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LAST UPDATE | 10 Jun 2024
THIS WEEKEND I was taken back to sitting in Fr. Murray’s history class at St. Mel’s College in Longford.
I always recalled him suggesting that while Irish political parties certainly flirted with some dubious ideas and people and had periods of silliness, they had one advantage from the civil war. They tended to avoid huge extremism. While Europe ripped itself apart with extreme left and right, Ireland just plodded along, slowly charting a course toward progress.
This weekend, Europe seemed again in the clutches of lurching to the extremes. It has been that way since the financial crisis. But in Ireland, the electorate decided yet again that extremism was not for it. Irish voters have a simple view, hard left or hard right equates to hard times. A lot of the stories people want us to believe are major issues are not that big at all on the ground. We should be thankful for that.
That said, the election is giving everybody food for thought. Independents seemed to be winners here. But the Irish electorate turns to independents, not for what they believe they will do, but because the electorate feels indecisive.
When you don’t know what party to trust it’s much easier to believe in one person.
However, the new hybrid Independent Ireland party is sure to cause raised eyebrows when it starts to tackle issues. An independent of vast experience, Luke Ming Flanagan pointed out that there will be a lot of inexperienced voices heading to Europe and he is not wrong.
Many don’t even know what group they will sit in. Flanagan also pointed out his own evolution and how it became more than posting a video and making a loud speech — instead, it’s about negotiating deals and working with people to advance the cause.
Some of the independent councillors and MEPs will no doubt learn quickly and do well. Some others will find that there is a lot more to politics than shouting off the back of a trailer.
What the election does tell us is that a large proportion of the electorate is still looking for a home. That means all parties can plan for a general election with this in mind. For Sinn Féin, this was a sobering election.
This was their first poll setback and during the campaign, they failed to arrest it. They looked a little like Fianna Fáil in the 2020 campaign. No new ideas, no real energy, no vigour… instead just waiting for votes to land with them. They got the same response as Fianna Fáil in 2020. If you are uninspiring, then we easily move on. Sinn Féin must now adapt.
Fine Gael will be very happy even though their vote is not massively improving. It’s all about the energy, though. Since Simon Harris arrived in the leader’s chair, he has been pushing the tempo button like a kid on a video game, trying to make the characters run faster and faster.
But Harris knows well this mood can be fleeting. He cannot afford to get bogged down. If he waits until next year for an election, then that may very well happen. If on the other hand, Sinn Féin does not recover in the polls, he can again show urgency by calling an election after the budget and seeking to burn off tired other parties.
Fianna Fáil holds its own but will be in danger of getting squeezed in a general election if they don’t find their mojo. The campaign on the ground shows they still have a base, but it is personality-driven. The locals in Dublin were a struggle, but Europe was better. They need and have always thrived on personalities and must figure out how to get that back.
The Greens were not wiped out and they are proving that there is a base of people in Ireland sufficiently concerned about the climate crisis to stand by difficult policy decisions. The Labour Party will feel energised too. They bounced back and got their council seats well ahead of the Social Democrats, who ran a smooth campaign and almost doubled their seats, but lacked grit in the fight.
Labour’s Aodhán O’Ríordáin carries the fight now for a seat in Dublin for Europe but whatever happens has established Labour as a bulwark and leading voice against sensationalism, and an anti-liberal agenda that was all more narrative than substance.
So where do we stand? ‘Don’t get carried away’ is the message. The electorate is poised to give a fair hearing and judgment on all sides. They want and need a bit of passion and care from their politicians, and most of all some creative policies and daring.
It really is all to play for now and any party can still win big. That in turn reminded me of my youth again, too. When you get rejected at the first slow set, it’s fine, you can dust yourself off and have another chance to woo at the next one. The panic only sets in on the last dance.
Johnny Fallon is a political commentator, author and voice of ‘The Johnny Fallon Podcast’. He is a former member of the Fianna Fáil National Executive.
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My first time getting it from tomorrow and I’m so thankful it’s available, the workplace were originally going to pay us only 50% of our contracted hours which was just not something some staff on 8 hour contracts could live on, especially when they work a lot more than 8 hours a week. Retail, even as management, is precarious!
@Whatever: I was on it from the middle of March last year until the end of December as my job is still closed but thankfully got a college placement co-op position for the next 8 months so I am off it now. Was very grateful to receive the PUP, glad it’s there for ye now being laid off again
@Whatever: As self employed I applied last year and was told NO. Now I eat beans, no heat, food or help. No one cares.
@Paul Somers: why was that? I know a few self employed people that got it. My brother and husband included
@Paul Somers: had you a tax return completed and paid for the previous financial year? If you completed a return in October/November 2019 for the 2018 tax year you should have got it. If you only started your business in 2019 you should qualify once you submitted a return for that year.
@Laura Clayton: I honestly don’t know, I pay tax and the vat. Got scared, and now sitting in the house with thermals and a wooly hat. I would love a cuppa
@Derdaly: yes I did
@Paul Somers: you should be entitled to it keep contacting your local social welfare office they will get it sorted for you. I was waiting 5 weeks for mine to come through but I got it eventually with persistence
@Brian Byrne: gave up but thank you
@Paul Somers: honestly don’t give up Paul keep at them daily until they sort it for you. I sent in the postal application and applied online through the social services portal. It was all sorted eventually.
@Paul Somers: That might be why you never got it. If you want it it’s there for you as long as you provide what’s required of you.
@Seán O’Loughlin: it’s embarrassing
@Paul Somers: You were told lies. I’m self employed and on the full PUP.
@Paul Somers: paul I’m self employed and I’m on it since March last year. I had to apply 3 times because it never went through online. The last time I posted it in and was eventually back dated to the 1st time I applied. You are 100% entitled to it. Hope thing get better for you soon.
Heard of some people being denied loans because they claimed pup. Thought it wasn’t meant to affect your credit rating?
@Brian Dunne: yeah that is true. Iv heard of people having their mortgage application rejected because one of the joint applicants were on PUP. Even with employer letters saying their job is secure and available for the person to return to. I don’t know if it effects your actual credit rating, but banks will not lend to people on social welfare and PUP is social welfare no matter what way you break it down. Its a joke
@Eoin Jackson: and before people start blasting the banks as the big bad wolves for that strategy, that is mandated by the CBI, which in other words, is basically mandated by the government.
@Eoin Jackson: yup – that was the case for me and my husband last April. We were both on Pup and both had letters confirming future employment and BoI pulled our approval. They’d issued it in February and we were sale agreed on a house and everything. That all fell through.
Ended up going to the credit union. Their deal isn’t great and you’ve to have a 30% down payment (Christ) but they signed off on it for us while both on Pup. In our own house now since November and I’m still on pup. Husband back at work but laid off on the wage subsidy scheme. We are well able to afford the mortgage repayments but there’s not a chance we could have afforded to rent a place
@Brian Dunne: it affects affordability not credit rating, so no surprises that people were refused a loan due to a lower income
Cash nixer bonanza
@MickN: Mor on. It’s keeping the wolf from the door for so many people.
@Seán Óg: Aye right…
@Mike: Dead on
Where do I sign up?
Went on the PUP in November because of redundancy.. started a new job today. Happy days!
Banks are very hard to deal with this lockdown. I tried to get a 2 month freeze on the mortgage as it’s going to be 2 months until I’m back up and running. Spent an hour filling in the online form. Looking now for last years earnings. Accountant letters etc. etc. What’s last years accounts got to do with being out of work this year due to a pandemic. I think the government should be doing more with the banks like last lockdown.
Serious question: Do people living in Northern Ireland, if working in the south, get paid PUP from the Irish Government?
@David Connell: only available to people with pps /prsi no. You have to supply details in order to qualify
And the reports of the country bouncing back later this year and the housing market being strong.
What a load of bs
@billy bound: I’m in construction and I’m up the walls. That includes every construction friend I know. Covid has made things busier not quieter.
If you get OAP and out of work you don’t qualify, even if you pay taxes
@Margaret Deacon: why should you get pup if you weren’t working in the first place.
When do they transfer to jobseekers (aka regular dole)?
And still you’ll get another tax demand at the end of this year like most people did in the last 2 weeks
when the chickens come home to roost this place will be worse than 2008.
If you are getting OAP but still working before Covid hit and were paid on PAYE basis, as far as I know, you are entitled to PUP. However if OAP and self employed and NOT on PAYE system, (just taxed at end of year when returns are made)then no PUP. Anyway this is what happened 2 of my friends who were in each situation as described
have your say