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Monday 29 May 2023 Dublin: 12°C

# Coalition

All time
# you told us
Top readers' comments of the week
Here’s our round-up of the most interesting and most popular comments from this week. Did you make it in?
# Budget 2014
Micheál Martin criticises party politics and Budget leaks
He refused to be drawn on speculation about a possible coalition between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
# Your Say
Poll: Would you welcome a Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil coalition?
The idea was raised by Bill O’Herlihy recently – what do you think?
# cso stats
CSO: Numbers in employment increased by 9,600 in three months
Stats for the second quarter of the year show a seasonally adjusted increase in employment 9,600. There was an annual increase of 1.8 per cent.
# Broadcasting Charge
New legislation could force landlords to hand over tenants' details
Under plans for the new Broadcasting Charge, the Department of Communications is proposing new laws that could oblige property owners to hand over renters’ names.
# News Fix
Here's What Happened Today: Saturday
Today everyone’s talking about a shooting in Dublin and the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
# Politics
Labour should 'pull out of coalition' if they really want to change politics - Doherty
Pearse Doherty has said Sinn Féin would only consider any kind of coalition with Labour in future if the party pulled out of its coalition with Fine Gael.
# Election 2016
Ó Cuív: Historic differences shouldn't stop Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael coalition debate
But the Fianna Fáíl TD and grandson of the party’s founder cautioned against going into coalition with Fine Gael after the next election as one former colleague of his suggested this week.
# Robert Mugabe
Photos: Zimbabwe goes to the polls amid fears of vote-rigging
Robert Mugabe has been in power for 33 years, but has promised to step down if he loses this election.
# Abortion
Rabbitte: We won't revisit abortion issue in the lifetime of this government
The economy continues to dominate and the issue of abortion will not be revisited by this government, Pat Rabbitte has said.
# Social Protection
€54m cost of JobBridge pushes 'employment supports' bill up by 10 per cent
Department of Social Protection spending represented 40.6 per cent of all Government expenditure last year, according to figures out today.
# Dáil
Were the Anglo tapes handed over to the Nyberg banking inquiry?
Opposition TDs have also asked whether the public interest directors at Anglo knew about the tapes – and if so, why they didn’t tell the government.
# U-turn
‘We listened’: Minister reverses special needs education cuts
A working group will be established to review the provision of special education and the NCSE will publish revised details of resource hours in the coming days.
# So Long
Czech PM resigns in corruption scandal
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas is stepping down amid a scandal which saw his top aide indicted for bribery.
# Labour Pains
‘I don’t understand why Labour is taking all the hits in government'
The communications minister says he’s concerned that Labour is taking a disproportionate share of the public’s austerity anger.
# Labour Pains
Howlin: Labour will quit coalition if its influence is not strong enough
The public expenditure minister says suggestions that Labour are in political trouble are premature.
# Britain
Rich pensioners 'should give back any handouts they don't need'
Free bus travel, free television licences, heating bill payments – one Conservative minister in Britain has suggested rich pensioners may not need them all.
Voices
Column: Criticism of Eamon Gilmore has been very personal and extremely unjust
Opinion polls come and go, but the public are missing the real achievements of the Labour party in government, writes Rory Geraghty.
# Labour Pains
Gilmore admits disappointment at Labour's battering in Meath East
The Tánaiste and Labour leader says his party will “have to do some reflection” on its dramatic slump in the by-election.
# Your Say
Poll: Are you satisfied with Labour's performance in government?
The junior partner in government saw its vote collapse in Meath East. How do you feel about how it’s performing in power?
# Property Tax
Property tax exemptions are 'stupid' and 'ham-fisted' - Labour whip
Labour chief whip Emmet Stagg has harshly criticised Phil Hogan over the property tax exemptions, saying the Environment Minister has made a ‘dog’s dinner’ of the way in which the tax is being administered.
# Israel
Done deal: Netanyahu confirms that he has formed a new Israeli government
The agreement will see Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party form a government with the centrist HaTnuah, Yesh Atid and the far right Jewish Home.
# more to do
9 problems we’re still waiting for the government to solve
A lot done…
# Your Say
Poll: Are you happy with what government has achieved so far?
The Fine Gael/Labour coalition is two years old this month. How do you think they’ve done?
# Education
Coalition sees disagreements over student grants
While Labour TDs believe the change makes “perfect sense”, there is opposition from some Fine Gael TDs.
Voices
Column: The Government could learn from the mistakes of Cosgrave's National Coalition
On the 40th anniversary of the election of the Fine Gael-Labour coalition that ended a record sixteen years of Fianna Fáil government, David McCann reflects on what lessons the current government should take from its predecessors.
# Opinion Poll
Fianna Fáil back on top in new opinion poll
This is the second opinion poll in the last two weeks that has seen Fianna Fáil rise to the top.
# Deal or no deal
Joan Burton: "Promissory note deal? The EU needs a success story"
Joan Burton also said the main lesson from the economic crisis is that financial markets and wealthy elites should not be allowed to “dictate our future”.
Voices
Column: Why is government more damaging to Labour than Fine Gael?
Small parties tend to suffer disproportionately in government – so, in order to survive, Labour needs to realise who its real supporters are, writes Dr Eoin O’Malley.
# Your Say
Poll: Do you think the current coalition will run its full term?
An opinion poll has shown that 39 per cent of people do not think so. What to you think?
# Your Say
Poll: Should the Budget be moved to a different month?
Just five days after Budget 2013, there have already been calls to move next year’s Budget to a different month. What do you think – good idea? Bad idea?
# Anglo
Varadkar: I don't see why we should pay the €3bn promissory note next year
The government is trying to do a deal on Anglo debt to avoid having to pay the €3 billion in March -but the ECB is warning that it may not be possible.
# Leaders' Questions
Government defends decision to cut respite care grant
Pat Rabbitte said the government had had to choose between cutting carer’s allowance or cutting respite care.
# Budget 2013
Budget 2013: Here’s how Twitter reacted
From the cuts in child benefit and respite care to the increase in the price of wine, here’s how people on Twitter reacted to Budget 2013.
# Budget 2013
Wine up by €1 a bottle, beer increasing by 10c a pint
The government has increased the excise on alcohol and cigarettes by more than was expected in Budget 2013.
Voices
Column: Labour TDs should not support budgets that hurt working people
Austerity is failing, writes Labour TD Patrick Nulty – and the party’s representatives should not support it indefinitely in the Dáil.
# who pays?
What should the government do about sick pay? Here's three suggestions
The government has made it clear that it isn’t happy to keep footing the bill for employee sick pay – so we’ve asked Sinn Féin, TASC and IBEC what they think should be done about it.
# Your Say
Poll: Should child benefit be cut by €10?
Reports suggest the government is planning to cut child benefit from €140 to €130 per month. What do you think – good idea? Bad idea?