelly and Duncan Smith of Labour, Mary Lou McDonald and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn of Sinn Féin and Cian O’Callaghan of the Social Democrats have been huddled in conference together in the Dáil chamber.
We understand that the Dáil is going to be suspended again for at least another 45 minutes to facilitate a meeting of the whips of each party.
Naughton has requested another break – 30 minutes for party representatives to meet and another 15 to consult with their own parties afterwards.
It’s granted. The Dáil is suspended once again.
This break is due to last until at least 1.58pm.
At the start of the day, we had expected that Micheál Martin would have secured the Taoiseach role by 1.30pm.
The speculation in the corridors of Leinster House is that it could be 5pm by the time Micheál Martin visits President Michael D. Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin and 10pm when Cabinet ministers make their trip to the Áras – but we’ll have to wait and see how the next few hours play out.
Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has said it is “not acceptable” that a group which is part of the government would have the same amount of opposition speaking time as Sinn Féin.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One, Carthy said: “We’ve had a fiasco today, I think everyone recognises that, but that fiasco is of Micheál Martin’s and Simon Harris’s making.”
Niall Collins of Fianna Fáil, also speaking on RTÉ Radio One, has defended the prospect of opposition speaking rights being given to the Regional Independents, insisting it would not take up the time of specific opposition parties.
There’s Danny Healy-Rae on a phone call staring out a window from inside Leinster House.
There have been protests for several causes outside of the Dáil as it sits (or, at least, tries to).
Well, the scheduled time for the Dáil to resume was 1.58pm, but here we are – still no Dáil back.
We understand that the meeting of party whips is breaking up without having come to an agreement.
The whips are going to confer with their own parties for 15 minutes and should then return to the Dáil chamber.
As we wait for the Dáil to return to session, I’m handing you over for the next while to my colleague Órla Ryan for updates.
As we wait for the Dáil to resume, here’s an update from Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae, who is set to become a junior minister in the new government.
Speaking to RTÉ News in the last few minutes, the Independent TD said what happened in the Dáil earlier today – resulting in its ongoing suspension – is “not right”.
“What has happened since is just clearly shouting down the Ceann Comhairle [Verona Murphy] and actually making her not be heard by the matter of so many people shouting at the same time.
“Now, I’ve been in opposition for a long time. I know what you can do, and I know what you can’t do – and to be honest, what I’ve seen going on inside there now today is not right.
The rest of the world is looking at us today and saying Ireland is electing a new government. And here we are, we’re stumbling at the beginning and delaying the process.
“We see what’s happening over across the water in America. We need decisiveness. We need our ministers in place. We need to get on with the government of Ireland and doing our job.”
An update from our Political Correspondent Jane Matthews at Leinster House:
“Two government sources have said they are still hopeful and still aiming that there will be a vote on the Taoiseach today, despite the stalemate over Dail speaking time.”
And some more context from our Political Editor Christina Finn, who says things are currently at an “absolute stalemate”.
Party whips and Independents are still trying to find a compromise in the speaking rights row, in a bid to get today’s proceedings back on track.
“One compromise being considered is that the issue will be referred to the Oireachtas Reform Committee tomorrow, but under the understanding that the government can’t just use its majority to ram through what it wants and that they work to get a solution,” Finn explained.
Independent TD Michael Lowry, who helped agree the new Programme for Government, has spoken to reporters on the plinth at Leinster House.
He is among the TDs seeking opposition speaking rights as part of a technical group, despite his role in government formation.
Lowry told reporters: “What has happened today is absolutely shameful. It’s disgraceful.”
The Tipperary North TD accused Sinn Féin in particular of deciding to “disrupt the proceedings today”.
He said most parties and independents have agreed that the speaking rights issue should be referred to the Reform Committee tomorrow, in a bid to get back on track today and elect a Taoiseach.
He said he hopes “common sense will prevail”.
Yet another twist: Aontú’s two TDs Peadar Tóibín and Paul Lawless have left the Regional Technical Group at the centre of the speaking rights row.
Here’s more from the Lowry press conference at Leinster House:
Michael Lowry says there’s a compromise on the table that would see the issue of the Regional Independent Group’s speaking time addressed at the Dáil Reform Committee tomorrow.
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) January 22, 2025
One problem is the committee can only be constituted once the government is set up. pic.twitter.com/aSsPsdMKN6
He explains that the speaking rights row can’t be referred to the Reform Committee until the government is set up – meaning we’re going around in circles at the minute.
Aontú is leaving the Regional Technical Group at the centre of the speaking rights row… and joining Independent Ireland’s technical group:
Aontú leader Peadar Toibín says he and Paul Lawless will be joining the technical group that includes Independent Ireland’s four TDs and Independent Paul Gogarty.
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) January 22, 2025
He says the offer came around midday today @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/liKoLJ963t
The political developments are coming thick and fast, but so too are weather warnings: Status Red wind and rain warnings have been extended to include 22 counties on Friday.
The Dáil is *finally* due to come back at 4pm, our Political Editor Christina Finn has confirmed.
Thanks for staying with us so far this afternoon.
As we await the resumption of the Dáil, I’ll hand you back to my colleague Lauren Boland.
Independent Ireland has issued a statement confirming that Aontú is joining the Independent technical group.
In a statement, it said the group will “operate strictly as a technical assembly, emphasising its role as a platform for discussion and expertise rather than a political alliance or joint political platform”.
Before Aontú joined up, the group consisted of four members of Independent Ireland and Independent TD Paul Gogarty.
It’s ten past four now and the Dáil hasn’t formally resumed yet but members have returned to take their seats.
Absolute chaos erupts in the Dáil again after chief whip Hildegarde Naughton says the proceedings should go ahead as planned. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy initiates the procedure for the nomination of the Taoiseach.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald protests and is backed by other members of the opposition, with shouts of “it’s a disgrace!”
The session finally ends with Murphy suspending business until tomorrow morning.
The Fine Gael press office has emailed journalists a notification that Simon Harris and Micheál Martin will be on the plinth outside Leinster House accompanied by their party whips Hildegarde Naughton and Cormac Devlin at 4.50pm (the email notification was sent at 4.49pm).
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman is not impressed.
I said during the election that a Government relying on independents would be unstable.
— Roderic O’Gorman TD (@rodericogorman) January 22, 2025
I didn’t think it would be unable to even elect a Taoiseach!
Simon Harris and Michéal Martin are taking questions from media now outside Government Buildings.
It’s their position that the speaking arrangements shouldn’t have been an issue today; they’re accusing Sinn Féin and others in opposition of “blocking” democratic processes.
Fine Gael whip Hildegarde Naughton, who is also speaking to media, says that at the meetings of party whips today, there had been an agreement to pass a motion tonight to form a Dáil Reform Committee that would meet for the first time tomorrow and to resolve the issue of the speaking rights row.
But, she says, “all bets were off” when the Dáil resumed and the opposition once again protested the proceedings.
Micheál Martin claims Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy was “bullied” during today’s sittings and that there were attempts to “hold the government to ransom”.
“Stunt politics on speed” is what Simon Harris has to say about the day’s events.
Simon Harris - who is still Taoiseach - has said what happened today was “stunt politics on speed”.
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) January 22, 2025
“Mary Lou McDonald came into Dáil Éireann today with one intention and one intention only, to stop Micheál Martin being elected Taoiseach”
More on @thejournal_ie soon pic.twitter.com/zfKBygftY2
Here’s another moment from that doorstep with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil:
It’s fair to say Simon Harris and Micheal Martin are not happy. pic.twitter.com/6k3Xy0Xbjg
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) January 22, 2025
We’re expecting the leaders of Sinn Féin, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit and the Independent Group to speak to media on the Leinster House plinth at 6.30pm.
A selection of what some of the international coverage of what happened in the Dáil today looks like:
Micheál Martin is doubling down on his insistence that what happened was a “choreographed” move by opposition.
No doubt opposition leaders will have a different view when we hear from them soon.
What we witnessed today was the subversion of the Irish constitution.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) January 22, 2025
The most fundamental obligation of the Dáil is to elect a Taoiseach and indeed a government.
That opportunity was denied today by a premeditated, coordinated and choreographed position by the opposition. pic.twitter.com/vMlMsbsDfn
My colleague Jane Moore has a round-up for you on The Journal about what Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael said as they spoke to media outside Leinster House in the last hour.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is speaking now to media, accompanied by leaders of other opposition parties in what what is an usual display of solidarity.
She’s said today’s affairs were a “mess created by Government” and that it’s the government that has the ability to fix it.
“We stand here as a united group of opposition leaders,” says Labour leader Ivana Bacik.
“We cannot stand over a situation where those TDs who are actively engaged in constructing a programme for government cannot also sit as opposition. It’s not tenable,” she says.
“It’s a chaotic situation. It’s a chaos of the government’s making and a chaos within their power to fix.”
Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan says that the situation “should never have come” to how it played out in the Dáil today, saying it was “unfortunate” that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael had declined an invitation for the leaders of all Dáil parties to meet this afternoon.
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins says the Dáil “owes it to the people who elected us” to have a “clear opposition”.
“We have not refused the Regionals the opportunity to speak within government time… but they want their bread buttered at both ends and it can’t work,” Collins says.
People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett accuses the members of the prospective government of trying to “subvert and sabotage” democracy and “undermine” the opposition’s role of holding Government to account.
“It’s a joke. Everybody can see it. They can resolve it very very quickly if the government, or Michael Lowry and the government, say they will take their speaking time as government speaking time.”
Asked about what will happen tomorrow if the matter isn’t resolved, McDonald says the opposition’s goal is not to cause disruption but that they will “stand firm” in their position telling the government that TDs support the government are treated as part of the government when it comes to the allocation of speaking time.
“As opposition, we would be failing the Irish democratic process if we did not take a firm stance like this. We are absolutely resolute,” McDonald says.
She says they are writing to the Government party leaders and to the Ceann Comhairle with their position and calling for a resolution.
Mary Lou McDonald refutes the suggestion that party whips had come to an agreement in their meeting earlier, calling that assertion by Fine Gael a “misrepresentation”.
Having the final word, People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett says that “none of this ” is about blocking the nomination of the new Taoiseach, but allocating speaking time appropriately.
That’s it from me, Lauren, for the evening. Handing you over now to my colleague Muiris O’Cearbhaill.
Good evening one and all.
Tensions are certainly high in Dublin this evening.
Independent TD, and incoming junior minister, Michael Healy-Rae appeared on RTÉ Radio One’s Drive Time this evening to discuss the day’s events – before hanging up on the programme after claiming he was not being given the time to a question.
Healy-Rae is one of the four members of the Regional Independent Group who will be sitting on the government’s side of the Dáil. All eight members who negotiated the programme have argued there is precedent to allow four of their TDs to sit in opposition.
Questioned on this precedent this evening by journalist Sarah McInerney, Healy-Rae was claimed he was not being given time to speak on the issue. He told the programme that he had been invited on to say his opinion on the day and argued he was not being awarded the opportunity to do so.
McInerney denied the accusation, claiming that Healy-Rae had not given her a sufficient answer to her question on the precedent that has been set to allow TDs who negotiated in the programme for government to sit in opposition benches.
“Will I just leave you talk away yourself?” Healy-Rae asked, before hanging up.
As previously reported by this liveblog, the opposition has united under one banner this evening – a very rare site in Irish politics – over, what is now, the enormous row over speaking time in the Dáil.
In a statement, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy echoed the comments of his party leader this evening and claimed that the decision to allow four members of the Regional Independent Group that negotiated the programme for government to sit in opposition is “stroke politics”.
“In these circumstances it is simply not tenable for the Regional Independent Group TDs in question to be part of the Dáil opposition,” he said.
“Yet the Government and the Regional TDs persisted and the Ceann Comhairle has undermined her own position by backing this ludicrous fake opposition proposal.”
He has called on the Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy to establish a resolution to the issue.
If you need a catch up or – like many of us in the newsroom – the almighty political row happened too quickly to keep on top of today, we’ve got you covered.
My colleague and political correspondent Jane Matthews, who, like many, started her day at Leinster House thinking she would see a new Taoiseach, has wrapped the day’s event in this handy explainer.
Who said what? Why was the Dáil suspended twice? What meetings took place?
Micheál Martin described today’s chaotic scenes in the Dáil as the “subversion of the Irish Constitution” as incoming Tánaiste Simon Harris described today’s events as “utterly farcical”.
ICYMI: Incoming junior minister Michael Healy Rae joined the Drivetime radio show in the wake of today’s Dáil fallout today, but he voiced anger at RTÉ journalist Sarah McInerney as she questioned him about the controversial speaking arrangements that sparked the chaotic series of events.
Catch up here about what went down.
If you want to catch up in under ten minutes on what today was all about, tune in to the latest The Candidate podcast where me (Political Editor Christina Finn) and Political Correspondent Jane Matthews bring you up to speed.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
Labour’s Ivana Bacik, Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty and Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne are all on RTÉ’s Prime Time right now.
Bacik says the scenes were regrettable but were utterly predictable.
She said this was a matter the government could have been easily resolved. She says it was well flagged that this was a serious issue, stating that it is not acceptable to pretend to be in opposition while also having one foot in government.
“This disruption is for the government to resolve,” she said.
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So democracy in Ireland is now having the same party in power and opposition at the same time.
@james rowan: Independent TDs aren’t the same as Independent Ireland (the party)….. It’s literally in the title. So the same party are not in govt and in the opposition
Opposition should automatically be part of government. No elections needed!
@james rowan: I think you’ll find that the independents are not a party…
@smatrix mantra: I truly hope that the real opposition go to the courts to overturn this undemocratic scenario that has been thrust upon the electorate who have been fooled yet again by Fianna Fail.
I’d love it if the Gardai properly investigated Michael Lowry, because there is evidence out there proving he took a bung from Dobrien. It disgusts me that a crook has so much power over his peers in FF & FG.
@Steve McGarrett: That’s right they are FFG Proxies
@james rowan: Independents isn’t a political party. It’s literally in the name. They are independent TDs and not affiliated!….. So if the INDEPENDENT TDs aren’t part of a political party how are the same parties in govt and the opposition!?!?!?
@Frank Cauldhame: It is in the rules. They are rat cute and they won’t have made an error like that.
Fine Gael only came 3rd in the General Election
@Kevin O Brien: Cool. Thanks.
@Kevin O Brien: So what? SF came 2nd. The majority of voted ABSF so no government places for SF.
@Kevin O Brien: your point?
@Vincent Alexander: Complete claptrap.. by that logic the majority voted ABFF and ABFG .. or every other political party in the country. Mind your back ya auld codger.. you’ll do damage with all that contorting you’re doing.
@Kevin O Brien: And?
Get in extra vaseline and lube folks, cos the next 5 years are gonna be as painful for many as the last was, only this time with a severe chance of a recession hanging over the country head, only this time we cant tell people to leave cos they are a burden etc due to ya know the whole immigration for profit scam thats been happening. Gonna be fun to watch FFG and the independents trying to get along when things go wrong or off script
@Patrick Newell: never try and predict anything, especially the future. Know all.
@Patrick Newell: country doing fantastic. I was on a plane to Lanzarote, one of five yesterday, packed with old age pensioners and families off for a holiday, out last night, only accents you hear are Irish
@Dave f Doe: he also ran for president. Ha ha. How did that work out.
What drives me crazy is the people who say “ahhhhh why don’t you get out and vote if you want change”
What a load of bollox.
i did vote
Nothing has changed.
@reg morrisey: don’t vote again. It’s simple.
Every one of them including Fianna Fail & the Independents, are money grabbing parasites, only interested in what they can get from the public purse. Public Service in this country is no longer about serving the people and is more about feathering their own nests.
@The Firestarter: increasing their super inflated wages , appointing their friends and family members to the made up positions and posts to waste hard earned tax payers money without a single though of making peoples lifes easier.
Parasites is indeed a term you should describe them.
@The Firestarter: leave so if you actually believe your own BS
FFG with their combined pluracy telling the country that that they own the place and they always have. The reality is that they’ve built a Titanic and all they’ve done is left Cobh.
@Louis Jacob: *plurality even… lol.
Puke party
@N D K: sinn fein?
@Philip Kennedy: sinn fein never squandered our money or caused our youth to immigrate by the thousands because of the cost of them trying to begin there lives here, sinn fein never agreed to give an own door house to the world upon arrival here, plus a million more reasons I could give you, but you know yourself already
Knife found in kitchen drawer
Another week and more of this “Programme For Government” nonsense, our politicians and media love this “Programme For Government” thingy after every election as if it means something or for that matter implemented, another favourite word of theirs and the media is “Context” neither can compete a sentence without including it a least once or twice.
Dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap.
Oh great! But did the other side of their arse not already agree to that? More of the same…… chancers!
Good to see there will be stable Government for the next five years.
@Johnny Wilson: won’t last 6 months
@Johnny Wilson: FFG and the independents sticking it out for 5 years?? Ya ill take ur stable bet and say if this lasts 18 months before something big happens and the independents turn on FFG or vice versa id be shocked.
@Alan Moloney: another soothsayer.
So many here were doing cartwheels celebrating when the Greens lost, now they’re complaining bitterly that their favourite facist party aren’t in charge. Clear indication that the right think the only votes that count are theirs
@FoxyBoiiYT: Muh fascism… YAWN!
@Chop Chop: Yep. Fascists are truly tiresome.
Of course they did. Hardly going to turn down all the pay rises.
Well of course they were going to. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are identical parties with identical policies and they might as well merge at this point. It’s so annoying that no good options ever pop up for the Irish people in the general elections that are held and the cosmopolitan progressive establishment takes change once again for the next five years. I’m so disappointed in our country that we keep enabling the same failed tax and spend policies that continually fail and drive up our national debt every year.
have your say