This morning.

The Green Party’s final General Election 2020 press conference with, third pic from left: candidate Peter Kavanagh, Leader of the Green Party Eamon Ryan, Deputy Leader Catherine Martin and candidates Joe O’Brien and Sean McCabe.

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

Rob Reeves writes:

As Election Day draws ever closer, and my resolve to not scratch my arse to vote grows ever stronger, I voyaged to the mean streets of our nation’s great capital to ask 4 simple questions.

Who are you voting for and why? What issues matter to you? Who is Ireland’s sexiest politician? Where do babies come from?

Rob Reeves Films

In this tribute to Velcro, London-based XK Studio celebrates the inspiration  Swiss engineer George de Mestral took from the way cockle-burs stuck to his dog’s fur during a walk in the Jura mountains in the 1940s, thereby giving rise to the world’s most ubiquitous fastener.

awesomer

This morning.

Met Éireann issued a Status Yellow wind and rain warning for Ireland this weekend.

The wind warning will be valid from 9am on Saturday until midnight on Sunday.

The rain warning will be valid from noon on Saturday until 3pm on Sunday.

Thanks Sinn Féin.

Via Met Éireann

This morning.

Fianna Fail General Election HQ.

Justice Spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan TD (left) & Housing Spokesperson Johnny Vegas Darragh O’Brien TD present their party’s justice package aka another bash at Sinn Féin.

Rollingnews

Senator Michael McDowell said Sinn Fein TDs and Senators “don’t decide anything” and are told what to do.

This morning.

On RTÉ’s Today with Seán O’Rourke.

Senator Michael McDowell told Mr O’Rourke that Sinn Féin “don’t have parliamentary party meetings in Leinster House”.

He added: “The TDs and Senators don’t decide anything.”

Asked by Mr O’Rourke how he knew this, he said: “Because I was told directly by one of their parliamentarians.”

Senator McDowell said:

“And I’ll tell you exactly how, Seán. Do you remember the Senate Reform Implementation Group. I asked all the participants to give me an undertaking that we could set aside an afternoon to finalise the report. I said ‘can each of you tell me that there will be no parliamentary party meeting to distract you, or to take you away’.

“And we went around the table and when I got to the Sinn Féin participant, he said ‘we don’t have a parliamentary party’. ”

“He told me to my face…”

“They don’t have meetings of their parliamentary party as such in Leinster House.”

When it was put to Mr McDowell that the polls are indicating that the party may do very well, he replied “so what” before saying that Sinn Féin are “entitled to participate in Government if there are other parties which will participate in Government with them”.

He added:

“We live in a free democracy and if people don’t want to participate in Government with Sinn Féin, they’re perfectly entitled and there’s nothing arrogant or undemocratic to say ‘sorry, we are not going to participate in Government with you’.”

The 23-member implementation croup, consisting of 11 Senators and 12 TDs, was chaired by Senator McDowell. It was tasked with assessing the recommendations made by the Working Group on Seanad Reform in 2015.

Senators Fintan Warfield and Niall Ó Donnghaile and TD John Brady were its Sinn Féin members.

Meanwhile…

Earlier: “When You Leave This Studio, Could You Pick Up The Phone And Talk To Her?”

Yesterday: How Was It For You? [Updated]

Previously: Will I Get The Coronavirus If I Vote Sinn Féin?

Rollingnews

Good times.

Broadsheet.ie