Despite the rhetoric from Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin was the big election loser
Martin and Harris got on each other’s nerves during the election campaign, but they now need to put their differences aside
Stephen Collins
Stephen Collins columns
Ireland needs to treat infrastructure crisis with same urgency as past jobs crisis
We are in danger of putting ourselves out of the running to capitalise on the next phase of economic development
Even if Sinn Féin wins as many seats as Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, it has no obvious path to government
A danger for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is that if the sniping at each other gets out of control, it could raise doubts in the minds of voters
Outgoing Coalition has serious amount of work to do to persuade voters
Governing parties need to convince electorate that they can deal with persistent problems such as housing and infrastructure
There’s never been a better moment for a new left alliance to emerge
In recent polls, a coalition of left parties has 28 per cent of the vote in the capital compared with 13 per cent for Sinn Féin
Simon Harris is not going to make the same mistake as Leo Varadkar
Extra €2,000-€3,000 placed by the budget in the pockets of middle-income families is a good way to kickstart three weeks of campaigning
Ireland is clearly not neutral in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia and we need to stop pretending it is
Our obvious double standards on neutrality have not gone unnoticed in other EU countries, even if they do not say it openly
Britain’s Labour government would love to have the Coalition’s problems
How to spend the budget surplus wisely without building up problems for the future is the big conundrum facing the Government
Odds on a Harris double win for Kamala and Simon in November are improving
There are bound to be twists and turns along the road to November, but both Simon Harris and Kamala Harris are in with a fighting chance
Voters are finally seeing through absurd claims that Ireland is a failed state
The electorate needs to cast a cold eye on the political promises of those who, until recently, were cheerleaders for corrupt Venuezuelan presidents Maduro and Chávez
Political stupidity of Fianna Fáil four could see Ireland end up with a bottom-of-the-barrel job in Europe
The notion that Ursula von der Leyen will forgive and forget that the four - plus another six of Ireland’s 14 MEPs - voted against her reappointment and give McGrath a senior position beggars belief
Two factors helped Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to pull off something remarkable in recent elections
One was the unprecedented level of transfers between the two parties and the other was the splintering of the anti-Government vote
Rishi Sunak gets a bad rap but he was good for Ireland
Part of the reason the British right and its media cheerleaders hate Sunak is that, in Brexit-related discussions, he abandoned the futile jingoistic posturing of his predecessors
Opting for a spring election would be an act of political insanity by Simon Harris and Micheál Martin
Coalition’s standing will hardly have improved after the usual winter hospital crisis and a further influx of asylum seekers
Notion that Sinn Féin would take radical steps to dismantle the current social order is fanciful
During the Davy/Sinn Féin jaunt to London, Pearse Doherty assured investors that his party would not attempt to upend the Irish economic model
Micheál Martin’s political enemies have been waiting to move. They may have to wait longer
It would be a massive blunder for Fianna Fáil to force Martin out. He is widely respected by the public for his performance as Taoiseach
When Harris chickened out of moving McEntee, he lost the chance for a new approach to immigration
Mount Street operation to clear unsanitary tent city begs the question of how the camp was allowed to develop in the first place
Electing ‘characters’ as MEPs could do Ireland real harm
A segment of the electorate regards the European elections as an opportunity to vent their frustrations by voting for mavericks
Notion that Fine Gael would benefit from a period in opposition is absurd
The clear lesson from history is that once the party forfeits power there is no guarantee it will get it back anytime soon, if ever
Varadkar’s decision to step down represented a refreshing burst of humility
The focus of the Opposition and much of the media following Varadkar’s decision has been on his failures and mistakes, with little reference to his achievements
‘Not the usual dire warning’: Why a prediction about Russia invading the EU spooked diplomats
Irish waters in the Atlantic represent a black hole in western defences. The idea that Russia might decide to take its war to Europe’s exposed flank is a far-fetched scenario but not impossible
Let’s be real. If Russia ever targets Irish undersea cables, we will turn to the Royal Navy
Official doublethink has left us with a warped definition of neutrality that has confused the public and left the country defenceless
Friends of Bruton recall ‘a man so without guile he’d never have organised a good conspiracy’
Outpouring of praise in recent days is something he never experienced during his political lifetime but that did not dim his enthusiasm for politics
Politicians do not have much faith the referendums will pass. Shouldn’t they be more worried?
Even among politicians, support for the proposed changes to the Constitution is lukewarm at best
Confident predictions about upcoming elections are worthless
The choice confronting voters will be whether the attraction of change outweighs the stability and general prosperity offered by the Government parties
A swathe of the population believe they live in a hellhole, but the evidence suggests otherwise
The pervasiveness of the Sinn Féin narrative is partly down to its adept use of social media to promote its unremittingly negative version of reality
How the Downing Street Declaration took shape: ‘He chewed the b****x off me but I took a few lumps out of him’
The Joint Declaration has often been taken for granted in the 30 years since, but it was arguably more significant than the Belfast Agreement that followed
When so many gardaí are quitting, something is seriously wrong
An unjustified ‘failed state’ narrative has taken a grip on public discourse in recent years
Sinn Féin has a ballot paper in one hand and a legal writ in the other
Party has made a concerted effort to use the legal system to muzzle the media as well as political opponents who have dared to criticise it
What Andy Farrell and the Ireland rugby team could teach the politicians of this island
Despite Brexit, Ireland and the UK have more in common than any other two states in Europe. The two islands are inextricably linked by ties of family and kinship
President Higgins’s pronouncements on foreign policy are reckless, inappropriate and dangerous
Michael D Higgins criticised the European Commission President for overstepping her remit. What does he think he was doing?
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael supporters have bonded in the face of a common foe
Only certainty about the next election is that nothing is certain
Micheál Martin’s decision to stand and fight makes coalition with Sinn Féin less likely
While it is almost certain that Sinn Féin will emerge as the largest party, that is no guarantee of government
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