Fine Gael | Business Post

Varadkar: Fine Gael must ensure Sinn Féin ‘are stopped’ in the next election

Fine Gael leader and soon-to-be Taoiseach emphasised the importance of holding the centre at his party’s ard fheis and recommitted the party to raising higher income tax threshold to €50,000

Elaine Byrne: Leo Varadkar may regret playing it safe with his cabinet reshuffle

FF, FG and the Greens’ reshuffle is a purposely conservative one, but the same old faces may not inspire an electorate with a growing appetite for change

Richard Colwell: Budget gives FG a modest bounce as cost of living crisis bites

Today’s Red C/Business Post poll indicates that Fine Gael has benefited from the recent budget, but not as much as might have been hoped

Sinn Féin has not paid for a HQ property valuation in the last ten years

The party has used its own ‘responsible party officials’ to value its headquarters and bookshop at 44 and 58 Parnell Street in Dublin

The Big Interview

‘If we can give a bit of hope, that is really important’ – Eibhlín Mulroe, Cancer Trials Ireland

When the chief executive of Cancer Trials Ireland was aged just 18, two of her schoolmates were shot dead by the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force outside Armagh College. The incident, in 1994, had a profound effect on the course of her life and the career choices she has made

Tensions between FG and FF over next finance minister

With the Eurogroup presidency in the offing, Fine Gael may be reluctant to let Paschal Donohoe step down as agreed when the Taoiseach and Tánaiste swap offices

FG MEPs warn green laws could put extra burden on industry

New legislation should be be considered on a ‘case-by-case basis’ as concern grows in Brussels over inflation and supply chains

Nervous government TDs push back on Green policies as SF rural support grows

The concern for rural government TDs stems from the ongoing efforts to limit emissions from agriculture, with significant disagreement within Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over the proposals

Government wins motion of confidence by 85 votes to 66

Testy exchanges in Dáil as leader of the opposition accuses independent TDs who supported the government of betraying their constituents

Analysis: Government will survive no confidence vote, but it has a precarious grasp on power

Coalition is vulnerable if divisive issues become the subject of Dáil votes in the months and years ahead

Climate & Environment

Tensions flare in government over carbon emissions cuts

Senior Greens insist the farming sector must reach a level of 30% cuts, but Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil want the figure closer to 22%, due to pressure from farmers and rural backbenchers

Sinn Féin widens its lead in latest Red C poll

The two main coalition parties are each down by one point

Varadkar’s Dáil attack hints at frustration over SF’s polling surge, but is unlikely to sway voters

Verbal attacks in the Dáil may act as a deterrent to the opposition but they are of questionable use

Elaine Byrne: After eleven long years in power, Fine Gael seems tired and low on ideas

Irish political history shows that the longer a party is in government, the more it gets stuck in a rut. Battle fatigue has set in, while Sinn Féin is winning over the middle classes

John Walsh: Any would-be government must be honest with voters about what it can achieve

The DPP’s decision on Leo Varadkar’s leaking of a confidential document may well be the deciding factor on whether this government runs its full term, but any incoming administration has major challenges ahead

Richard Colwell: Confidence in the future diminishing as cost of living crisis bites

The latest Red C poll shows that almost two-thirds of voters feel they have little or no disposable income left after bills are paid

Fine Gael hopes for quick DPP decision on Varadkar leak file

The Tánaiste said he is very confident the outcome will be in his favour’ but TDs are concerned off political fallout

Richard Colwell: Bread-and-butter concerns are more important to voters than left-right dogma

Support is gravitating to Sinn Féin not because of its political ideology, but because more and more people believe it is the party best placed to effect real change

Politicians cashing out of rental properties as house prices surge

Like many small landlords, Oireachtas members are taking advantage of high prices to turn a profit on real estate

Red C poll: Warning signs for FG as support drops again, but FF’s slow recovery continues

There is a palpable sense of weariness about Fine Gael as it begins its 12th year in government, something which is being exploited by Sinn Féin and, to a lesser extent, by Fianna Fáil