The decline of FG?

Home ownership was slightly lower in 2020 at 69%. Grew 1.1% by the end of 2022.

Not disputing your figures, genuinely though I thought home ownership was higher in 2020 than it is now. Notable that you do use a 2022 statistic mind, I presume that's because that's the latest available data. In any case the change was minimal so it still doesn't explain why support would be higher or lower 5 years on

But thats indicative of not voting for a party, ironically; not believing they will be able to do what they say they will do.

There's nothing ironic about it, in fact that's exactly why so many don't vote FFG. They don't believe they will be able to fulfill their promises. And in fairness they have history in this sense

Yep, 2022 was the latest data i could find.

Know what you mean about FFG not fulfilling their promises in full, but as they are still the leading first preference party, the majority must still have more faith in them then they do in SF or FF.

It comes down to the same point in the end. Not who is going to do a perfect job (nobody is, we all know that) but who is going to do the best job.

It seems the electorate still think FFG is the best way forward, overall.

Well FG have the Trinity Seanad seats nailed down anyway

All that might indeed come to pass, and certainly your scenario is highly likely. But until there's an official announcement I wouldn't be getting too worried

Where does the national team play at the minute? Used to go to Armagh with a relative who was mad into the game, good day out but like golf it takes a big chunk out of your day to follow it or play it. I give both sports up for that reason.

They can announce a date, but nothing legally starts until the Dáil is dissolved.

You cannot do a 2 month campaign like the UK does, 30 days is the absolute max. Its basically either a 3 or 4 week campaign.

Having a GE on the same day as the Local and Euro elections would be a disaster.

I love these comments that make explicit statements without any explanation

You have explained it in a very common sense way. I would have thought it needed no explanation, especially as anyone who followed politics recently would have seen the Holohan issue as well as the Peader Tobin issue where he said he wouldn't take the seat in Europe if he won.

Amazing that it needed to be explained.

I don't consider your interlinked first and third points to be upsides.

There is also the massive problem that Governments fall, with no potential replacement available without a new election. Fixed terms don't work in our system.

Would you have been happy with FF hanging on til June 2012 (the 5 year anniversary of the previous term), unable to actually pass any legislation; just because the election date was fixed? Or would you have suggested that the incoming Government from the Feb 2011 election only got 16 months, to return to a cycle?

I was specifically working on the basis of this year where they could have had the GE at the same time as the LE, Since we're going to the polls anyway in the next few weeks again

Legally speaking the Seanad need to also pass legislation before it becomes law. It would help if there was a govt majority there

Suggesting the longer count length being a symbol of democracy in action is seriously clutching at straws. While the length of the count might not really be an issue, there certainly isn't any benefit in extending the count to include three elections. Cutting short a relatively popular government (likely to be returned anyway) just to align with the EU election date would be extremely undemocratic. The negatives for democracy would far outweigh the positives.

An actual symbol of democracy in action would be separate election days with focused campaigns. The lines between local issues and national issues and EU level issues are already quite blurred in this country, horsing all together on one election day would further blur it. It would be impossible to run three dedicated campaigns focusing on the relevant issues at each level simultaneously. There wouldn't be time for meaningful debates at each level and the public would zone out from all the noise.

And now that you are saying you were talking specifically about this year, the advantages you put forward of "fewer costs for the exchequer and the environment, schools would be closed less often" is negligible. That one school day saved is unlikely to be replicated again for the remainder of the school lives of current school children. The financial and environmental savings would be barely above 0.

Middle of a housing crisis but let's give the developers another 12 months. Political open-goal here

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2024/0820/1465844-ireland-politics/

He usually leaves the shouting to the Dáil where the increasingly useless SF social media team upload a clip of it to Facebook, Twitter and Tiktok.

He was actually shouting at the camera out in the wild this evening. Bizarre to be honest. Does he think it signifies passion or something?

Farmers had plenty of time to de-zone as the same proposal got deferred last year as well. Moreover FFG had the time to amend the legislation to exclude active farmers. Something which Pearse Doherty suggested 3 years ago but for some reason went un-noticed

The truth, of course, is that the housing crisis suits landlords and property developers. Hoarding residential zoned land increases the pressures of the housing crisis and makes the landlords and property developers richer so there is a great incentive for this cohort to continue to hoard land.

At the same time then, many FFG politicians are landlords and by and large landlords and property developers vote for FFG so why would FFG want to actively sort out the housing crisis? All it would do is cost them money and votes. Neither of which are very wise things to be toying with a few months before an election

Health insurance prices are on the rise. Can't help but think that if sláintecare was in place by now instead of the loading that FFG introduced we wouldn't have this new problem

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2024/0821/1466019-vhi-to-increase-premiums-by-average-of-3-5-from-october/

He gets paid by the post

A known Trumpian tactic in recent weeks is to say Kamala Harris is avoiding journalists when CNN fact checked that with several doorstops she did with journalists answering and making time for their questions

You tried Trumpian tactics yesterday by saying the Finance minister was hiding on the zoning issue when in fact he was interviewed on the news yesterday twice

Pot Kettle

And btw,this is the politics forum,you absolutely can put multiple points into one post rather than spamming with multiple posts one after the other

Noone here has suggested you don't post but in a higher brow discussion forum like this,it's not unreasonable to expect no soap boxing or ranting

The key word is Discussion

RTÊ radio and tv,which has the largest weekly listenership in Ireland…(JNLR)

Certainly not the definition of hiding

Again,on posts,this is a forum,always was ,for quality not quantity

After hours or the current affairs forum is for the latter

Let me see, the government retained the TV licence and refused to fully bail out RTE by abolishing the TV licence, whereas the opposition wanted the TV licence abolished and the government to then fully bail out RTE. And you are critical of the government????!!!!???

Nope, the opposition want political control of RTE and particularly of the current affairs Department. That is why it is so important that RTE has its own independent financing through the TV licence.

RTÉ are subject to the same compliance and partiality rules as all other broadcasters in the country

To suggest otherwise is another falsehood

Why are FF being singled out here? The article is reporting that this would be a government decision or do FF somehow have free rein at the cabinet table?

Tony Groves! Next we go to the Monsanto podcast to hear about ecological biodiversity. This will be followed by listening to David Quinn discuss the most effective forms of reproductive healthcare for women.

Have we heard a peep from anyone in SF about the extradition of Martin McCauley to Belfast? What's the thinking on it? He was a key member of the Provo Engineering Team, found himself in Colombia exploring the peace process, got a standing ovation at the SF Ard Fheis, and is soon to be on his way to meet the PSNI.