If the government called a general election tonight

Given the discontent over various issues, there is a chance of a new party forming. However, spoiling your vote doesn't negatively affect the parties with which you disagree. It helps them by taking your vote out of the equation. By not voting, you are helping them get elected.

Rather than spoiling your vote, use it strategically to ensure that the candidates with whom you disagree don't get elected. Simply vote for their opponents. Their opponents don't have to win but just have to stay in the count long enough to knock them out. In that way, you've voted and changed things. It is much better than spoiling your vote.

Regards...jmcc

I'd love to get rid of them all. They do nothing but feather their own nests and the nests of their cronys

I think you are giving them too much credit.

They had already pushed asylum seekers into small towns and villages throughout the country so at some stage they had to start looking at Dublin.

And of course there is no way they would look at leafy areas like parts of South Dublin no more than Clontarf, Sutton, etc, so they had to start using lower socio economic areas of Dublin.

The things is with this government there hasn't been any plans, bar just let people in.

You don't appear to have noticed how much the times have changed.

IF FG HQ are so far removed from reality they think things are like they were back in 90s or even early 2000s then they are well and truly screwed.

Your party are not offering anything that vast numbers of your former supporters now want.

The PDs were only ever Provisional Fianna Fail and Renua was only ever a splinter of FG.

The emergence of a genine Right of centre party is a possibility but the problem would be the time it would take to organise it. If a GE was called tonight, it would not feature in the GE as it might be too difficult to fundraise and get candidates. However, the longer the current government stays in place, the possibility of such a new party increases. The big question is over a MNoC in the next few weeks. Looking at the results of that Immigration poll published in the Sindo, the FFG government might start to tear itself apart before any MNoC is tabled. The %s will have seriously worried every rural backbencher in FFG. If those attitudes and concerns play out in a hypothetical GE then there may be an increase in Independent candidates who will take seats from FFG. The lack of credibility of the media would also be a factor in any immediate GE.

The last GE was fought when Dinny O'Brien was ceasing to have control over much of the Irish print and broadcast media. O'Brien is no longer a player and this might be one of the reasons why FG/Lab support collapsed and Labour never recovered from the 2016 wipeout. The whole media landscape has changed in the last ten years as has the electorate. Some publications like the Sindo and the Indo will still be pro-FG but the declining readership means that they would not have the same level of impact on this hypothetical GE.

Regards...jmcc

The emergence of a genine Right of centre party is a possibility

Considering it was right centre policy that help create the problems in housing, health, etc. The things that people actually care about I doubt a more extreme version of that will make any sort of reasonable headway, none at all in fact.

It would be illogical.

Is there are party in this state that was not created because of a split in another party? PD's created because Dessy O'Malley didn't like Haughey and other disgruntled TD's from both FF and FG, the social democrats formed because Labour didn't back Shortall when she called out and stood up to James O'Reilly. Same with Renua and then if you want to go back the FF formed because a split with Sinn Fein. It seems only FG are a party that was not created because of a split in another party but the coming together of smaller parties. Even a lot of independents are not really independent, they are just independent because it suits them to get elected in their constituency because either FF or FG at one stage or other screwed that constituency over, thinking of the Roscommon hospital fiasco, Healy-Raes splitting with FF and Lowry, well I suppose he is independent only because FG won't let him back it because it would look bad for FG.

That is what the current polls are showing, holding Dublin Bay South, Dublin Rathdown and possibly Dublin West.

FG 1

Green 2

FF 3

With our neighbours (North of the Boarder and across the Irish Sea) seemingly is complete disarray - I'd prefer if we stayed the course with a bit of stability. Keep as many of the multinationals here and in general support Irish industry.

Money and jobs make the economy go around. Without a stable political system there is no environment for investment.

The Greens weren't created because of a split.

I dislike the greens but I agree with your mentality otherwise.

Well they are a left wing fiscal and right wing social party. The exact opposite of what we need and what is lacking in the options . Additionally, they arent really a party, it's just one loudmouth and his rentamob. Most left wing people would be left on both divides, ie socialist/left fiscally and liberal/left on social issues. This is why Aontu have only one candidate who gets elected based on his work in the parish. I used to live in his constituency and him and his wife are very very active on the ground. Rentamobs, attending and getting seen to lead each and every anti government protest going.

Don't think so. The main problem would be funding rather than organisation. Such a prototype party could emerge from like-minded Independents after the next GE.

Regards...jmcc

Are you talking about independents who are already there? The obvious rejoinder to that is why aren't they doing it already, if they have any interest? The likes of Lowry and Grealish are in the Dail a long time...

Or a new crop, possibly elected primarily on an anti-immigration ticket? To me that would be almost as big a departure as the far-right parties themselves getting TDs elected...