Leo Varadkar, former Taoiseach of Ireland

[Bomberboyokay]

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been to Áras an Uachtaráin where the 31st Dáil was dissolved by President Michael D Higgins.

Election 2016 will take place on 26 February.

The Taoiseach confirmed the election date on a video released on his Twitter account.

Dáil business was due to start with ministers' questions at 9.30am but the Taoiseach came into the chamber and asked the Ceann Comhairle if he could make announcement.

Mr Kenny said he wished to inform the House as a matter of courtesy of his intention to visit Áras an Uachtaráin to ask President Michael D Higgins to dissolve the Dáil.

He said the Dáil will resume on 10 March.

He wished all those retiring well and offered best wishes to those who are contesting the upcoming election.

Paraphrasing the Mayo-born poet Antoine Ó Raifteirí in Irish, the Taoiseach said that Spring had come and he had to raise his sail.

The Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe asked for the Dáil to be adjourned.

Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin indicated that he was disappointed that the Opposition did not get to speak.

His comments kickstart one of the shortest election campaign in the history of the State.

More: http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0203/764971-general-election-called/

 

[genericusername]

Why are Labour polling so low?

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Why are Labour polling so low?

The government is apparently unpopular and they're part of it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_Irish_general_election,_2016

 

[Bomberboyokay]

I think Labour have only ever been in government as junior coalition partners. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have historically been the major parties but coalitions have been very common https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoiseach#List_of_office_holders

I'm only an armchair follower, someone like MaddAdam would have better knowledge.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

The scale of the electoral challenge facing the Coalition is revealed by the finding in the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion poll that 63 per cent of voters want to see a change of government.

Asked if they would like to see the Government re-elected or have a change in government, 63 per cent opted for a change, with 30 per cent saying they would like to see the Coalition re-elected.

There was a huge variation across the party spectrum, with 84 per cent of Fine Gael supporters wanting to see the Government re-elected but only 57 per cent of Labour voters wanting it to continue.

Supporters of Opposition parties and Independents wanted to see a change.

There was a significant difference in class terms, with a majority of those in the AB category wanting the Government to be re-elected.

Across all other social categories there was a preference for change, and that mood was particularly strong among the poorest DE voters.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/poli...ant-change-of-government-poll-shows-1.2523181

 

[MaddAdam]

I think Labour have only ever been in government as junior coalition partners. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have historically been the major parties but coalitions have been very common https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoiseach#List_of_office_holders

I'm only an armchair follower, someone like MaddAdam would have better knowledge.

I haven't been following this one too closely but my understanding is the Shinners are going to do well.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

First leaders debate http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/900/104899/0/Leaders-Debate

 

[MaddAdam]

The question is who will bite the bullet - so to speak - and go into coalition with the Shinners.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will continue his role as leader of the government in a caretaker capacity, after confirmation late last night that he had officially resigned.

The current government will stay in place until a new one is appointed.

The first sitting of the 32nd Dáil ended last night with an adjournment, after failing to nominate a Taoiseach.

From the 158 TDs returned to the Dáil, minus new Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Mr Kenny received 57 votes.

The three other nominations - Micheál Martin, Gerry Adams and Richard Boyd Barrett - also fell well short of the majority required to be elected Taoiseach.

Talks will continue in an effort to form a new government, but there is little progress yet on any possible coalition or partnership being formed by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

The Dáil will meet again on Tuesday 22 March.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0311/774068-friday-politics-government/

 

[Bomberboyokay]

The question is who will bite the bullet - so to speak - and go into coalition with the Shinners.

Seems like Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil both hate the idea, and hate the idea of forming a coalition between themselves allowing Sinn Féin to market themselves as the real Opposition (do they use that term in Ireland?) in 2020.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

No Irish government in sight as arch-enemies feud

By Peter Geoghegan

Ireland does not look like a country that has not had a government for almost a month and a half. There are no protests on the streets of Dublin. The trains are as punctual – and as tardy — as ever.

But Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has been Taoiseach, or prime minister, in name only since an indecisive general result in February. Kenny’s former Labour coalition partners have reluctantly been forced to stay on in caretaker ministerial posts until a new government can be found.

Ireland’s government impasse could end Thursday as the Irish parliament, the Dail, reconvenes for a third time to vote on a new Taoiseach. But with no deal on the cards yet, few Irish commentators — or voters — are overly optimistic.

So far attempts to select a Taoiseach have proved fruitless. Earlier this month both Kenny, whose Fine Gael is still the largest party despite a poor election performance, and Micheál Martin, leader of the largest opposition party, Fianna Fail, lost comfortably.

The electoral arithmetic is straightforward: Fine Gael has 50 seats in the 158-seat chamber; Fianna Fail has 44. The two parties effectively need to come to an arrangement — either a ‘grand coalition’ or, far more likely, some form of minority government — if a new administration is to be formed.

Talks between the two parties only began in earnest over the past week. Irish media reported that discussions have covered contentious policy areas, most notably housing, the health service and the controversial privatized Irish Water.

But, so far, no deal is in sight.

That compromise between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail is proving difficult is not surprising. The two parties arrived into talks with plenty of baggage; historical, political and personal.

Both, indirectly, trace their lineage back to the vicious civil war that followed Irish independence almost a century ago. History is not the only impediment. The parties share a broadly center-right outlook, and fear a deal could presage electoral irrelevance. That there is little love lost between Kenny and Martin makes a deal even more difficult. Both men want to be Taoiseach in any minority government.

“At this stage I think we can’t rule anything out. The mood music from the talks suggest that — so far — they’re making pretty good progress, so we can’t rule out the possibility that they may pull something together in time for the vote.

“Nor can we preclude the possibility that they seek to postpone the vote to allow more time for the talks,” said David Farrell, professor of politics at University College Dublin.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have, in various guises, dominated Irish politics since the 1920s. But talk of an arrangement between the two parties leading to a realignment of Irish politics away from the civil war and toward a more continental left/right divide could prove premature, said political commentator Jonny Fallon.

“It is still too early to talk of a realignment. Fine Gael propped up Fianna Fail from 1987 to 1989 so it is not like this has not happened before. We don’t know what the shape of Irish politics is going to be,” said Fallon.

“In another few elections FF and FG may both lose ground and this would hint that perhaps things were changing. It is equally possible that both could gain further, however, and we could see Ireland return to its usual pattern after a decade or so.”

* * *

Ireland is no stranger to coalition governments, but February’s election produced a particularly divided house. In the early 1980s, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael regularly won over 85 percent of the votes cast; this time around they polled barely half. The republicans, Sinn Féin, are now the third force in Irish politics. The backbenches have been swelled by over a dozen independents and half a dozen Trotskyites.

A Fine Gael minority government is still seen by many commentators as the most likely outcome of the current negotiations. Fianna Fail would be expected to provide “confidence and supply,” at least for three budgets.

The medium-term stability of such an arrangement would depend on the public mood, said Fallon.

“The fate of that government will be largely dictated by opinion polls. As parties see their numbers fall or rise they will be very tempted to seek an election. This goes for Fine Gael as much as Fianna Fail as they may well get tired and frustrated of the situation and if their poll numbers go up they may seek a stronger mandate.”

The cabal of independents could prove crucial, as they often have done in the formation of previous Irish governments.

However, reaching a deal that would meet the often diverging interests of non-aligned parliamentarians who represent remote rural areas and inner-city Dublin, and everywhere in between, could prove tricky. Earlier this week one independent left talks citing the lack of continuous cardiac care in the area of south-east Ireland he represents.

Failure to form a new government soon could have unintended constitutional ramifications too, said politics professor Farrell.

Voting for Ireland’s second house, the Seanad, ends later this month. Normally the Seanad would be formally constituted with the incoming Taoiseach nominating 11 senators, too. However, with no Taoiseach in place it is unclear whether the Seanad could be properly constituted.

“If it is not, then we will be without a second House of the Oireachtas (legislature) and that — at the very least — places us in uncertain territory constitutionally,” said Farrell.

Unless a deal can be found, Ireland could be heading back to the polls.

“So, between the political imperative of not having this debacle run on much longer and the constitutional gray area relating to the role of Seanad, I think we’re talking weeks at most before either a government is elected or we face fresh elections,” he said.

http://www.politico.eu/article/no-i...rch-enemies-feud-kenny-fine-gael-fianna-fail/

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Varadkar refuses to rule out 2019 general election

Change in circumstances could trigger election next year, says Taoiseach

about 16 hours ago

Pat Leahy

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has declined to rule out a general election in 2019 despite a guarantee from the Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, not to bring down the Government next year because of Brexit.

Mr Varadkar said while he was not planning an election, that circumstances could change and a contest could come about next year.

He was speaking to journalists at Government Buildings before Christmas and was asked by The Irish Times if he would rule out calling an election even if Brexit was settled in the coming months by the British government either ratifying the withdrawal treaty or cancelling the article 50 withdrawal process.

The Taoiseach repeatedly declined to rule out a general election next year.

“I can’t give an absolute guarantee,” he said. “You know, circumstances may arise.”

Mr Varadkar said he had sought Fianna Fáil’s agreement for an agreed date in 2020, but said that the main Opposition party had refused his approaches.

Uncertainty
In the Dáil before Christmas, the Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin said that because of the uncertainty caused by Brexit, he would extend the confidence-and-supply agreement by another year to allow for an election early in 2020.

“I’m not planning [an election],” Mr Varadkar said. “You know, what I sought was that we agree an election date in 2020. Fianna Fáil decided not to accept that, so that was an offer that was on the table – an agreed election date in 2020. Fianna Fáil decided not to accept that and proposed an alternative which was that we negotiate one more budget.

“So we could have had that, but we don’t have an agreed election date.”

Abstaining
Mr Varadkar went on to outline a number of examples where the future of the Government would be in doubt.

“We could lose members from the Government; we’re losing a number of votes at the moment even with Fianna Fáil abstaining, so if I got into a position where we weren’t able to get our legislative programme through because we lose votes or lose members of our own Government or lose members of my own party.

“People might get elected to the European Parliament, for example, and that would be a vote gone.

“Sadly politicians on occasion become sick and die, you know, so – the question always is are you able to – sorry to be so morbid, but like the fundamental question when you’re in government is: are you able to govern?”

He said: “So as long as we can do that, we’re in government.”

‘Very conscious’
Mr Varadkar said that he was “very conscious” that he might not win an election.

“So I’m not going to rush into an election for opportunistic reasons just because the polls look good and I hope after 1½ years in office people believe me when I say that. But the key test is: can you actually deliver? Can you get your legislative programme through? Can you get your policies implemented?” he said.

“And so far in co-operation with Fianna Fáil we’ve been able to do that. But there are many reasons why that may change.”

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/pol...s-to-rule-out-2019-general-election-1.3741759

 

[Bomberboyokay]

medusala you call him a "vile individual". Would you like to elaborate?

 

[Ned_Flanders]

medusala you call him a "vile individual". Would you like to elaborate?

isnt that how he describes all irish peeps?

 

[Bomberboyokay]

isnt that how he describes all irish peeps?

Might be a gay thing.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Might be a gay thing.

Nah, he hates the Irish, Poles, the French, women who don't know where their place is, and anyone with melanin darker than white/off white/cream/eggshell all equally regardless of sexual preference.

 

[Total Power]

Nah, he hates the Irish, Poles, the French, women who don't know where their place is, and anyone with melanin darker than white/off white/cream/eggshell all equally regardless of sexual preference.

LOL i wonder how he works in London which so many "undesirables" around him? I don't even think he likes chocolate unless it's white.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

LOL i wonder how he works in London which so many "undesirables" around him? I don't even think he likes chocolate unless it's white.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Might be a gay thing.

Having read his old man yelling at a cloud thoughts on this forum.. it could be anything. He's not white, he's not full Irish, he's gay, he's Irish, he's pro EU, he's not far right enough, he's an immigrant child. This list goes on.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Leo Varadkar doubts EU-UK trade deal can be sealed in a year

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has expressed doubt that British prime minister Boris Johnson will be able to successfully negotiate a comprehensive trade deal with the European Union within a year.

Mr Johnson has made the promise a plank of his general election campaign, claiming that he would negotiate what he calls a “Super Canada Plus” deal with within 12 months should the Conservatives win the general election and if the Brexit withdrawal agreement is ratified before the end of January.

Mr Varadkar, who is attending the annual congress of the European People’s Party in Zagreb, Croatia, said it was possible to negotiate a deal but it would be difficult within the time frame suggested by Mr Johnson.

Leo Varadkar doubts EU-UK trade deal can be sealed in a year

 

[Total Power]

Not everyone is delusional as Meds.