AND they’re off!
President Michael D Higgins dissolved the 32nd Dáil this Tuesday as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited Áras an Uachtaráin to call for a general election for February 8 — the first Saturday election since 1918, which marked a turning point in Irish history.
Whether the 2020 general election will have the same impact remains to be seen.
But for now, the candidates are jostling for position.
The posters have gone up and empty promises are already being made. And over the next three weeks ‘Coronation Street’ will be interrupted on a nightly basis by packs of eager politicians hankering for your vote.
The deplorable state of Ireland’s health services and the worsening housing crisis are sure to be the two big issues election hopefuls are going to face on the doorsteps in the coming weeks.
And as a wise man once said, “Every election is determined by the people who show up”. So use your vote!
On that note, a person eligible to vote but not registered as an elector still has time to apply for entry in the supplement to the register to be published before polling day. For inclusion in the supplement to the register, a person must complete the relevant application form (RFA2), which can be downloaded pronto from www.checktheregister.ie or can be obtained from the local authority.
Once you’ve this ticked off the list, take your seat ringside and savour the inane bloodsport of the main party’s tearing strips off each other.
As the pantomime that is a general election gets into full swing in the coming days, shenanigans of Shakespearean proportions are to be expected.
Already this week Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan has taken aim at Fine Gael and accused them of using “auction politics” to try win the election.
According to Deputy O’Sullivan, the Government used the possibility of a hard Brexit to deny affordable changes in Budget 2020 to people reliant on social welfare and in particular, pensioners.
“What I don’t understand is why the same Government that is celebrating projected economic growth of four per cent for next year refuses to make modest increases in core social welfare payments.
“Neither Minister Donohoe or Minister Doherty have any excuse not to act and they should do so now. The cost of living is rising, and the least the Government should do is make sure that those on low fixed incomes are not left behind,” the Limerick TD said.
Meanwhile, Cristín Ní Mhaoldhomhnaigh, who will be running as a National Party candidate in County Limerick, takes the view that the people of Ireland have no real representation anymore.
A teacher from Ballyneety, Cristín says she is outraged at the homeless crisis and the barrage of taxation, which is “pushing ordinary people into poverty”. The first-time Dáil candidate is advocating for complete reform of the administrative division of the health system, immigration control with serious vetting, strong Law and Order policies and fair treatment for beef farmers.
Also this week, Fianna Fáil general election candidate Cllr James Collins called for reform of the Fair Deal nursing home scheme to allow families rent out homes now vacant because a family member has moved into a nursing home.
“We need to reform the Fair Deal scheme so families are not penalised financially if they rent out a home now vacant because a family member has moved into a nursing home. Reforming the current law would help some of the most financially and emotionally stressed families in the country,” he said.
If man really is a “political animal”, one thing is for certain, Election 2020 will have as many twists and turns as the Monaco Grand Prix to whet our appetites. Lap it up!
The Limerick Post will be bringing our readers full coverage of the general election over the coming weeks.
