Badly need a new Political Party

A party with a bit of common sense is what we need.

Is that too much to ask for?

Sinn Féin policy is principally about their raison d'etre - a United Ireland and a border poll etc etc

So they'll adopt pretty much any policy that gives them more votes that will facilitate above.

Other considerations like our own welfare, housing, taxation, health etc etc come below that.

It's a fair & reasonable strategy on their part but it should be seen for what it is.

As to their leaders, murky area to dredge in - if you haven't read it already I'd recommend Shane Ross's book on Mary Lou McD. You might assume he'd be hostile but he's actually quite sympathetic in some ways but baffled too by the opaqueness of the party and her life.

As to a new party - yes possibly but you'll always the others stealing their clothes. There's not much between all the ones that might actually aspire to power.

So is this a thread about needing a new party or just a SF promotional thread trying to convince idiots that SF has moved away from everything it previously stood for?

It’s ironic that the opening post is just all about promoting SF when you’re asking for a new party😀

What policies do you think they have that are costed or practical to implement?

Right wing financially and left wing socially. We need such a party as none exist in ireland.

We do need new parties. Parties that have no baggage with civil war politics or the Troubles. Honest men and women.

maybe get rid of a few parties instead

By the way this is the list of parties in Ireland

Now sure why we need another one?

Invest in Generative AI. Won't be long till it's at least as effective as current politicians. It can analyse data, propose policies. And all impartial- the programming model designed to get the best outcomes for Irish society.

I agree with some aspects of what you say SF are trying to become what Labour once were and should have been, but SF are hamstrung ideologically and not just from the IRA standpoint. The amount of times they have voted against housing developments in DCC is just getting silly at this stage.

I disagree with you that those who you mention are good at articulating agreements. Mary Lou is no Gerry Adams, when speaking in English she resorts to cliches and is just not a very good orator. At least Adams could hold an argument think on his feet and had a presence.

Mary Lou's level of Irish is even worse than Gerry Adams was. She resorts to English phrases, and simple repetitive Irish ones, or reading off a page.

Pearse Doherty looked like he had something about him when he first appeared on the scene. But seems to be a one trick pony. His style of debate is going red in the face while waving pieces of paper in an agitated manner.

Eoin O'Brion seems OK in patches but he does not seem to have any bite about him, and is hamstrung by Republican ideology not using the name "Republic of Ireland" in his housing book for example.

"The left" in Ireland seems all over the place. You have SF tied to their Republican anchor, Labour fractured with the Soc Dems forming (some good young TD's there), meanwhile you have Ivana Bacik an academic coming out with wishy washy statements designed just to sound good.

The PBP are the other extreme. Plenty of passion, radical ideas but not really anything people can get behind. It is what SF used to be plenty of shouting and any protest they would turn up. Basically student union type politics.

To really have a new party on the left it would have to have a charismatic leader, and the ideology would have to be left of centre to attract voters. Would "The left" get behind a Holly Cairns for example? She would be a good left of centre middle of the road figure head. With the right amount of passion and drive, along with sensible policies

I mean years ago you had passionate characters on the left who could conduct a debate. Like the current President Michael D. Higgins or Dick Spring etc. Even Proinsias De Rossa with his speech impediment was a better orator and politician than many on the left now have.

Your medical policies there go against all safe medical standards - a hospital per county would leave each hospital with exceptionally limited specialist resources and make them hideously unsafe. No party with any sense would ever propose that.

SF or a clone SF without the history would not agree with you on water charges and possibly not on property tax (Gerry has a second home, etc)

Forcing retailers to operate specific hours would cause more to close, that is an exceptionally badly thought out idea. Town centre rates being lower is a policy of some parties already.

Removal of property tax is a huge tax break for the rich and will end up killing the majority of county council in Ireland who are already cash strapped. Which in turn means everyone will not get the services they need.

"Rich tax" 😂

Someone on 200k a year is paying close to 100k a year tax. How much more tax do you want them to pay?

As pointed out above a hospital in each county would be impossible and the short resources available already would be spread so think we would end up with more issues than less. Life expectancy in Ireland is increasing, with that one change it would go the opposite direction.

A public funded construction company has been discussed in massive detail alreayd n thread, the opinion of the majoirty is that it would slow down construction and would also increase the price as the government would have to outbid private companies for the limited people we have in the industry, plus giving them government contracts with government pensions etc would increase house prices now.

Majority of these policies are nonsense and would send Ireland back 30 years

They boil down to what I see a lot, can everyone else not pay more tax and I can pay less.

Are you an emergency medicine consultant, or just declaring that you know better than them?

There are three maternity hospitals in Dublin alone, and will continue to be; alongside plenty of others - the NMH is just a name.

Five smaller childrens hospitals spread around the place would mean children with need of multi-speciality care would die.

You are going to vote for a delusional populist if you think these are sensible policies. SF do a good like in delusional populism as it is...

This is very basic stuff. The key requirement for the NCH was colocation with an advanced adult hospital, so that expert consultants are available on site as required. It's not about the M50 or the M7 or the car park. It's about the best clinical outcomes. The decision on locating the hospital was made by the Dolphin group of expert medics, construction professionals, and health service leads, many of them international experts. Do you know something about siting of a hospital that they missed?

If the PDs came back I'd vote for them in an instant.

The last thing this country needs is another socially left leaning party.

It is that type of crapology that gave us two wasteful unneeded referendums.

This is something I have been thinking for a while.

Renua and Soc Dem were the two newest parties from a mainstream view. Renua have gone so far right at this stage they will likely fall off the edge. Soc Dem went left which is always a crowded place in Ireland and hard to show how you are different.

I think for any new party to last they need to be a fiscally responsible progressive centre party. By centre i am looking at a group that may go left today and right tomorrow depending on the issue and not a party that will sit on the fence for fear of offending anyone.

So, Santa politics.