Irish general election 2016

[Deleted]

The next general election in the Republic of Ireland is to take place no later than 8th April.

[Arthur Figgis]

The Cap!

[Davıd Boothroyd]

The current holder of the Cap of Powah has just been giving his opinion on the consumption of alcohol prior to driving motor vehicles. He's in favour of it: www.joe.ie/news/td-michael-healy-rae-once-again-defends-people-who-drink-and-drive/525851

[greenhert]

Important notes about this Irish general election:

1. The number of TDs will be reduced from 166 to 158, and with only 40 constituencies instead of 43. Significant boundary changes to STV constituencies: the formerly split counties of Kerry, Tipperary, and Donegal (which had 2 constituencies with 3 TDs each) will have just 1 constituency apiece with 5 TDs. Offaly and Laois, meanwhile, will have their own constituencies to themselves but with just 3 TDs each (the Laois-Offaly constituency had 5). Dublin constituencies will face significant changes and renaming. Leitrim will be reunited and entirely paired with Sligo.

2. The merging of the Anti-Austerity-Alliance with People Before Profit (for this election at least) and the emergence of two new parties currently represented, Renua Ireland and the Social Democrats, will likely have significant impacts.

[Deleted]

Most recent Red C poll: Fine Gael 32, Sinn Fein 19, Fianna Fail 17, Labour 9, AAA-PBP 3, Green 2, Independents and others 18.

[greatkingrat]

Jan 6, 2016 21:55:21 GMT greenhert said:

Important notes about this Irish general election:

1. The number of TDs will be reduced from 166 to 158, and with only 40 constituencies instead of 43. Significant boundary changes to STV constituencies: the formerly split counties of Kerry, Tipperary, and Donegal (which had 2 constituencies with 3 TDs each) will have just 1 constituency apiece with 5 TDs. Offaly and Laois, meanwhile, will have their own constituencies to themselves but with just 3 TDs each (the Laois-Offaly constituency had 5). Dublin constituencies will face significant changes and renaming. Leitrim will be reunited and entirely paired with Sligo.

The constituency names are a bit misleading. The Irish Boundary Commission is fond of grabbing a few villages from a neighbouring county to equalise the numbers.

So Sligo-Leitrim contains all of Sligo and Leitrim, plus parts of Donegal and Cavan. Laois contains part of Kildare, while Offaly contains part of North Tipperary.

[Arthur Figgis]

Doktor O'B has been busy has he?

[Deleted]

I have the right to vote in the Republic, but never use it. Given the options, I am glad I made this choice.
I would never vote Fianna Fail, Fine Gael or Sinn Fein, am utterly disgusted by Labour, am not likely to vote for the Trots of PBP/AAA or United Left or WUAG, have no idea what Renua really stand for (but are mostly centre-right politicians, so not attractive to me), and not really convinced by the Greens.
Maybe the Social Democrats or, more likely, an Independent I could vote for.......not a Cap!

[Deleted]

Trying to get to grips with Ireland's complex and unusual party system is like trying to knit fog.

Most of the political parties seem to be from around the centre or left. There seems to be a be a big gap in the market for right wing voters that Renua could have great potential to fill if they could get their act together. They are a very small political party, too little to have much impact. I suppose this means Fine Gael is the default choice for people who might vote Conservative or UKIP if they were to live in the UK. Of course things depend on which independent candidates happen to be standing in your constituency.

[Deleted]

My family, being Protestant, tends to vote Fine Gael (or occasionally even Labour - anything rather than Fianna Fail).

I tentatively opted for Fine Gael as the least of the available evils, but in practice would probably not usually vote in Ireland in national elections, as there is no party which reflects my views even approximately.

[Devil Wincarnate]

Jan 6, 2016 21:41:20 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

The current holder of the Cap of Powah has just been giving his opinion on the consumption of alcohol prior to driving motor vehicles. He's in favour of it: www.joe.ie/news/td-michael-healy-rae-once-again-defend.s-people-who-drink-and-drive/525851

I note that the article goes in to suggest that there should be regular checkpoints on roads to reduce theft. Or presumably to make sure you're sufficiently pissed?

[Devil Wincarnate]

I've gone for the Blueshirts, with a peg the size of Waterford on my nose. Other than that I think Catholicleft sums it up.

[irish observer]

Were I to predict at the moment given the phoney canvass war that has been going on for the past year effectively in the absence of the election being called I would predict:

FG 54
FF 36
SF 26
Lab 12
PBP/AAA 5
SD 3
RENUA 1
GRN 1
IND 20

When we have final candidate slates I will predict by constituency. Poll will be by end February and will dissolve Dáil likely first week Feb. Kenny wants to be back for the 100th anniversary of Easter 1916.

[Arthur Figgis]

Renua's economic position with Labour's social position. But neither in totality, so Fine Gael as the better out of Shit and Shite.

[neilm]

Is Renua likely to have a significant impact, as greenhert suggests? My reading is 'not very likely.'

A pity really even if they are rather vague. I liked the PDs.

[Sibboleth]

Jan 7, 2016 14:46:44 GMT neilm said:

Is Renua likely to have a significant impact

No.

[Devil Wincarnate]

Renua are the PDs repeated as po-faced farce.

[Deleted]

What's the possibility of a FG and FF grand coalition?

[lennon]

Somewhat unsurprisingly I'd still vote Pirate (it's great this whole having the same Party across borders thing... :-) )

Having said that - the PP Ireland website just says 'Coming Soon' - so perhaps they are even less organised and structured than the UK Party. Hmm...

[No Offence Alan]

Torn between FG (Garret Fitzgerald was the Irish politician I most respected) and FF since they are the official sister party of the Lib Dems in ALDE(!). Bring back the PDs, I say.