Latest news with #IrishPolitics
Irish Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Third level fees row looks set to rumble on for a while
Good morning. The issue of third level fees has always been incendiary in Irish politics. When Minister for Higher Education James Lawless mused on Sunday that the elimination of cost-of-living supports, as ordained by the party leaders and the budget ministers after three years of multi-billion euro one-off giveaways, would mean effective increases to college fees, he lit a political fuse that continues to fizzle . Fine Gael, ever concerned about looking after the people who pay for (almost) everything, went into apoplexy at the prospect of a €1,000 increase in third level fees. It pointed, not unreasonably, to the Programme for Government commitment to reduce fees. Lawless, for his part, noted that it was the leaders of the Government who decided to take away the €1,000 reduction in fees of recent years, and all the other cost-of-living supports. There are a few things going on here at the same time. The Government is adjusting to the post-election, post-inflation-crisis reality of returning to something like normal budgeting. In truth, the economic conditions should really have meant an end to one-off giveaways last year. But there was an election to be won. READ MORE So in a way, this is part of the post-election hangover. It is being experienced differently by both major parties of the Coalition. There are a few reasons this finds its expression in a political row. The most politically dangerous one is that the respective positions are true reflections of how each party sees itself – Fine Gael, the defenders of the squeezed middle who pay for everything and deserve a break; Fianna Fail, more social democratic, prepared to weight benefits towards those who need them most. As evidenced by the reluctance of the party leaders to get involved, this is not an existential row for the coalition. But it is a real one. And it will run for a while . * Two watery stories in the paper this morning. Kevin O'Sullivan reports that half a million people live in areas still with a risk of undrinkable water , according to the EPA's annual report. Meanwhile, at the Oireachtas Budgetary Oversight Committee, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council – the Government's budget watchdog – told deputies and senators that Ireland's water infrastructure is now one of the main constraints on the economy , limiting the supply of housing and other infrastructure. 'Ireland is a very heavy user of water and that's why we're struggling to keep up,' Ifac chief economist Niall Conroy told the committee. If only it rained more. * Slow bicycle race latest: PBP's Paul Murphy says that if there is going to be a united left candidate for the presidency, then the left will need to unite . Yup. * Farewell then, US televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, who has gone to his, er, eternal reward at the age of 90. As our obituary puts it with commendable sobriety , 'The Louisiana native was best known for being a captivating Pentecostal preacher with a massive following before being caught on camera with a sex worker in New Orleans in 1988, one of a string of major TV preachers brought down in the 1980s and 1990s by sex scandals.' Despite everything, you have to love America. * Poor old Keir Starmer. After a backbench revolt, he only survived after a humiliating climbdown on welfare reforms . It's not much fun being in government if you've no money. Irish politicians take note. * Best reads Kathy Sheridan on Kneecap: that's showbusiness, folks . Paul Gosling on the dysfunction of Stormont . 'If the Irish Government comprises adults,' he writes, 'their equivalents in the North often seem like rowdy teenagers – more focused on arguing and scoring points than on reaching compromise, consensus and the best solutions.' Miriam Lord is also wading into the waters of third level fees . And Róisín Ingle on the joy of getting married with your children present . * Playbook The Taoiseach continues to be Big in Japan, with a series of engagements today. Back home there's a sharp start at 9am with topical issues. Leaders' Questions at (high) noon; later there's statements on the Middle East and the final stages of the Defamation Bill; weekly votes at 10.15 this evening. The Seanad sees statements on Sea Fisheries as well as couple of pieces of private members legislation – one on scoliosis treatment and one on domestic violence. It's a manically busy day at the committees with several meetings of interest on subjects ranging from the controversies at the Arts Council (Minister Patrick O'Donovan is in), the Occupied Territories Bill, waiting lists in hospitals (hello, Bernard Gloster), delays in the planning process and dog control and sheep worrying. The sheep aren't the only ones who are worried. Full details of the day in the Oireachtas here . In diplomatic news, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris TD will host the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at Government Buildings today. A 'visual media opportunity only' for the press: the Sheikh is not too keen on questions. You can read the report on human rights in Qatar by the NGO Human Rights Watch here . Great lads, the Qataris.
Irish Times
19-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
TD admits she hasn't drank alcohol in over 13 years during impassioned plea to not delay health-warning labels
An opposition TD has spoken about the negative impact of alcohol on her life as she raised concerns about a possible delay in the introduction of health-warning labels on drinks products . Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney told the Dáil she has not drunk alcohol for more than 13 years. The party's enterprise spokeswoman was speaking following recent comments from a number of ministers – including Tánaiste Simon Harris , Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke – suggesting the introduction of labelling may be delayed because of the possible impact of US tariffs on the global trade environment. The labels warn about the risk of liver disease and fatal cancers from alcohol consumption and the risk of drinking while pregnant. They also list the calories in the product and the number of grams of alcohol. The labels are due to come into effect on May 22nd, 2026. Ms Gibney said the measure 'has the backing of the entire medical community'. READ MORE Raising the issue during Dáil questions on enterprise, tourism and employment, the Dublin Rathdown TD said: 'I haven't had a drink of alcohol in 13½ years. Alcohol and its negative impacts have played a huge part in my life. 'I say this and I share this because I think there is hardly a family in Ireland which doesn't have the same experience.' Minister of State Alan Dillon said labelling is a matter for the Department of Health. 'I have a duty to defend the interests of Irish indigenous SMEs who are facing unprecedented global trade pressures,' he said. The US market counts for nearly 40 per cent of Irish exports and Irish whiskey exports alone are worth nearly €450 million, he added. The Minister insisted 'this is not about undermining public health'. He said 'it's about sequencing policy in a way to protect jobs' and ensure economic resilience in the sector. Mr Dillon added that the legislation comes at a time when many businesses 'are struggling with uncertainty'. However, Ms Gibney said it is 'wrong and unfair to dangle it as a response to tariffs, when it won't even help those Irish companies because it doesn't have an impact on exports'. Holding up one of the health labels, she said: 'Distributors are actually already putting the labelling on in anticipation of it. So all this would do is cause confusion if you were to roll it back.' The legislation has been in the pipeline since 2019 and Ms Gibney said it positions Ireland as a leader in health measures, just as the smoking ban did. She said 'if we kept in step with Europe on the smoking ban, we would still not have a smoking ban'. But Mr Dillon said 'we're very much committed to a whole-of-a-Government approach to public health, but also to economic sustainability'. The Minister added: 'We would not apologise for standing up for Irish jobs, for Irish businesses within this sector to ensure that we maintain Ireland's global competitiveness. 'We need to ensure that the well-intentioned regulation does not become, in time, a disrupter to many of these exporters at a time of real uncertainty.' He said 'the national alcohol labelling regulation, while rooted in public health objectives, must be administered in a way that does not jeopardise Ireland's export-led recovery'. The drinks manufacturing sector employs more than 5,500 people and is a strategic contributor to the economy, he added. 'What we wanted to do here is not to abandon the public health goals, but we're asking for a more pragmatic sequencing and economic realism here in terms of its implementation.'
Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Combining forces: Opposition plans to break the big two's stranglehold on power begin to germinate
Tipperary North TD Michael Lowry giving a two-finger salute to People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy provided the indelible image of the row over Dáil speaking rights. The lasting effect of that bitter row – about the speaking time given to Independent TDs who were supporting the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael Coalition – on the 34th Dáil may be more subtle, but it is of central importance. Before Christmas, The Irish Times reported that left-wing parties planned to co-ordinate more closely in light of what was rapidly becoming inevitable – that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in Government would be supported by Independents. At that juncture it was impossible to predict the opening months of 2025 would be dominated by the speaking-rights battle. It provided a vivid example of Opposition parties working together – and the term 'combined opposition' was born. READ MORE Five and a half months after the election, the political system is finally settling into its usual rhythm. What the Opposition parties do next, the extent of their co-operation, and how their interests might align – or diverge – will impact the current, and potentially the future, shape of Irish politics. And some believe it could provide a dress rehearsal for the next government. Independent TD for Tipperary North Michael Lowry appears to make an unparliamentary gesture in the Dáil. Photograph: People Before Profit/PA Wire The speaking-rights incarnation of the combined opposition spanned the ideological divide, and dialogue across these lines has continued. There are plenty of areas ripe for co-operation – although there is, predictably, more connective tissue on the left. The most obvious is housing – one Sinn Féin source predicts a 'an upping of the collective game', with the Occupied Territories Bill (banning trade between Ireland and Israel's illegal settlements in the West Bank) and the Gaza conflict generally, disabilities and the neutrality/triple-lock debate also likely points of convergence. Some are clear-eyed about the goal: 'to convince people an alternative government and administration is possible', says one Sinn Féin source. Clearly, insufficient voters had faith in that last November. 'There just wasn't an alternative so people went with what they knew rather than take a risk,' says one Labour Party figure. Against that, the same person believes there isn't much goodwill towards the Government. There is also less ambivalence to sharing power with Sinn Féin among some in Labour. 'I'm much more inclined to go in to government with Sinn Féin than Fine Gael,' says the same person, who would 'never' have considered that previously. There is a shared interest in all Opposition parties arriving on the threshold of the next election, with voters open to the idea of an alternative government. But what that might look like is an open question – one likely to be coloured by how the coming years play out tactically and strategically for the Opposition. [ Labour and the Social Democrats are now firmly in the orbit of Sinn Féin Opens in new window ] Some on the left conceive of a formal transfer pact, a statement of shared principles alongside party manifestos, and a commitment not to share power with Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil. But that view is far from universal, with a deep hostility towards it in some quarters. There is a palpable nervousness in Labour and the Social Democrats about having their identities eroded – something Sinn Féin figures acknowledge, accepting a 'strategic concern that they don't want to be overshadowed by us or swallowed by us'. There are some significant divergences between the parties, particularly issues where Sinn Féin is perceived to be moving right – on migration, LGBTQ+ matters and the environment. One Social Democrats TD says their party is 'miles apart' from Sinn Féin on carbon and local property taxes, sketching out a divergence on 'the basic principles of how we fund the public service'. Those points of difference may be impossible to reconcile, but paradoxically, they may be convenient markers for parties in the eyes of the electorate. After all, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael pull from different segments of 'middle Ireland' by retaining separate brands, but have co-operated for almost a decade, which will become 13 years if the Coalition goes full term. While Opposition parties acknowledge a greater collaboration in this Dáil compared with the last, they are still feeling each other out, drawing up theories about what the others' intentions might be, or the internal politics of another party. After the speaking-rights row, the first test of co-operation among the opposition will be the outcome of talks among left-wing parties about a consensus presidential candidate. It may fail, but it also provides a clear opportunity to outmanoeuvre the government parties in a high-profile contest. Unlike the speaking-rights issue, which saw opposition across ideological divides, the dialogue is between Sinn Féin, People Before Profit, Labour, the Social Democrats and the Greens. Labour leader Ivana Bacik arriving at Leinster House. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins The first effort came from Labour, whose leader, Ivana Bacik , invited the Social Democrats and Greens to talks – the same parties she had publicly identified as her priority for post-election discussions. Social Democrats acting leader Cian O'Callaghan then broadened the group by inviting Sinn Féin and People Before Profit. The names linked most frequently with a presidential nomination are Independent Senator Frances Black and Independent TD Catherine Connolly. But identifying a candidate who stands a good chance of winning, and is acceptable to all parties is a high bar to meet – some parties wonder whether Black would thrive in the white heat of a presidential campaign, and although Connolly is acceptable to those on the further left, as a former Labour member, it may be hard for that party to get behind her. Other parties see Sinn Féin as 'slightly humbled' after the general election There is endless opining about whether Sinn Féin will put forward a candidate for president – something that is going on within the party as well. On the one hand, it may baulk at sitting out the race, especially if Irish unity becomes a campaign trail issue. On the other, its brand may still be too polarising to reverse its recent sorry outings in presidential contests, and the last thing the leadership needs is another disappointing election. Sinn Féin seems to have, to an extent, a convening power among its fellow Opposition parties. This has a simple logic to it, says one source outside the party. 'They're the biggest and the ones who take the initiative,' says the source. This is a view shared by a Sinn Féin TD, who points out that the party has the most speaking time in the Dáil and goes first when questioning the Government. 'Collaboration has to be on terms that are comfortable for everybody,' says the source, but they also note: 'We are the largest party by a significant margin.' Still, other parties see Sinn Féin as 'slightly humbled' after the general election. Last week two meetings of Opposition parties were held in the Sinn Féin party rooms in Leinster House – one on a combined opposition motion on the issue of accessing assessments of need to align with a protest outside the Dáil by 14-year-old disability campaigner Cara Darmody. The second was convened by Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin, which saw only left-wing parties involved, discussing engagement with civil society and trade unions to put pressure on the Government's housing record. Spokespeople in other parties say they have been contacted by their Sinn Féin counterparts to arrange meetings as Oireachtas committees begin public sessions. Others on the left also point to Sinn Féin visibly embracing things such as the Irish Neutrality League, with McDonald speaking at a recent event, and endorsing the counterprotest at a recent far-right march in Dublin. Much of this could be the prosaic business of politics, or simply paying attention to detail. But one TD on the left says: 'I think Sinn Féin want to show themselves as leaders of the Opposition, the biggest party who are going to bring the other parties along.' A Social Democrats TD says: 'It feels like a different tack.' For now, more is unknown than known about how different sets of interests and priorities will gel. But as the Oireachtas gets down to its usual business, the signs suggest there may be something germinating on the Opposition benches. 'You walk before you run,' says one Opposition TD.
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Marriage equality: ten years on, has Ireland's progressive optimism disappeared?
It is ten years since the country voted to legalise same-sex marriage. This victory for progressive politics was followed by another when abortion rights were won in 2018. But what is sometimes called 'the progressive agenda' has since had setbacks, including last year's defeated referendums on family and care. So how relevant is progressivism to Irish politics now, and where does that energy go next? Labour leader Ivana Bacik, columnist Gerard Howlin and political editor Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan on today's Inside Politics podcast to look back at the 2015 referendum campaign and assess its legacy.
