Only Irish and British people can vote in national elections here.

You cant be a non Irish national and have Irish citizenship. If you are an Irish citizen you are an Irish national regardless of whether you were born and brought up in another country. 

If you buy your citizenship, it gives you the right to vote at national elections.

Never underestimate the stupidity of the electorate.

So they were stupid enough to vote them in the first time were they, considering the state the previous gangsters left the country in.

 

Well done

 

 

 

100%.

 

 

We've very few political options in this country and that has always been the case since I've been around. At least there are clear differences between the likes of the Republicans/Democrats in the U.S and the Tories/Labour in the U.K. Our main two parties have always been two cheeks of the same pimply arse.

I think FG, Lab will return to gov but will likely need some help. I don't think they'll piss it like the lads above think they will! Hard to know what to think with polls etc. Snap elections have historically not worked out for the govt who calls them. I would think the GE will be in Feb/March

I'd suggest that there is zero chance of that happening ever in my lifetime.

 

Ha, fair point!

 

Agree there is not a hope of an FG majority government. I would imagine the arrogance levels would break the stratosphere if that ever did happen. In some ways it's a shame it doesn't as the junior partner in government is nearly always used as the scapegoat for problems/issues.

Fine Gael = took stingy with the money

Don't know what I want really, you'd think a FF/FG coalition would work on paper, probably the sensible.

Tbh Devrozex there isn't a huge difference between those two other than the democrats slightly being the lesser of two evils. Unfortunately they've adopted a more right wing approach in order to appeal to a Republican base who'll never vote them in anyway. It's nonsensical and inexcusable when they have one of the most articulate and intelligent presidents that have ever taken office and is probably a moderate at heart tbh.

Their saving grace is that ideologically they're not for shrinking the state which the Republicans and Libertarians want. I was on the dole for 6 months and 4 months and certainly glad we had a welfare system that supported me in circumstances that were beyond my control. I'd have been in the gutter over there through no fault of my own if the Republicans and Libertarians had their way.

I agree with you up to a point. Given the blurry lines and lack of distinction between FG and FF, I don't think FG have done that bad. I'm not ideologically or personally  persuaded by either but if it was FG that were the corrupt and incompetent government that facilitated the economic collapse,cronyism etc etc  then it could be a case of the opposite party being the ones who steadied the ship.

 

If SF get anywhere close to 20% to only stable government possible will be FG/FF. However FF will not have the balls and will support a FG minority government in return for a few of their policies in the programme for government.

 

Paddy Power normally come in handy for elections. Giving November election at odds on 1/6. The FG minority government I predict is 13/2.

Echoing my thoughts there eire77. Never not voted in an election or referendum. Gonna follow Carlin's line on it from now on though...

http://youtu.be/xIraCchPDhk?t=1m36s" rel="nofollow - https://youtu.be/xIraCchPDhk?t=1m36s

 

Can anyone from Tipperary explain to me what the electorate see in this corrupt individual? Better again, is there anyone on here from Tipperary who would vote for him and explain their reasons why?

 

Fianna Fail got us in this mess with their dirty dealings, Labour are a joke, Sinn Fein are the Brendan Rodgers of politics, all talk and no action, make their name literally by just disagreeing with what the government does without offering an alternative and that Anti Austerity shower are living in cuckoo land.

I actually dont think there is any decent party.Fine Gael just implemented the plan handed down to them from EU the very same as if FF had got back into power.The same plan they criticized when in opposition.

Irish Politics is rotten to the core.

My one hope for this election is that The Labour party get absolutely annihilated in the polls and cease to exist.

 

I will be voting FG, and I put it to you the you, sir, are the ****

FG/Lab numbers falling just short

 

FF/SF numbers not close enough

 

Hung Dáil is very possible.

 

As Green/eco-socialist parties across Europe are picking up more votes than ever before, why is the Green Party in Ireland struggling to make any impact ?

I'm just curious about this.

They were part of the a collation which were in power during the bust in Ireland.

 

They formed a government as a junior partner with Fianna Fáil, a very unpopular government, and were obliterated in the following election

 

Strange thing is a lot of people are blaming FF for the destruction of the economy over the recent years which no doubt they were complicate in, yet few mention it was FF who were at the helm during the biggest boom the country ever had. During those times of fiscal recklessness the mantra of "if its not broke don't fix it" was very much en vogue. Not a million miles away from the winning jockey metaphor of today.

 

 

 

I would agree. I think there is some movement left in the polls, and the pact they have with labour will help in some small way.

 

Mayo has 3 FG running for 4 seats. 2 of them are nearly guaranteed. The last one will be counting on transfers. I imagine it will be a similar story elsewhere.

 

If a govt does form, my prediction was and still is FG/Lab/Renua Otherwise, think we will have to do it over again

 

All the opinion polls pointed to the Conservatives losing seats and heading toward another coalition yet they managed to get a majority win. Could we see a similar situation in Ireland with Fine Gael??

Remember how well they did in 2007 even when McWilliams and Eddie Hobbs were telling us Armageddon was around the corner and Bertie was telling us anyone talking down the boom should commit suicide? Fun times.

"In a democracy, the people get the government they deserve" - Joseph de Maistre

At the time, I put them at the very bottom, even below the Christian Democratic Party (whoever the f**k they are/were). Not voting for anyone this time. 

 

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/7092073/KS-DU-15-001-EN-N.pdf" rel="nofollow - http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/7092073/KS-DU-15-001-EN-N.pdf

I'm not sure where you're getting this high tax idea.

 

In 2012, we collected 28.7% of GDP in tax. The EU average is closer to 40%.

 

It truth FG/labour are looking to erode the tax base. Especially with the abolition of USC for low and middle income earners. Personally, I don't have a problem paying tax for public services and social programmes. I'd much rather live under a Nordic model, with good public services funded by tax, than a US style one, with low tax and people being given food stamps etc.

They won seats on their promise to be different,they could be trusted to implement the pre election policies.I expect a party to talk sh*t pre election but labour abandoned their manifesto 100% to jump into powerwith FG and have been nothing more than a lapdog.

They could have done a good job in opposition but were willing to take scraps off FG and get a few ministerial positions.They f**ked over the core of the party to get into that coalition and I cant wait for it to backfire totally on them.

I manage it quite comfortably thank you very much.

 

MON THE BLUESHIRTS !!!!!

ERIN GO BRIT.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. 

At least you guys in Ireland are lucky you don't have a far-right "send the buggers back" party like UKIP harvesting votes from the gullible.

They can do what I had to do in the 80s/90s under the Haughey Regime - emigrate.

 

One of it's prominent members told another member of parliament in the Dail chamber - "Fcuk you Deputy Stagg, fcuk you".

 

 

I don't think politics is the answer to bettering your own circumstances...had work and doing it yourself is. 

f**k da system up da rah

Aye I've seen that on youtube -"Deputy Gogarty, that is most unparliamentary language"

Have seen a few videos too of various TD's having verbal scraps with Mr Barrett the Ceann Comhairle which was 

Went on one of those guidance sites last week which asks you to answer some questions based on current issues and then points you at a candidate who most closely represents your views : I got some independent who is described as "Author, Model, Academic" ?!?!

@ LD

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/unemployment-continues-to-decline-as-economy-recovers-1.2415298

Labour have never had a strong die hard vote. 

The 1992 and 2011 elections were very much historical anomalies where Labour achieved a much higher number of seats than normal by capturing a lot of the floating vote due to disillusionment with Fianna Fail (and Fine Gael in 1992).

In a 166 seat Dail their historical average was around 17 seats. 

They'll be doing well to get more than 10 this time.

 

They are far left here.