Tag Archives: General Election 2020

This morning/afternoon.

Parnell Square, Dublin 1

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty talking to the media as he published Sinn Féin’s proposals to ‘put money back in the pockets of workers and families’ including a €1.2bn pledge to exempt anyone earning under €30,000 from paying Universal Social Charge.

Via The Irish Independent:

The party is also proposing to reduce the retirement age from 66 to 65 and increase the State pension by €20.

Combined these two measures will cost over €1.1bn. Sinn Féin is also again pledging to abolish the local property tax in this general election at a cost of nearly €500m.

“That shows the quantum of money that we’re talking about putting back into people’s pockets, but there’s other measures as well,” he said.

Mr Doherty also highlighted Sinn Féiin’s plan to abolish levies on non-life insurance policies at a cost of €630m per year. The party claims this will reduce premiums by around 5pc….

‘It’s up to them to do that’ – Sinn Féin won’t ask retiring TDs to give back some of their pension pots (Independent.ie)

Leah Farrell/Rollingnews

RTÉ’s Claire Byrne

Next Monday night.

On RTÉ One, at 9.35pm.

Claire Byrne Live Leaders’ Debate.

Laura Fitzgerald writes:

“Next Monday night (27th January) Claire Byrne will host the biggest Election 2020 leaders debate of the campaign so far.

“For the very first time RTÉ will broadcast a special leaders’ debate live from Galway.

“The seven political parties leaders joining Claire on stage for the major two-hour live debate will be: Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin), Leo Varadkar (Fine Gael), Brendan Howlin (Labour), Micheál Martin (Fianna Fáil), Richard Boyd Barrett (Solidarity/People Before Profit), Eamon Ryan (Green Party) and Roísín Shortall (Social Democrats).

“The leaders will also face questions from an audience of over 300 people independently selected by RED C Research polling company.”

Two HOURS?

Thanks Laura

Yesterday.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on the hustings in Cork.

Seems to be going quite well.

Earlier: A Limerick A Day

‘sup?

This afternoon.

Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

A traditional arrival to Sinn Féin’s General Election candidate launch in the Round Room of the Mansion House on the 101st anniversary of the meeting of the First Dáil.

Top from left:  Connor Murphy, Sinn Féin politician from Northern Ireland, Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin Leader, actress Fionnula Flanagan, Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Fein leader in Northern  Ireland and Pearse Doherty TD for Donegal.

Earlier: “If All [Sinn Féin Candidates] Were Elected They Still Wouldn’t Be In Government”

Rollingnews

This afternoon.

Fianna Fail Election HQ, Dublin.

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Housing, Planning & Local Government James Corden Darragh O’Brien TD at the launch of a FF Press Briefing on Housing with Dublin City Councillor Mary Fitzpatrick (top left) and Deputy Spokesperson on Urban Renewal & Housing Pat Casey TD.

Regarding Sinn Féin’s plans to initiate the “largest ever campaign of public housing construction” as part of its own policy, Mr O’Brien said “we have a Sinn Féin party running approximately 40 candidates – if all of them were elected they wouldn’t be in Government”.

“(Sinn Féin housing spokesman) Eoin Ó Broin has the luxury, and he knows himself, to really say what he wants without having the responsibility to deliver,” Mr O’Brien said.

Sinn Féin policies moot as they are only running 40 candidates, FF TD insists (Breakingnews.ie)

 Rollingnews

This morning.

Labour Party HQ, Dublin.

Pic 3, from left: Director of Elections Ivana Bacik, Leader of the Labour Party Brendan Howlinand Alan Kelly surrounded by Labour candidates at the launch of Labour Party General Election campaign bearing the slogan: ‘Building An Equal Society’.

Hmm.

Also: where’s Joan Burton, anyone?

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

Tonight.

Election 2020: FF edges ahead of FG as SF surges in new Ipsos MRBI poll (Irish Times)

Graph via Irish Times

Meanwhile…

Posters for Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar and  Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin in Dublin city centre

Meanwhile…

Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has written to Virgin Media objecting to the two-way debate, saying:

“As Sinn Féin director of elections I have written to Virgin Media in relation to their decision to hold a ‘head to head’ debate between the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, two parties that received less than 50 per cent support in the last election.

“I believe that facilitating a debate in the manner proposed is capable of affecting the outcome of the election by presenting the electorate with a false, binary choice between two parties with virtually the same policies.

“BAI rules acknowledge that broadcasters have a statutory obligation to ensure that all news and current affairs programming is fair, objective and impartial.

“How Virgin Media can justify excluding Sinn Féin and the people we represent from this debate is beyond me.

“There is no substantial difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Their policies are much the same and this can be seen over their past four years in Government together.

“I am calling on Virgin Media to make public the criteria applied in reaching this decision.

“They should reverse this decision immediately and have a debate that’s actually representative of Irish society.”

Pearse Doherty TD writes to Virgin Media objecting to Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil head to head debate (Sinn Féin)

Rollingnews

Sinn Fein TD Eoin Ó Broin

This morning.

At  launch of Sinn Féin’s policy on housing Eoin Ó Broin said despite FF and FG ruling out his party as coalition partners in favour of an amalgam of smaller parties….

…the only opinion poll of the campaign so far – the Behaviour and Attitudes Poll in the Sunday Times which suggests Sinn Fein is at 19% is just one point behind Fine Gael on 20% – “does not show that we are being squeezed in that way.”

Rather, he says, it shows that Sinn Féin is in a “key position” in terms of the potential composition of the next government.

“We know what happens when you put the Labour and Green Party in Government. They break their promises and they allow Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to do exactly what they would do when they are left to their own devices. Sinn Féin is different.“

Sinn Féin pitches itself as the only real alternative (RTÉ)

Rollingnews



This morning.

National Concert Hall, Dublin 2.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on stage as tax-owing Apple CEO Tim Cook addresses an IDA ”Looking To The Future’ event.

Chinese sweatshops.

Rollingnews

Previously: Core Values