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EVERY NIGHT DURING the general election, TheJournal.ie brings you the latest from the Election 2016 campaign trail.
Everybody’s talking about
As one seasoned political correspondent put it today, this government came in with the largest majority in the history of the state yet now it will be lucky to return with the help of independents. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Fine Gael and Labour believed the economic upswing, the few extra bob in people’s pockets and the promise of more if re-elected would be enough to return the two parties to government.
All polls now indicate this will not happen. All that could change in the final hours of the campaign with still quite a number of undecideds. The polls could also be wrong as they were in the UK. But there’s little denying that Fine Gael and Labour have had bad campaigns where their core message of recovery and stability did not get through to an angry electorate.
Step in Fianna Fáil, the star performers of this campaign and, to a lesser extent, Sinn Féin which has capitalised on people’s anger. However, the smaller opposition party has suffered as a result of Gerry Adams’s poor grasp of detail when it comes the party’s main policies.
By contrast, Micheál Martin has performed excellently in all three TV debates. Even when he’s wrong, he sounds like he’s right. In the modern political environment, presentation is everything and Martin has definitely presented himself as a credible alternative taoiseach.
Tomorrow’s broadcast moratorium, which kicks in at 2pm, will mean an end to the debate on the airwaves. The ground war continues write up until polls close tomorrow as candidates around the country do everything they can to secure crucial votes.
The outcome is far from certain and it ensures that a long and exciting weekend of counting is ahead for anyone with an interest in the future direction of the country.
Slap Downs of the Day
Tánaiste Joan Burton took a swipe at Fianna Fáil and its rejuvenated leader Micheál Martin, saying she had noticed a “smugness” creeping back into the party today. She added:
Smugness with a smile in the case of Micheál Martin – old wine in new bottles, the new Micheál bottles.
Meanwhile, Róisín Shortall reminded people that Fine Gael has never been re-elected to government – and there’s a reason for that.
FactCheck of the Day
As part of our general election coverage, we’re testing the truth of claims made by candidates and parties on the campaign trail. Dan MacGuill has done a comprehensive round-up of the truth and lies in last night’s final TV debate.
Bull**** Claim of the Day
Labour has said repeatedly that it is the only party that can deliver a referendum on the Eighth Amendment if re-elected to government.
But, in fairness to others, it is explicitly stated in the manifestos of Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, the Green Party and the Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit groupings.
WTF Moment of the Day
Someone knitted Labour TD John Lyons a miniature doll of himself.
It was a good day for
It was a bad day for
Tomorrow’s news today: What’s happening on the campaign trail
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There is an adjoining report that Harris states that ‘you can’t pitch a tent anywhere you want’.
I have a question: when these tents are distributed, are those they are given to told where they can be pitched?
I have another: is there anywhere where they can be pitched that is acceptable to the government?
And who is paying for these tents anyway?
The government, via ‘charities’, on behalf of the taxpayer?
The government, which then destroys those tents within hours of distributing them?
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: they are pitched up in Milltown now making camp.
@Sean Money: @Sean Money: Do you know if there is anywhere these can be pitched that is acceptable to the authorities?
If not, then why are these being distributed?
Are our government departments really *that* disfunctional?
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: exactly they are in cahoots with the tent makers, millions spent on tents now
See this ffg governments will never and I mean never stop pollution of everything for profit ,
@Robert Halvey: Bet they sell the fish too!!
Slurry, I suppose. Farmers, I suppose.
The reason it was only reported yesterday is because nobody works the weekend
I don’t see pike on the list. Probably being killed off by the angling clubs. They kill pike all over Ireland seemingly with the blessing of the IFI. Taking out the predators leaves weak and sick fish to spawn. In turn making the fish sizes smaller in the rivers. You don’t take a predator out of a habitat
@Michael o Dwyer: it’s not the clubs killing them off, it’s the international fishing folk who clean out the rivers and lakes of every fish they get their hands on, no matter the size . They are a plague
@Michael o Dwyer: It’s more likely that it’s just a narrower river that doesnt contain pike. Of which there are many around the country
Pharmaceutical waste !
@sakk sa: irish water chemical leak at the water plant, either chlorine or fluoride
Hopefully the carcasses can be salvaged for food or even pet animal feed.
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