EVERY WEEKEND, OUR political team casts an eye over the events inside and outside Leinster House that have people talking.

This week has been dominated mainly by the two by-elections ramping up steam with party leaders hitting the pavements with their respective candidates. 

So, here are our political winners and losers from the week that was:

The four winners of the week are… 

1. Seán Kyne

Senator Sean Kyne will be pleased with the poll results this week Sam Boal / Rollingnews Sam Boal / Rollingnews / Rollingnews

Government candidates are often written off when it comes to by-elections, given that ruling parties have only won three by-elections in the past 30 years. 

Since Paschal Donohoe and Catherine Connolly vacated their seats for other roles, Dublin Central and Galway-West looked tricky for coalition candidates. 

So, Senator Seán Kyne can only be delighted with Thursday’s opinion poll from TG4 and the Irish Times which showed he has a narrow lead over Noel Thomas of Independent Ireland. 

Kyne, a former TD and government chief whip, is out in front with 17%. All eyes will be watching who tops the poll on the first count as they are often the ones to win out. 

2. Helen Ogbu

Labour's Galway-West by-election candidate Helen Ogbu. Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Speaking of the Galway-West by-election, Labour’s candidate Helen Ogbu also deserves a nod this week for coming in on 12% in that poll, meaning she is performing best among left-wing candidates.

The race is to fill the now-president’s former seat, so with left transfers, she is in contention to possibly leapfrog over Kyne if the numbers play out in her favour. 

Nothing is predictable as we enter the final two weeks. 

3. Nigel Farage

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Nigel Farage suggested this week that Reform UK is on course for a general election victory after taking council seats from Labour in the local elections.

Keir Starmer’s party was haemorrhaging seats as local authorities began declaring overnight on Thursday, with the results set to prove decisive over his future as the UK prime minister. 

Whether you love him or loathe him, Farage has made his party relevant in UK politics, with Farage himself heralding the results as a “historic change in British politics”. 

4. James O’Connor

Fianna Fáil's James O'Connor in committee speaking about nuclear power.

Tipped as a loser only a couple of weeks ago for going nuclear on his own party leader, James O’Connor is on the winners’ list this week for nuclear reasons again, only this time it’s about energy.

He floated the idea that Ireland should remove the ban on nuclear power and managed to get Micheál Martin to agree with him.

While nuclear power won’t happen anytime soon in Ireland, at least people are talking about him for something other than trying to push his party leader overboard. 

The two losers of the week are… 

1. Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer meets Labour Party members at Kingsdown Methodist Church Hall this week. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

We don’t often feature British politicians in our winners and losers lists but given the week that’s in it, we have one on each side. 

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was forced to take responsibility for Labour’s “tough” local election results but vowed to carry on as British prime minister, regardless. 

His days could well be numbered though. 

2. The HSE 

The bike shed in Kerry Domnick Walsh Domnick Walsh

The Health Service Executive is on our losers list this week, firstly, for its decision to pause non-frontline recruitment due to overspending, which is even more jarring given that it comes in the same week that we learned €127,000 was spent on a bike shed at University Hospital Kerry.

What is with this country and insanely overpriced bike sheds? 

An internal memo sent to senior management by the HSE’s chief executive officer Anne O’Connor stated that the HSE’s financial position “is now significantly over-budget”, with a combined overspend in January and February of this year alone of €146 million.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty told the Taoiseach in the Dáil this week that it was another slap in the face for taxpayers.

Doherty reminded him of the €336,000 Leinster House bike shed scandal, as well as the €100,000 bike shed at Holles Street. And now we have another one – €127,000 for a bike shed at University Hospital Kerry. Who else has one of these things? Let us know.

Would you ever just sort it out lads?

What do you make of the chosen winners and losers this week?

Tell us in the comments who your winners and losers are this week.