Hung Dail means status quo can be challenged
On the matter of government formation, there are two relevant issues: first, the question of what is in the best interests of the country, and, second, the question of what is most likely to happen. Let’s start with the country. Today we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising – a suitable day to...
For good government, we must put our houses in order
The make-up of the 32nd Dail presents a rare opportunity to break the deadlock on some very important issues, like healthcare and political reform. From one perspective, we’ve just had a momentous election. For the first time ever, the two big establishment parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, have received less than half the national...
Marriage Equality Bill Passes through Dail
Stephen Donnelly, Social Democrats TD for Wicklow and East Carlow, has welcomed the passage today of the Marriage Equality Bill through the Dáil. The last steps are for the bill to pass through the Seanad, and for the president to sign off on it. Speaking outside the Dáil this morning, shortly after the Bill’s passage,...
The Banking Inquiry Requires Us to Overcome Our Own Political Catch 22
Holding the banking inquiry in year five of this Government means a lot of relevant information is coming to light too late. Nonetheless, testimony in recent weeks points to big lessons we can and must still learn. The challenge is overcoming our own political Catch 22. And the public nature of the inquiry might just...
My Take on the Siteserv Affair
Last night I laid out why it is difficult to see how the Dáil can have confidence in the Minister for Finance due to the political governance of the Siteserv affair. Here’s the speech
How Do I Vote In the Referendum?
Today is a big day, both the Marriage Equality and the Age of Presidential Candidates Referendum are happening. A number of people have called in to my office in Greystones to discuss how to vote. I thought it would be useful for me to put together a short guide on how to vote today, especially...
