Comment Shane Coleman: Sanctimonious and populist Social Democrats yet to prove they are ready for powerLeader Holly Cairns is electorally untested but her party could well hold the balance of power after next election
Red C Poll Red C poll: Sinn Féin back down to 25% as independents surpass Fianna FáilMary Lou McDonald’s party had recovered back up to 28 per cent last month but has since dropped again to its four-year low first seen in January
Politics Holly Cairns: Social Democrats would deliver 50,000 homes a year in governmentThe Social Democrats leader gave her first speech as leader at the party’s national conference in UCD on Saturday evening
Red C Poll Sinn Féin poll crisis: four years of gains wiped out as party slides back 4 points to 25%Mary Lou McDonald’s party down seven points since October in back to back drops as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael stagnate
Red C Poll Analysis: Immigration the big issue as Sinn Féin support drops to lowest level since last electionPoll shows Mary Lou McDonald’s party down by seven points since the budget in October as migration factor takes hold
Opinion Why wait to have the election in autumn if you can’t field your best teamLeo Varadkar and Micheál Martin risk losing their star players McGrath and Donohoe on the eve of battle being called
Politics ‘No blame’ approach for Ireland’s Covid-19 inquiry, opposition toldRepresentatives of Sinn Féin, Labour, and Social Democrats met Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Thursday to discuss terms of reference for forthcoming review
Politics Behind the scenes: Spin doctors and insiders who will dictate year of electionsFrom old hands to fresh faces and political anoraks, Ireland’s parties are putting their teams together ahead of a year of make-or-break elections
Politics Sinead Gibney to quit IHREC role to run for European seat as Social DemocratGibney has served as chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission since 2020
Politics The political year in review: Gaffes, gigs and the great exodusCónal Thomas takes a look back at a year that began with ‘poster-gate’ and continued with an array of crises and confrontations
Opinion Sinn Féin should fret as 18-34-year-old age group begins to slip away from itSinn Féin are still the most popular party in the polls, but there is no guarantee this will translate into actual votes and seats
Budget 2024 Michael Brennan: Big-spending coalition basks in €14bn budget but fears it’ll all be for nothingThe general verdict from government backbenchers was positive, given the level of spending and tax cuts in the €14 billion budget package
budget 2024 Social Democrats proposes new tax on ‘super wealthy’ in €16bn alternative budget Party calling for tax increases of €2 billion on higher earners, which will offset tax cuts for low and middle income earners
Budget 2024 Cutting USC is attempt to ‘buy a few votes’ by government, Holly Cairns says at Social Democrats think-inCairns repeated calls she previously made in the Business Post for reform of the food subsidy system
Comment Elaine Byrne: Politicians beware, tinkering with the electoral system is likely to backfireDarragh O’Brien’s suggestion that by-elections should be replaced by a European substiture list model may make sense – but history shows that voters may not agree
Big Read Coalition kaleidoscope: Sinn Féin’s route to government hinges on who will share power with it The party is unlikely to win a majority and with attitudes hardening within Fianna Fáil to doing a deal, it may find itself turning to a multitude of potential partners
Politics Cian O’Callaghan appointed deputy leader of the Social DemocratsParty said O’Callaghan will play a key role in proposing workable solutions to the housing crisis
Business Companies Registration Office pockets €20m from firms late to file accountsThe CRO has been paid overall fees worth €53.16 million from Irish businesses since 2020, new figures show
Politics John Walsh: The centre-left needs an economic vision to match its political rhetoricGetting into government will be one thing for parties like the Social Democrats and Sinn Féin - making a success of it will be quite another, as the fate of Nicola Sturgeon shows
Politics New Soc Dem leader Holly Cairns aims to help more women into politicsCairns, at 33 the youngest leader of a party, says she hopes to reach 28 per cent of undecided voters, who may feel under-represented by the current system