Temple Bar gets a hard time – from Lonely Planet, from Frank McDonald, probably from a lot of people living in Dublin. But for all its obvious problems, which I won’t bother with here, it’s got a lot going for it too. So here’s the obligatory top ten list – I have no idea if I can fill it.
A forlorn-looking President George W. Bush in Peru on Sunday, as Asian leaders depart the stage without making eye contact with him. Photo: Lawrence Jackson/Associated Press. (Via Time Magazine/The New York Times)
Taking a leaf out of someone else’s book, Fine Gael are making a concerted effort to present their leader as a responsible and reassuring figure in these uncertain times. It marks a change of direction from the JFK-quoting, cocky personality who has lead the party for six years.
Sunday Business Post-Red C poll to be published tomorrow:
If there were a general election tomorrow, to which party or independent candidate would you give your first preference vote?
Fianna Fáil 30% (+4)
Fine Gael 35% (+2)
Labour 14% (-1)
Greens 5% (-1)
Sinn Féin 8% (-2)
Independent 8% (no change)
It’s the first poll without the PDs, and Fine Gael seem to have benefited most as Fianna Fáil were always going to bounce back a little after last month’s new low for them.
Without anybody saying it, there were high expectations for Richard Bruton’s address on the economy. When the time came, he received a standing ovation as he arrived at the podium. You can read that two ways: 1) This is a carefully stage-managed event – especially when RTÉ 1 is carrying a live feed from the main hall – so you’d expect the crowd to be enthusiastic, or 2) this event is so stage-managed that the powers that be wouldn’t plan to have an ovation for Bruton and not for the other speakers. Anyway, it seemed to be spontaneous and Bruton has been flavour of the month because of the budget. Why does it matter? Because of that poll and the fact that Kenny will be judged on his next local election results. Bruton might be asked to take the reins. Read the rest of this entry »
Is it not unreasonable to ask graduates to pay a contribution, deductible at source, for a number of years after they enter the labour force? One way of making a contribution could be through the existing PRSI system, it’s only one option to consider. Paying a small proportion of your income over a period after you graduate, although difficult to sell, would in my view be a fairer solution to this issue. There are many ways you could do this. Whatever system you put in place needs to be clear, straightforward and above all else encourages students to stay in college.
He says such a funding arrangement can only follow education reforms at third level, including: more rigorous assessment of quality in teaching, improve supports for students from poorer backgrounds, more collaboration between our colleges, longer student-lecturer contact hours, and a greater focus on the skills required by the labour force.
He’s right on at least one point: it will be difficult to sell.
I’m off to Wexford this weekend to see the Fine Gael faithful huddle around “the future Taoiseach” at their national conference. Unlike an Ard Fheis, there will be no motions to vote on at this event. Instead it’s intended to showcase the party’s frontbench ‘of all the talents’. Enda Kenny has already told the grassroots to be ready for a general election but the real focus will be on preparations for the local elections in June, where Fine Gael expect to do well.
This is my first ever party conference so excuse my naiveté if I come home convinced by the reception for the leader’s speech that a ‘blue tide’ is imminent.
Also, I know you’re thinking ‘what’s the point?’ It’s true that no policy of consequence is decided at these stage-managed events but there are some useful details to be observed. Here’s what I’ll be watching out for this weekend: Read the rest of this entry »
The Government has published details of the €200 employee parking levy, which is to come into force next January. Before we get to the political and policy reasoning behind this, here are the basic facts -
A fee of €200 will apply for each employee parking space within the local authorities of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick. The Minister for Finance may extend this levy to other Local Authorities in due course – watch out Sligo!
The employee will pay but the employer will administer payment through the PAYE system – so don’t worry, no one has to deal with their bureaucratic City Hall! Read the rest of this entry »
Sarah Carey sheds some light on an area of the Irish media that’s rarely discussed publicly – the inner workings of Rupert Murdoch’s Irish (and in some cases Oirish) outlets. The ex-Sunday Times columnist details how the editor of that paper’s Irish edition suddenly changed his stance on the Lisbon Treaty just weeks before the referendum. Frank Fitzgibbon originally believed the treaty was a “political imperative,” she says, but then changed his mind and banned any pro-treaty opinion articles from appearing in the paper.
It goes without saying that Murdoch has been a long-time critic of the European project and his newspapers in the UK reflect that. With a second referendum now looking inevitable, all possible reasons for the first result will be closely scrutinised in the coming weeks. Carey is asking that people consider whether some backers of the No vote are taking that position for ulterior motives:
I’m not saying that anyone who voted No didn’t care about Ireland. But I am saying that certain constituencies who argued against Lisbon did so not because they believed it to be the right thing, but for other reasons. If our entire political establishment was dismayed because Lisbon was defeated and the cheers from Wapping were ringing in our ears, doesn’t that make anyone wonder whether No was the right answer to the question?
It’s worth noting that while Carey believes Fitzgibbon told her he was infavour of the treaty, she accepts it is possible that she “misunderstood his views”.
Also, it’s refreshing to see a columnist write so openly about the internal machinations of another newspaper. The national media is a relatively small pond in Ireland and we don’t see such frank criticism of journalists by their colleagues (or former colleagues) very often.
Sorry to be mentioning Christmas already. From the American Family Association:
Looking for an effective way to express your Christian faith this Christmas season to honor our Lord Jesus? Now you can…. with the “Original Christmas Cross” yard decoration.
Those are actually 210 individual ultra bright lights. But it could give the neighbours the wrong impression. (Via The Daily Dish)
It has begun. As well as retaining a commissioner, assurances/declarations are being negotiated on neutrality, abortion and taxation.
It seems almost certain we’re going to have a straight re-run of Lisbon with the above clarifications tacked on. So the big question is when. Can it be done before the European and local elections in June? If not, we’ll have to elect MEPs under the current Nice rules and not the new ones. The Lisbon rules don’t effect us but they do increase the MEPs for Spain, France, Sweden, Austria, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Latvia, Slovenia, and Malta. I’m sure those countries are keen to vote under the Lisbon system but is it too soon for Cowen to risk a referendum? Defeat would almost certainly force a general election.
So Micheál Martin has confirmed that the Government will make a decision on another Lisbon referendum before the European Council meeting in December. Senator Déirdre de Búrca and Irish Times foreign editor Paul Gillespie predicted as much on Saturday, when they were speaking at the Young Greens convention.
De Búrca narrowed the Government’s options down to three choices: 1) Put the treaty before the people again, having received assurances and declarations from the European Council on issues like neutrality and retaining a commissioner; 2) Have the Oireachtas ratify all aspects of the treaty that do not have implications for Bunreacht na hÉireann and put the constitutional issues to the people (in stages or all at once) at a later date; or 3) Propose a multi-speed Europe with Ireland and other sceptical member states opting out from certain developments (though the legal mechanisms for this are not currently in place). So, which option will Cowen go for? Read the rest of this entry »
I sat in on the Young Greens national convention at Trinners on Friday expecting vocal dissent from idealistic and passionate young delegates. What I witnessed was a grudging – and some would say mature – acceptance by members of John Gormley’s defence of his party’s record in government. Read the rest of this entry »
Wandering around in a haze at the Green Gathering one night, I started thinking about how the layout of music festivals is conducive to spontaneity and fun – the large open public spaces, the art installations that enthrall you as you drunkenly stumble by, the relaxed but secure atmosphere, the welcoming music venues and the late-night partying.
It’s hardly a revelation that festivals are fun, but what could we learn from them when it comes to improving towns and cities? As awareness grows of the importance of the places we live in to our mental and physical health, isn’t it possible that we could learn something from arguably the funnest urban environment there is?
I’m with some smelly (I joke!) Greens in Dolphin’s Barn. Needless to say they’re happy with how the presidential contest is going. The house and senate contests remain to be seen.
At this stage, an Obama victory looks almost certain. But CNN plumbs new debts for TV news gimmickry: a reporter in 3D hologram form, a la Star Trek. I shit you not. No doubt the science of this extraordinary development in news journalism will be revealed tomorrow. Until then:
UPDATE: Here’s the science bit. The crucial points:
It’s still Jessica Yellin and you look like Jessica Yellin and we know you are Jessica Yellin… I think a lot of people are nervous out there. All right, Jessica. You were a terrific hologram.
The mood on the internet – it seems like a strange thing to talk about – has been building and building these past 24 hours towards what you might call a plateau of giddiness. I wasn’t on Facebook or any other social networking site in 2004, but I don’t remember the same feeling of anticipation as America went to the polls.
This time round, many people’s statuses on Facebook – OK, Irish people’s – contain references to Obama’s fortunes. “Sarah is very excited about Tuesday (and Wednesday),” and “its gotta be OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA!!!!! Liberte et democratie!!” Others are more cautious: “Claire is nervous about the election,” and “John really hopes that America doesn’t make the same mistake again”.
With the events of 2004 fresh in my mind, I’m inclined to be cautious. I still think Obama will win but I’m going to adhere to all the hoary superstitions and touch wood between now and when the polls close.
Of all the statuses, “Kevin is poised” seems the most apt. We’re all poised on this side of the Atlantic. Poised for the result that most of us want. Yet poised for more of the surprises that the last two US presidential elections threw up.
Another instinct I feel is to tell everyone to calm it down. It’s very easy to get caught up in the notion that Obama is “the One”. We’re like moths being drawn to a flame and we might very well get burned come January. The economy and the situations on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan might see a Democratic president make decisions that repulse us and we need to keep that in mind.
But still, I am surprised to see seasoned commentators – men and women with leather faces who’ve seen it all before – get so excited about today’s outcome. Perhaps Time’s Joe Klein best sums up their feelings:
Some politicians simply are larger than life. Their stories are the stuff of high drama. Over the past few days, I’ve been hearing about the high emotions out in the field, as volunteers flood Obama offices to help canvass–and, in some places, find they have to wait on line for a spot on a phone bank. It is almost banal at this point to say that this has been the most remarkable election I’ve ever seen. It’s been a privilege to be a small part of it, to have had a ringside seat. And now, there is a sense that tomorrow will be the sort of day none of us ever forgets, one way or another–a day of reckoning, in the purest sense, when we will suddenly see ourselves and our country differently, for good or ill.
“For good or ill” – maybe a bit black and white for my tastes but, ultimately, most of us share those sentiments.
I splashed out this week and bought the Economist (€5.20, comrades!). An article on Obama’s ground operation had this to say:
Some of Mr Obama’s volunteers sign up the old-fashioned way, in person. Others volunteer online. In their local corner of the Obama website, they can meet other Obamaphiles and arrange to knock on specific doors in their neighbourhood. They can download information about who lives in each house, which party they belong to and what they told the last phone canvasser. They can update this information each time they meet a voter. They can also spend hours on the website chatting with like-minded people, watching the candidate’s speeches and uploading their own Barack-related videos.
This blog is supposed to focus on Irish politics but I witnessed something interesting on the other side of the Atlantic recently that made me wonder about the extent to which religious figures here get involved in politics. I’m just back from a family wedding in New York. A few days after the wedding we attended a mass in the Bronx for the memory of deceased family members. There I observed probably the most political sermon I have ever heard a cleric give. Read the rest of this entry »
