Payments scandal set to dog Bertie’s election hopes

	Bertie Ahern refuses to answer questions into financial impropriety on the election trail today. As his hustings kicked off in Dublin journalists questioned the Irish leader regarding payments due to be investigated by the Mahon Tribunal. Judge Mahon announced on Monday that the Tribunal had been due to examine an allegation that Mr Ahern received £80,000 from the Cork developer, Owen O’Callaghan. Judge McMahon said it would be unfair for Mr. Ahern to be required to give evidence concerning his financial history during the party’s electoral campaign.The Tribunal will now resume hearings on 28 May. The Taoiseach has said that the decision was totally a matter for the tribunal and he had been not aware that it would happen. Mr Ahern today reiterated that Mr O’Callaghan never gave him a penny and said he would deal with the issues concerning the tribunal when they arrive. The decision by Judge Mahon couldn’t have come at a better time for Fianna Fail who would undoubtedly be damaged by any appearance by their leader in the Tribunal of inquiry concerning dodgy land deals in his earlier career.
Bertie dodges bullet as Tribunal postpones investigation

Bertie Finally Calls Election

Irish Taoseach Bertie Ahern announces election after weeks of speculation in the Dail Bertie Ahern, has finally done it and disolved the 29th Dáil. Polling in the General Election will take place on Thursday 24th May. The Taoiseach went to Áras an Uachtaráin this morning to seek the dissolution from the President of Ireland. Bertie’s decision follows months of speculation, and campaigning for the election, which had to be held no later than early June.Recent polls suggest its gonna be a close one, and no single opposition party has a clear advantage. As I write Marian Finucane is speaking to Enda Kenny. Check out the RTE’s broadcast on the web at rte.ie/live. Kenny seems enthusiastic, “It’s a pleasure to hear the news that the game is finally on on this beautiful sunny day.”Now that’s what I like to hear.He has promised that if he is given the mandate from the electorate he will fulfill his promises (and their are many) on the economy, the nurses strike and all the myriad other issues he proposes to magically resolve.

Fine Gael chaffing at the bit for election race

Fine Gael ready to deliver says leader

			Fine Gael certainly hopes it will double its chances over the next weeks as the Irish general election is due to kick off any day now but why the zipped mouths over Ireland’s embarrassing record on the environment The main oppostion party in Ireland at the moment Fine Gael has set its sights high indeed. Without the strength to capture the ultimate prize in Irish politics, government, they are barking about a coalition with Labour and the Greens. The Irish Times covered his comments recently Voters are tired of smug Government, FG leader insists
Fine Gael’s baby-kissing Enda Kenny Doubles up

The Green Party

A disappointing year so far from greens

Trevor Sargent TD	John Gormley TD	Eamon Ryan TD	Paul Gogarty TD

I have been disappointed with the Greens performance so far this year. With so much ammunition (furnished by the current Fianna Fail government) concerning waste, water, power, the marine and overall poor investment in Ireland’s infrastructure one would have thought they would have been one of the most vocal parties in the Dail. The Irish Times, Ireland’s paper of record has predicted big things for 2007.

Five years ago, the Greens won six Dáil seats with slightly less than four per cent of the vote and if opinion poll figures carry though to the current election, they could end up with 10 or more TDs this time around. At this stage of the proceedings, the Greens look like an essential component of any secure Rainbow coalition and will very likely find themselves being wooed by Fianna Fáil at the same time.

Sargent has said he will step down if the Greens go in with Fianna Fáil, it seems like this habit is catching, but that he is willing to serve as a minister in such a coalition. It’s an intriguing, some would say jesuitical, proposition from Sargent who is generally seen as a choir-boy innocent in the cynical hurly-burly of Irish politics.

The Green leader showed up at Dunlaoghire to the farmers’ market to comment on ‘organic sellers’

Fianna Fail

Bertie Ahern Boss	Dermot Ahern	Michael Ahern	Noel Ahern	Liam Aylward	Seamus Brennan

The Usual Suspects

Notice the first four pictures are all Ahern’s. So, granted, they’re not all related, but it does suggest to me that Fianna Fail is a big family.

They have also governed Ireland through the country’s economic boom (although many attribute this to EU subsidies kickstarting this growth). The money factor will be a big BIG factor in the upcoming election in Ireland and I am confident that they will make much of this in their election manifesto.

However, FF have been dogged by controvercies (Haugheygate, Laylorgate etc.) and much is made of the entrenched attitude of government to transparency of its institutions. Tribunals have been numerous and damaging for the ruling party. But when it comes to track record, as Clinton said, “It’s all about the economy stupid.”

Fine Gael

Enda Kenny	Catherine Byrne	Deirdre Clune	Jerry Buttimer	Simon Coveney	Anne Martin

The Fine Gael candidates with the exception of the decidedly luscioius Anne-Marie Martin are seasoned veterans. They’ve got a lot of talent on their team. Simon Coveney MEP TD is a great orator and I’m looking forward to seeing how he holds up in the media circus that is sure to get going once Bertie announces the date of the election.

Their campaign will be bringing up issues to do with the following…

•  Stamp duty for first time buyers
• The health service (the hot potato of our times)
• Education
• Crime (The Gael will tackle gangland murders head on)
• Marine and the environment (their stance on Ireland’s spiraling waste issue is indistinct and implausable)

Sinn Fein

Gerry Adams	Martin McGuinness	Mary Lou McDonal	Pat Doherty	Gerry Kelly

The republican party Sinn Fein is tipped to collect several seats in the upcoming election this year. It is also a watershed moment in Irish politics North and South as the party will be in government on both sides of the border.

The party has however no track record to speak of, as they have never ‘cut their teeth’ in government (with the exception of the ill-fated assembly in the North)