Good morning and welcome to the first Inside Politics digest of the 2024 general election.
Every morning, we will bring you the latest news about events on the campaign trail as well as a primer on what to expect from the day ahead. Today is the fourth day of the general election campaign.
These campaigns are, by their very nature, pacy and action-packed. The election pledges and promises are coming in thick and fast, and for many people it can feel overwhelming trying to keep up with what’s important.
This digest will aim to cut through the noise to bring you bite-sized updates on what you really need to know with links to the pieces that will inform you best. So without further ado, let’s get stuck in.
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The Irish Times view on the Greens’ exit: other parties can no longer shirk
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael close on some issues but last mile to government formation could be hardest
Fine Gael’s teacher nightmare
In a twist that proves exactly how dynamic campaigns can be, Fine Gael this weekend found itself under heavy fire over comments made by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary about teachers.
Speaking in Mullingar at a campaign event to support outgoing Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke, Mr O’Leary said: “The Dáil is full of teachers. There is nothing wrong with teachers. I love teachers – I have four children – but I wouldn’t generally employ a lot of teachers to go out and get things done.”
The reaction was swift and furious. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said it was “completely inappropriate” that teachers “would be jeered and demeaned the way they were at a Fine Gael event”. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Mr O’Leary’s words were “insulting”. Labour leader Ivana Bacik said they were “disappointing.” The INTO said the comments were “outrageous”.
In response, Mr Burke said he did not agree with Mr O’Leary’s words, while Simon Harris said teachers are the “backbone of Irish society, of our communities, and I’m not sure there’s many people who’d last five minutes standing at the front of a class”.
And although the Taoiseach may try to distance himself from the comments, it’s hard to get away from the conclusion that this is Fine Gael’s first major misstep in the campaign.
Mary Lou McDonald to face off with Gerry Hutch
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said she is not worried about Gerard “The Monk” Hutch running in her constituency in the upcoming general election and that it is “a matter for himself”.
Mr Hutch, named by gardaí as head of an organised crime gang, has said he will run as an Independent in Dublin Central in the hope of unseating Ms McDonald.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the only campaign he is interested in is the one he is running. Another Dublin Central candidate, Senator Mary Fitzpatrick of Fianna Fáil, said it was “a matter for the electorate to decide” when asked the same question.
Mr Hutch, who was acquitted last year of organising the Regency Hotel gun attack, has harboured a deep animosity towards Sinn Féin since the Regency trial, when former party member and Dublin city councillor Jonathan Dowdall gave evidence that he masterminded the 2016 attack with the goal of killing his rival Daniel Kinahan.
Mr Hutch is expected to campaign online, the Sunday Independent reported this weekend. His entry into the Dublin Central race makes an already fascinating constituency one to keep a close eye on.
Labour gets love bombed, Greens get the cold shoulder
The Labour Party yesterday outlined six key missions the party is focusing on, including housing, work and climate. At the same event, Ms Bacik said that any participation by Labour in government must involve a “radical programme for change.”
It comes after the Sunday Independent reported that figures in the Government parties believe a Coalition with Labour might be the best option, opening the door to the party potentially being love bombed.
The Green Party continues to get the cold shoulder from their Coalition partners of more than four years. When he was asked about future potential coalition partners, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “My party does have a track record of working well with lots of parties. We’ve been in governments with Labour, with Independents, we’ve been in minority governments, where we’ve worked across the Dáil chamber, and of course, most recently, we’ve been in a three-party Coalition.”
The dark side of the campaign trail
Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik has said there are “alarming accounts” of instances of verbal or physical abuse on the campaign trail. Cormac McQuinn reports that Ms Bacik said she was “really dismayed and distressed at the level of vitriol, the level of toxicity that has entered political discourse, certainly online”.
It comes after the Sunday Times reported that gardaí are investigating an incident where coffee was allegedly thrown at Labour MEP Aodháin Ó Ríordáin while he was canvassing for party candidate Shane Folan in his former Dublin Bay North constituency.
Campaign diary
Fine Gael will launch its plan for 300,000 new homes by end of decade. The Rent Tax Credit would also go up to €1,500 per tenant and a tax incentive aimed at keeping landlords in the rental market would be extended until 2030
Fianna Fáil will unveil its general election manifesto this morning in Dublin – the launch of a party manifesto is always a key event in a political campaign so watch irishtimes.com throughout the day for updates on this.
The Social Democrats will this morning publish a plan to “prevent the waste of taxpayers’ money and restore trust in politics and public life”. The party wants to establish a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) within the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald will introduce the party’s slate of candidates at a press conference in Dublin.
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman will be canvassing with Dublin Central TD Patrick Costello.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin will later be canvassing in Louth and Meath. Labour’s Ivana Bacik will join Dublin South Central general election candidate Cllr Darragh Moriarty for a canvass in Dublin.
Aontú will be unveiling its immigration policy. PBP’s Richard Boyd-Barrett will be canvassing around Dublin throughout the day.
Later tonight, each party’s housing spokesperson will appear on RTÉ's Upfront programme with Katie Hannon to discuss their plans to address the housing crisis.
Best Reads
Election 2024: What are the key health issues for voters?
Michelle O’Neill lays a wreath at the Cenotaph in Belfast on Remembrance Sunday, as the party pledges that Irish unity will be at centre of a Sinn Féin-led government
The Editor of The Irish Times, Ruadhán Mac Cormaic, outlines here how some of our GE2024 coverage will play out in the coming weeks.
We have put together a profile of every single constituency in the country. Search here for your constituency to find out who is running, what is happening locally and who fancies their chances at success.
Every day we will bring you a new episode of the Election Daily podcast – here’s the most recent one from Friday, bringing you up to speed on the campaign kick-off.
“What election? I couldn’t give a s***e”: Farmers share political views as election fever builds
What the papers say
The Irish Independent reports Fine Gael is scrambling to contain the fallout from Michael O’Leary’s teacher comments. The Irish Examiner reports on how vulture funds are creating insolvency issues. The Irish Daily Mail reports on those O’Leary comments too, highlighting how he called for voters to transfer between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. And the Irish Daily Star also leads on the O’Leary comments.
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