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Everybody’s talking about… 

The Independent Alliance, Alliance of Independents or whatever you’re having yourself ran into its first difficulties yesterday as Stephen Donnelly decided he didn’t want to be involved. Shane Ross said the Wicklow TD didn’t want to be part of something “completely and utterly new in Irish politics”.

The Three Wise Men: Mattie McGrath, Shane Ross and Finian McGrath Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

In his statement, Donnelly essentially said he wanted to be part of something a bit more cohesive and therein lies the Independent Alliance’s problem. Just what does it stand for when it includes people on the right, like Ross, and people on the left, like Michael Fitzmaurice and Finian McGrath?

And who exactly will lead this alliance? In an interview on TheJournal.ie this morning, Fitzmaurice suggests that “there doesn’t have to be” one, which doesn’t seem at all practical when it comes to negotiating for power or the implementation of policies.

The bottom line is there are still lots of questions about how this is all going to work and while they remain unanswered there will be huge doubts about whether it can actually work at all.

The agenda 

• 9.30am: Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan is before the banking inquiry to discuss his report into the crash. 
• 11.30am: Fianna Fáil is launching the Markievicz Commission report on gender politics and the role of women in politics. 
• 12pm: Joan Burton and Mary Lou McDonald are up for Leaders’ Questions. 
• 5.30pm: After a short week, the Dáil adjourns.

Inside Leinster House… 

Just where will Stephen Donnelly hang his hat after deciding not to throw his lot in with the Independent Alliance? The independent TD is keeping his options open but is ruling out either of the government parties, Sinn Féin, and Lucinda Creighton’s new party. There are suggestions he could form his own movement, but the speculation about him joining up with Fianna Fáil will just not go away.

What the others are saying 

• The government is preparing to set out a five-year plan for tax reform as part of the spring statement, the Irish Times reports. 
• The European Central Bank is reconsidering its refusal to participate in the banking inquiry, according to the Irish Independent. 
• Environment Minister Alan Kelly will be Labour’s director of elections, according to the Irish Daily Mail. 

In case you missed it

• It’s pretty deadly when you get a job, according to Enda Kenny. 
• Leo Varadkar tore strips off Micheál Martin over the trolley crisis.
• Those Vincent Browne debates went from bad to worse 
• There was good news in the polls for the government. 
• We asked Dara Calleary if Micheál Martin was doing a good job.

On the Twitter machine 

Catherine Noone’s u-turn on MMA

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