The Floating Voter

This week's Floating Voter podcast on Independent.ie took a look at how social media abuse should be tackled by the Government. Fianna Fáil's Niamh Smyth and Sinn Féin's Louise O'Reilly shared their own experiences of some of the hate they have received online. Deputy O'Reilly revealed that she was this week contacted by Gardaí who inquired about her home security. She also said that she has been previously targeted by the now-removed Barbara J Pym Twitter account, which former Sunday Independent columnist Eoghan Harris admitted to helping to run. Cavan Monaghan Deputy Smith, who is the chair of the Oireachtas Arts and Media Committee said that as part of pre-legislative scrutiny into the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, anonymous accounts on social media should be banned. She also said that as part of the new legislation, a new Commissioner would be set up which would examine complaints by individuals into online content. The Commissioner would then work to remove harmful content faster. “There have to be real sanctions put in place,” said Deputy Smyth. “These orchestrated pile-ons have to be stopped and that would be what the new online safety commissioner would do,” she added. Political Editor Philip Ryan and Ms O'Reilly also clashed on anonymous social media accounts after Mr Ryan said that he received a lot of hate online during his coverage of the Sinn Féin Abú database.

Mary Lou McDonald should answer “detailed questions” on Sinn Féin's internal voter database to ensure her party is not carrying out “Cold War” like profiling of Irish citizens, Labour Party leader Alan Kelly has said. Mr Kelly said revelations about Sinn Féin's Abú system posed serious questions for Ms McDonald. Speaking on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, the Tipperary TD said: “I think Mary Lou McDonald needs to come out front and face questions in relation to this - very detailed questions.” “Effectively we need to know if we have a political party that's building a national database on individuals. This would strike back to stuff that was done in the bad times during the Cold War where there was a profile being done on every individual in the country and that would be really scary stuff,” Mr Kelly added. Sinn Féin has refused to answer questions about where they are storing the information of potentially 3.5m voters, who is managing the system or how the database was funded. The party has also refused to give any detail on how they have complied with data protection laws in creating a national voter database. Details of the Abú system came after Independent.ie revealed Sinn Féin representatives were encouraged to “elicit” information from Facebook users which could be cross-referenced with their internal database to locate home addresses of potential supporters. “I have never heard at a national level that a party is actually profiling every citizen in the State. If information is being stored by a constituency TD, for instance, and that information is being shared to a national system well then that is cause for serious concern,” Mr Kelly said. “We don't have enough information and Sinn Féin have to answer questions as to whether this is within data protection law, within GDPR. Why is some of this potentially being stored outside the country,” he added.

Green Party Chairperson and Dublin Lord Mayor has admitted that while the chances of her winning a Seanad seat are slim, she has put herself forward for her daughter. Cllr Hazel Chu is in the running as an independent candidate for a seat on the Commercial and Industrial panel, having failed to secure the backing of her party. Following her move, there has been discontent in the Green Party, with three Senators putting forward three motions before the parliamentary party meeting last night, one of which was no confidence in the Chair. Speaking on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Cllr Chu said that it is important for her to run for the Seanad, despite a slim chance of winning, for her daughter Alex (3). “If I'm to be able to look at my three and a half year old in the eye and tell her that we need better representation so that people would see that this is a good thing that people from different minority groups and genders should be in government office, this is what i need to do,” she said. “It may be a fool's errand, but on a personal level, and on a professional level, it's really important to me. “A lot of my colleagues support me because of that,” she said. She also apologised for holding an event in St Stephen's Green for journalists yesterday, where she officially launched her Seanad campaign. The Irish Independent reports today that Cllr Chu did not seek permission from the Office of Public Works (OPW) to hold that event and that under 1962 bye-laws, political events are not permitted in the park. “I am very sorry,” she said. She added that she didn't think she would get many people to “show” up at the briefing and didn't realise that she had to seek prior permission. “I emailed some people, I didn't think they would show up. “I'm happy to apologise.”

Sinn Féin is taking disciplinary action against councillor Paddy Holohan after he failed to remove a Facebook post supporting a salon owner who reopened in breach of Covid-19 restrictions. Senior Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty said there is a disciplinary procedure underway after Mr Holohan, who has previously been suspended from the party, failed to remove the post. “This fella made a comment, we told him that comment isn't in keeping with the party's view, we told him to withdraw it, he isn't doing so, there's a disciplinary procedure, the party will deal with that,” Mr Doherty told Independent.ie's The Floating Voter podcast. In a post on his Facebook page last month, Mr Holohan described C&N Beauty Room owner Christine McTiernan as “inspiring” after she was arrested by gardaí for opening her business during Level 5 restrictions. Mr Holohan has previously been suspended from the party over derogatory comments about women and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar. Mr Doherty said on Friday that while there was huge frustration with restrictions there was consensus around the need for the public health measures. Elsewhere in a wide-ranging discussion, Mr Doherty said that Sinn Féin is preparing itself for a general election, noting there is a lot of internal tension in the coalition parties. “Those things bring on elections, a leadership challenge in Fine Gael or indeed Fianna Fáil can actually bring on an election. Do I believe it [the Government] will last? I don't know, all I know is that we're getting ready, we're selecting our candidates, we're making sure we have enough candidates in the field," the party's finance spokesperson said. He noted that the party had “left a number of seats behind us” in the last election because it did not run enough candidates in certain constituencies. Mr Doherty also defended Sinn Féin's role in failing to secure cross-border consensus on Covid-19 restrictions, insisting it was not possible because of the DUP's reluctance. He said criticism of Sinn Féin for this was “like saying isn't it terrible that Sinn Féin can't convince the DUP that Brexit is bad”. The Donegal TD criticised the UK government's unilateral decision this week to extend post-Brexit grace periods for Northern Ireland without consultation with the EU, saying it was “really, really bad faith”. He also said that the State had ‘no option” but to stop doing business with Davy Stockbrokers after it was hit with a record €4.1m fine by the Central Bank for regulatory breaches.

European nationalism has turned Ireland into “bureaucratic losers” in the race to vaccinate citizens, a Fianna Fáil TD has said. Outspoken Sligo-Leitrim deputy Marc MacSharry said the EU “made a balls” of procuring vaccines and insisted Ireland should explore other ways to increase supply Speaking on the Floating voter podcast, Mr MacShary also severely criticised the Government's reliance on the EU for vaccines and called on the Taoiseach to ask Prime Minister Boris Johnson for any extra supplies the UK has left over. He said the Government should extend the date between first and second vaccines so more people can be vaccinated now. “There is an element of EU and nationalist pride in preventing us from reaching out because we need to be the goodie two shoes Europeans,” he said. “The only good deal on vaccinations is a fast deal and Europe went off thinking they were procuring office supplies, played hard ball with prices and those global negotiating geniuses in Bahrain got up the queue, so did israel, so did a number of other countries while we were being good, cautious, bureaucratic, responsible losers.” The long-time Fianna Fáil dissident also said he expects Micheál Martin to step down as party leader before the next election and said he will be supporting Jim O'Callaghan in a leadership contest. “I think 12 years of a leader is enough, it needs to be refreshed and that's it. It's not personal, it's business. It's good business to change it,” he said. He said there are “five or six people who are prepared to step forward” and replace Micheál Martin naming Dara Calleary, Darragh O'Brien, Jim O'Callaghan, Michael McGrath and Norma Foley. However, he said he will be supporting Mr O'Callaghan because he is not “blinded by ambition” and is in politics to makes changes rather than personal gain. “Is the Micheál Martin who brought in the smoking ban the Micheál Martin who is Taoiseach - I'm not so sure,” he added. Mr MacSharry there is no personal animosity between himself and Mr Martin but said they do "have issues about how things are managed" in the party. "I'm not entirely risk adverse but I think the Taoiseach probably is," he said. "He's much more cautious than is necessary in my view but it is certainly not personal." He criticised what he called a “highly centralised environment where the top decide and formulate” policy and said he believes this is “Micheál Martin's failure”. “If a backbencher or a senator comes up with a cure for cancer it is not going to get into the minutes unless it comes from a Tony Holohan or KPMG or Deloittes and that's a problem,” he added.

The Taoiseach should receive the coronavirus vaccine ahead of Cabinet colleagues to travel to the US, according to a Fine Gael Junior Minister. Fine Gael Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora Colm Brophy said on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast that Taoiseach Micheál Martin should be vaccinated to be able to travel to the US for the St Patrick's Day visit. Mr Brophy said that Cabinet Ministers should then be vaccinated as per the vaccine priority list and should be “no exception” to the list. “I don't think that with the exception of the Taoiseach and for the reason of the US visit, that Ministers should come anywhere different on the list to where they would be based on the criteria outlined by medical professionals,” he said. Minister Brophy said that he is against changing the order of prioritisation on the vaccine list. “Lots of people make the case all the time as to why we should maybe move this group up here or this group down or change it around. I've always had the same view that we shouldn't and that applies to Ministers as well. “There's a logical clear exception as to why the Taoiseach should [be vaccinated] - to facilitate St Patrick's Day visit.” He also raised the question of if certain Cabinet Ministers were to be vaccinated, how the decision would be made between the Minister for Health or members of Nphet. “Everybody has important jobs, really important jobs. “Where do you vaccinate the people in Nphet, the CMO? Where do you vaccinate the head of the HSE versus the Minister for Health? It just becomes almost an impossible scenario,” he added. Minister Brophy also said on the podcast that the €500 fine for non-essential travel to overseas did not have a “sufficient” impact for some people, which is why the fine has been hiked to €2,000 in recent days. “For some people, €500 wasn't regarded as a sufficient impact and that's why you have to have that flexibility. I don't think there was anything wrong with choosing €500 as the initial figure.”

Criticism of government is “jumped on and stamped down” by internal Green Party “enforcers”, a TD has claimed. She was speaking on the Independent.ie Floating Voter podcast about Cllr Peter Kavanagh's statements after he left the party this week, where he stated that criticism of the party by members is viewed as “betrayal”. “That resonated with me and I think that kind of, people within the party taking up the role as enforcer, that is a genuinely a problem,” she said. “That doesn't lead to an atmosphere within the party that's nice, that's a nice place to be.” She said that criticism is sometimes “jumped on”. “The enforcer mentality - any criticism has to be jumped on and stamped down immediately, for sure,” she said. “I don't want to raise the temperature, because that's what we keep doing.” She said that she was not interested in a “personal row” with other members of the party. When asked if she has considered leaving the party, she said that this is “always a conversation” she has with herself. “From the point of programme for government, which obviously this government does not reflect in my politics, that's always a conversation that I'm having with myself. “I am always trying to gauge, am I a more constructive force inside or outside?” Ms Hourigan said that in her opinion, if you're not “too comfortable” you're not “doing your work”. She also said that there have been votes along the way in her time in government that she has not been “quite happy about”. Ms Hourigan voted against the government last summer and lost the party whip for a period of time. “I'm very careful when I dissent, it's only about very specific things, it doesn't happen that often.” She also said on the podcast that CETA was discussed at programme for government negotiations and was not agreed. She said that this is included in her own notes, which are subject to a non-disclosure agreement.

A Fine Gael senator has detailed her experience with Covid-19, which saw her isolated in her room for days on end while her young children cried out for their mother. Emer Currie tested positive for coronavirus in October. When she first started coughing, the Dublin politician did not believe she had been infected with the virus but went for a test as a precaution. However, by the time the positive result came back, her cough had become more persistent and she was suffering a shortness of breath. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Ms Currie said: “There is a split second when you think your breath should come back to you and it doesn't, and that isn't nice. There were some hairy moments.” Once she received her diagnosis, the mother of two young daughters confined herself to her bedroom, where she worked on constituency queries and, during down time, watched the Netflix comedy Schitt's Creek. However, beyond the bedroom door normal family life continued and Ms Currie could only listen in. “The toughest part is when the kids are tired and they want mummy to put them to bed and you can't, or if they wake up in the middle of the night and want a cuddle,” she said. “There were lots of tears because they didn't understand why they can't have this one reassuring cuddle from their mum,” she added. In line with HSE guidelines, the senator contacted the Leinster House human resources department to let them know she had tested positive. Three of her Fine Gael colleagues were asked to self-isolate because they were deemed close contacts. “It is not a nice experience to be worried about your family, worried about your colleagues, to be worried about the kids and whether or not one of them picked something up in school or whether they would pass it on to somebody,” she added. Ms Currie admits she did experience “return-to-work dread”, but was thankful that there was “no finger-wagging or finger-pointing” in Leinster House when she returned after recovering from the virus. “Colleagues were very discreet and my party colleagues were very supportive,” she said. Ms Currie urged people to follow the guidelines while continuing to regularly wash their hands and wear masks in public settings. “I don't know how I picked it up but I know I didn't pass it on because I was following the guidelines,” she said.

'Hostility and aggression' amongst principals after Taoiseach announces plans for Leaving Certs to attend school three days a week There is “hostility” among principals in reaction to government plans to allow Leaving Certs to attend school for three days a week, according to education spokesperson for the Social Democrats and Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon. Speaking on Independent.ie's political podcast The Floating Voter, the TD said that some principals were, in hyperbole, calling to storm on the Dáil “Trump style” in a meeting this morning. “The level of hostility in general, aggression on the call, I think some of them were calling to storm the Dáil Trump style, to just have their voices heard. That was said in hyperbole but I mean, it was still said,” he said. “The level, amongst teachers and amongst educators, there is a real capacity for industrial unrest here.” He also said that there is a real need to move teachers and students up in the priority list for the coronavirus vaccine. “Teachers are number 11 on the list at the moment. “It would make a lot of sense if teachers were moved up that list, especially if we're going to be keeping them in the environment that we're keeping them in.” Deputy Gannon said that despite government figures, including Education Minister Norma Foley, consistently saying that schools are safe, they have never said why they are safe. Reacting to last night's unrest in Washington DC after Trump supporters stormed Capitol Hill, he said that we should not be “complacent” that a similar event could not happen here. He also rubbished recent claims that the Social Democrats would join Labour, saying that leader Alan Kelly is like a “bull in a china shop”. “It's not something that we're interested in. “I don't think our two cultures would merge easily,” he added.

The end of the year is nearly upon and what a year it has been in the world of politics. If your memory stretches back far enough you might remember we had a General Election which resulted in a historic coalition between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party. Then there was a once in a life-time pandemic which shut down the entire planet. There were political controversies aplenty at home – agriculture ministers fells like skittles and a golf outing led to constitutional crisis over a Supreme Court judge. Meanwhile, a Brexit deal was finally done and Donald Trump was voted out of the White House. So it is only right and proper that Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast should reward our leaders for the political gambits, gaffes and general performances during what is now a cliché to call an unprecedented year. Independent Newspapers political editor Philip Ryan, along with political correspondent Hugh O'Connell and Politics Team new recruit Gabija Gataveckaite debate the merits of each category and dish out the gongs to the lucky winners. The nominations are below – listen into the podcast to find out who the winners are. Agriculture minister of the year? 1. Michael Creed 2. Dara Calleary 3. Barry Cowen 4. Charlie McConalogue Rule breakers of the year? 1. Golf gate attendees 2. Bobby Storey Funeral gang 3. RTÉ staff retirement crew 4. Leo the leak Interview of the year? 1. Stephen Donnelly -Zara King 2. Mary Lou McDonald –Today with Claire Byrne 3. Leo Varadkar -Claire Byrne Live Social media moment of the year 1. Topless Leo on the beer in the park 2. Brian Stanely's ‘yippe for the tories' 3. David Cullinane's fashion shoes 4. Micheal Martin's mystery call with Joe Biden Foolish statement of the year? 1. David Cullinane : Up the Ra 2. Simon Harris : Covids 1-18 3. Michéal Martin: Banks were not bailed out Double act of the year? 1. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 2. Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill 3. Michéal Martin and Leo Varadkar 4. Tony Holohan and Ronan Glynn Most disciplined party of 2020? 1. Sinn Fein 2. Green Party 3. Fine Gael 4. Fianna Fáil Breakthrough politician of the year 1. Hazel Chu 2. Holly Cairns 3. Norma Foley 4. Catherine Martin Leader of the year 1. Micheál Martin 2. Leo Varadkar 3. Eamon Ryan 4. Tony Holohan

Former Transport Minister Shane Ross has said Supreme Court Judge Seamus Woulfe should resign rather than face impeachment proceedings in the Dáil. Speaking on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Ross said his former Cabinet colleague should have resigned in August after it emerged he attended the controversial Oireachtas Golf Society Dinner. The former Independent Alliance minister said it was wrong that Justice Woulfe attended the event and insisted members of the judiciary should he held to as high a standard as the politicians who stepped down over the controversy. However, he said it is “a very different thing” to suggest Mr Woulfe's case justified impeachment proceedings which were designed for "much more serious offences". “Seamus Woulfe is not corrupt, Seamus Woulfe made a mistake,” he added. Mr Ross said the appointment of judges is a secretive process and only on one occasion during his time in Government was he given access to the names of the rejected candidates. This was when Frank Clarke was appointed as Chief Justice. “That was the only time we were told and what was striking was that even the Cabinet were not confided in on who applied or who didn't apply,” he said. His comments came after it emerged three sitting judges expressed an interest in the Supreme Court position which was ultimately given to Mr Woulfe. Mr Ross said it was the "norm" for judicial appointments to be dealt with at the end of Cabinet meetings "on the nod" from ministers. "The system of how it was done was opaque," he said. He said on at least one occasion he blocked an appointment because it was too political. He also claims former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan threatened to resign during one of their arguments over judicial appointments. Mr Ross also discusses how he found Fine Gael ministers “distasteful” as a group but individually pleasant.

A second wave of Covid-19 cases in nursing homes cannot be ruled out if the rate of community transmission remains high, HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid has warned. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Reid said the first phase of the pandemic showed nursing homes in areas of high community transmission were the worst hit. In the exclusive interview, he also speaks bluntly about the coronavirus crisis and how the HSE has learned from the challenges they faced. He frankly admits the Ireland's Call initiative did not work and said one of the biggest pressures he faces is from politicians seeking absolute clarity on the ever-evolving pandemic. He also reveals how he was nominated to run in a General Election in the 1980s but “bottled it” at the last minute. After last week's budget hopes given by Minister for Finance, Paschal Donhoe, this week's national lockdown and interview with Reid offers a much more sobering outlook on the future between now and Christmas and into 2021. The Floating Voter Budget 2021 Series is in association with EY Ireland.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has insisted he is still an "advocate" for income tax cuts despite failing to include any significant reductions in the biggest spending budget in the history of the State. Speaking on the Floating Voter Budget Review, along with EY Ireland's Head of Tax, Kevin McLoughlin, the Minister said he will seek to give hard-pressed taxpayers personal tax cuts when the economy returns to good health. "I will continue to be an advocate to look at how we can change the point where taxpayers pay the higher rates of income tax and USC," Mr Donohoe said. "When we get to the point in our economy where we can continue to make progress in relation to that I absolutely will," he added. The minister said he believes is important that people should earn more if they work hard and put in long hours in their jobs. However, he said: “We are just in circumstances that are so difficult at the moment and it wasn't the right course of action for the Budget," he said. Mr Donohoe said if he had cut taxes he would have had to either borrow more money or ditched other spending initiatives aimed at protecting businesses and jobs. He defended pumping millions into private businesses saying the funding was in recognition of the risk employers take to create jobs for others. Meanwhile, Kevin McLoughlin told presenter Kevin Doyle and Political Editor, Philip Ryan, that the Budget had been well received by the business community. “There was bit of forward looking to it and a nod to innovation and a nod to how innovation might play in the future development of the economy in creating jobs,” he said. The Floating Voter Budget 2021 Series is in association with EY Ireland.

Sinn Féin would spend a massive €88bn on unemployment payments, new hospitals beds and affordable homes in the Budget if they were in power - but the party's housing spokesperson Eoin O'Broin insists the revenue is not coming from a ‘magic money tree'. In a special pre-Budget interview on this week's Floating Voter podcast, Mr O'Broin talks through Sinn Féin's freshly published submission ahead of the Budget on Tuesday. The party is proposing a major €900m investment in hospitals which would see 1,100 extra beds put into system with another 100 specifically for intensive care units. They also plan to spend €150m hiring new doctors, consultants and nurses. Meanwhile, another €1.5bn will be used to pay for 12,000 social housing units, 4,000 affordable rental homes and 4,000 affordable purchases homes. They also plan to increase jobseekers and disability payments by €5 per weeks and the State pension by €3. Mr O'Broin says among the measures used to pay for all the spending commitments is a new 3% ‘solidarity tax' on all incomes over €140,000 per year. Sinn Féin also plans to impose more taxes on international corporations based in Ireland with a specific target on intellectual property rights. Next week, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will be on the Floating Voter podcast to discuss the measures he introduced in the budget. The Floating Voter Budget 2021 Series is in association with EY Ireland.

Green Party Cabinet Minister Roderic O'Gorman has called on EU Commissioner Phil Hogan to make a full statement on his attendance at an Oireachtas Golf Society event. Mr O'Gorman, the Children's Minister, said Mr Hogan will have to address his decision to attend the event which has led to resignation of Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary. Speaking on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, the minister said: "I think everyone who was at that event will have questions put to them be they a commissioner, be they a TD, be they a senator and it is for each one of them to address those questions and I think they will have to address those questions." Mr O'Gorman said there is "very real anger among the public" about that dinner and said it "would be appropriate for Commissioner Hogan to address that". The minister said it was "appropriate" for Mr Calleary to resign because Cabinet ministers have a responsibility to follow the rules they implement. "In the Cabinet we are making decisions and asking the public to make very significant sacrifices in how they live their daily lives. We know the decisions we are asking people to make and we can't argue that we don't understand the full impact of those decisions," he said. "It was appropriate for Dara to resign. He made a mistake and I don't think cabinet ministers can make mistakes of that extent and expect there not to be consequences," he added.

Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae will not force customers to wear masks or facing coverings in his shop as they become mandatory today. Mr Healy Rae said he will encourage people to wear them but said he will not become an “enforcer” and neither will his staff. Speaking on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, he said: “We are not going to be saying to a person 'you've no mask on, you can't be in the shop.'” “It won't happen in my shop and the vast majority of shops in Ireland. People working in the shops have enough to be doing just to do their own roles,” he added. Mr Healy Rae runs a Mace supermarket and filling station in his hometown of Killorglin. In a wide-ranging interview Mr Healy Rae also said: - He would accept a local lockdown in Kerry because the “rules are the rule”. - But public health experts don't have a “monopoly on being right” when it comes to pubs. - The new government has been an “unmitigated disaster”. - The sacking of Barry Cowen as Agriculture Minister was “wrong”. - Education Minister Norma Foley is a “formidable operator”. - And landlords are being “demonised” by certain TDs. Mr Healy Rae siad it is “remarkable” that pubs are still closed when around 100,000 people flew into Ireland from abroad last week. “That in itself was an anomaly and is something of great consternation to a lot of people,” he said. The long serving deputy said the Government should introduce testing and quarantine for all travellers arriving here as they have in New Zealand where there has been no new coronavirus case in over 100 days. Mr Healy-Rae said it is “counterproductive” to public health to keep pubs closed because people are not congregating in a smaller number of licenced premises. He also said the ban had led to emergence of sheebens in rural communities along with house parties and increased off-licence sales. He said his brother Danny's pub has remained closed throughout the pandemic as he does not serve food. Mr Healy-Rae says “common sense” outweighs advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team's (Npeht) guidance on the reopening of pubs. “No one has a monopoly on being right about everything at all times and I think they're wrong on this occasion,” he added. He said the new coalition government has been an “unmitigated disaster” that has “lunged from crisis to crisis”. He said Taoiseach Micheal Martin is a very experienced TD and expected him to be “more sure footed” when he took office. “The way I would describe the Government is that they are waking up everyone morning and what they are doing is they are literally wetting their finger and they are seeing which way the wind is blowing,” he added. He said the sacking of Barry Cowen over his drink driving case was handled “badly and poorly” by the Taoiseach. “I don't think it warranted him being forced out of the position that he had. I know an awful lot of people around the country certainly didn't agree with it,” he added. Mr Healy Rae said he was glad Kerry had a minister at the Cabinet table in Norma Foley and criticised those who describe he has an inexperienced TD. He also warned TDs against criticising landlords because they will leave the market and there will be less tenancies for renters. He said there is no money in the rental business if you are starting now.

Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman Richard Bruton has hit out at the “hysterical” and “attack dog” Dáil debates which he says are being instigated by Opposition TDs. The former minister insisted the Government was correct to give more Dáil speaking time to coalition TDs who struggled to secure debating slots during the last administration.“There is a relentless attack on people in government over a long period and the currency has got more and more hysterical,” Mr Bruton told Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast.“It's more attack dog than teasing out and asking should we be doing things in a different way.“That relentless diatribe in the Dáil isn't good for the sort of politics I believe in which is evidence based policy making and exchanging genuine views,” he added. Mr Bruton's comments followed a fiery Dáil debate over speaking time during which Tánaiste Leo Varadkar accused the Opposition of bullying and said he was embarrassed to be a member of the parliament.  Mr Bruton said the change in the speaking schedule will mean backbench government TDs will have more opportunities to speak on legislation which was not afforded to them in the last Dáil.“It still leaves the opposition with the vast majority of the time, it doesn't restrict the amount of time the different parties get but it gives a chance for 69 of us (government backbenchers), and I am one them, to speak about the controversial issues of the day,” he said. Separately, Mr Bruton, who just completed a review of the Fine Gael's 2020 General Election campaign, said the party's “core weakness” is their failure to connect with sections of the public while in government. He said he will be holding minister's “feet to the fire” to ensure they introduce genuine changes which will show how effective Fine Gael can be in government.“As a party I don't think we have been effective at either promoting what we've done or in connecting with people to show them what we are doing is solving problems that people experience,” he said.“I will be expecting metrics from our ministers and from the organisation so we can genuinely look and see if we are changing or are we still remaining the same.“Unless there is that prodding, someone holding people's feet to the fire as they say….that has to be a part of the change and I will be determined that toes will be held to the fire,” he said. Meanwhile, Mr Burton said the reaction to his topless appearance in a Fine Gael promotional video for North Dublin tourism was “mortifying”.“I didn't dream that it would go viral. Some very funny follow up tweets were put up which are mortifying. I was delighted with the recess last night and delighted to wear a mask so I could slink around the corridors of the convention centre and not be noticed,” he said.     The former education minister said he did not feel objectified by the commentary about his toned physique.“It's not something I'm used to that sort of attention. It was all a bit of fun. I wouldn't take it seriously and it doesn't upset me in anyway. The family think it's fantastic,” he said.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has become defined by his “hatred” of Sinn Féin, a senior member of the party has claimed. Cavan/Monaghan TD Matt Carthy said Mr Martin has a “fixation” with Sinn Féin and voters do not know what else he stands for. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Carthy said: “His own personal views of our party have become him in many respects.” “If you were to ask ordinary people on the street what does Micheál Martin stand for my guess is that, apart from his hatred of Sinn Féin, people would find it very hard to come up with a second thing,” he added. Mr Carthy said he and other Sinn Féin TDs have had conversations with Fianna Fáil members about government formation but not on a formal basis.“I have conversations with people I'm sure other Sinn Féin representatives with people but not on the basis of proper discussion around government because the Fianna Fáil party collectively have made a decision that they won't engage with Sinn Féin in relation to government,” he said.“You are right to say that lots of members of that party disagree with that strategy and particularly at a grassroots level I know that it has created a lot of disconcern among their own membership but at the end of the day that's a call their own leadership need to take,” he added.

Green Party TD Patrick Costello joined the Floating Voter to discuss the Government's shambolic attempt to provide childcare services for frontline workers. Mr Costello, who is a scout leader, also discussed the damning report into child sex abuse allegations in Scouting Ireland. The Dublin Central TD said he believes the scouting organisation will bounce back from the controversy. He also insisted the Department of Children and Youth Affairs should be retained by the next government.

Minister for Older People Jim Daly has called on nursing homes to find ways to allow family members visit relatives during the Covid-19 crisis. Mr Daly, who is still the acting minister despite retiring from politics, said nursing homes should introduce perspex screens to allow people visit loved ones who are in their care. Speaking on Indpendent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, the former Cork West TD said: “I think on a human level it is very, very, very difficult for the residents of nursing homes not to have met with loved ones and not to have had visits from loved ones.” “It is something I would like to see improved is the access of people from the outside into nursing homes to see their loved ones again, you know with a perspex screen. There are ways and means of doing everything,” he added. Mr Daly said he agreed with Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan's initial decision not to ban visits to residential care settings despite private nursing homes restricting visitors. “You have to get the balance right and I would have been on the side of Tony Holohan I have to be honest,” he said. The minister said the “next frontier” in the Covid-19 crisis may be the plight of the 20,000 vulnerable people who are being cared for in the community. He said there have been 56 confirmed coronavirus cases among this group and 40 of those have been admitted to hospital. “It is important we are watching that and continuing to protect vulnerable people who are still in the communities,” he said. Mr Daly said he has purposely avoided doing media during the pandemic following an agreement with Health Minister Simon Harris. “Minister Harris and I have discussed this at length and it has been suggested that the media be maintained to himself on communications in relation to the Covid specific issues and for what it's worth I agree with him,” he said. “You cannot have a situation where you have parallel communications happening and maybe disjointed communications. The fact I haven't been on media doesn't mean I haven't been involved in the day to day operations of the department,” he added.

Fianna Fáil's education spokesperson Thomas Byrne has ramped up pressure on the Green Party saying there is a "huge opportunity" for them to implement their policies in the next government. However, Mr Byrne warned that if the Greens or another party do not join Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael's coalition a second general election will be called this year. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, the Meath East TD said: "In relation to the Greens, just because of our international obligations on climate, the next government is going to be the greenest government in the history of the State." "The challenge for the Greens, I think, is do they want to be part of that, probably driving that in government or do they want to sit back and see it implemented by some other party because it's going to be done and we are committed to that," he added. If a third party does not support the proposed Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael government, Mr Byrne said: “the only logical conclusion is there will be a general election because I can't see how you can get a government together with 72 seats”. Speaking ahead of the publication of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael's policy framework document, Mr Byrne said next government will herald the coming of a “new economic dawn”. “There are huge opportunities there for parties who want to get involved, who want to get their policies implemented and who are looking for that type of radical change,” he said. “It is going to require a lot of imagination on behalf of the public service, which it has to be said we have seen over the last few weeks, but also in respect of the political system as well. Things cannot be as they were ever before ever again,” he added.

The Floating Voter team has recorded a special podcast on the political ramifications of the Government's Covid-19 emergency measures. Recorded remotely due to social distancing rules, Kevin Doyle was joined for by Philip Ryan and Hugh O'Connell to discuss the political reaction to the coronavirus. Indepenent.ie's Political Team debated whether the next government will be able to unwind the financial package for employees and employers impacted by the global pandemic. They also discussed the division within in the Green Party over entering into a coalition government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. And asked whether climate climate change issues will be relevant to voters if the country plunges into recession due to the virus?

Micheal Martin will remain Taoiseach if second general election is called before a government is formed, a new TD has said. Fianna Fáil TD Cormac Devlin said there was "no question" about Mr Martin's leadership and he had the backing of his party. Speaking on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Devlin said: "If you're saying the election is in the short term then I would say yes I foresee him being leader at that time.” "I have sat in those parliamentary party meetings and what I have witnessed is full support for Micheál Martin and indeed his stance on Sinn Féin and his stance on the negotiating team to go forward on behalf of Fianna Fáil," he added. Mr Devlin said he understood why some party members were "upset" after the election but said those elected and those running for the Seanad are committed to Mr Martin. Also on the podcast, newly elected Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond said there was no threat to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's leadership. Mr Richmond said the Taoiseach clawed back support for the party in the final week of the General Election campaign through his performances on the televised debates. "That was directly down to Leo," he said. “We were 12 points down at the start of the campaign in one poll and we built that up," he added.

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin has said he found Provisional IRA members who inflicted violence during The Troubles to be among the most committed to the Peace Process. During a wide-ranging interview on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Ó Broin also discussed watching a local Sinn Féin activist being shot by a loyalist terrorist. He also revealed death threats were made against him by loyalist paramilitaries while he was serving on Belfast City Council. “I count myself as exceptionally lucky because my experience of that kind of violence was very, very limited,” Mr Ó Broin said. He said most of those involved in the violence were “regular people” who ended up taking decisions that people who did not live in Belfast at that time would find “really difficult to understand”. “Those who were most committed to peace were those who were most negatively affected by it,” he said. “Those who have lost loved ones throughout the course of the conflict, those people who inflicted violence and those people who were involved at some level.” He said he was opposed to all violence. However, he does not believe there is “any value” in commenting on whether the terrorist activities of the Provisional IRA were justified. “I have always taken the view that's a conversation that at this point in time I don't think has any value honestly,” he said. “All I ask people to do is not to change how they view Sinn Féin or current members of Sinn Féin who were formerly in the IRA or formerly political prisoners on their past because people are going to take their own view on all of that but equally we have to judge people on the work they do in terms of ensuring their past can never be repeated and that's a difficult space,” he added. Mr Ó Broin said he worked with people on Belfast City Council whose children were murdered or their families members were shot dead for being members of Sinn Féin. “For three years of my life I had two loyalist paramilitary death threats against me,” he said. He also witnessed first hand pipe bomb attacks. “You would have been either at, witnessed or called to scenes of pipe bombings in your constituency at various stages,” he said. He also detailed calling an ambulance for a Sinn Féin activist who was shot by loyalist terrorist during a stand off in North Belfast. “A UDA gunman from another vantage point started shooting at us and one of the guys who was out on the streets with us, who was putting his own life at risk trying to calm a situation down and physically keep the peace, was shot in the leg and found beside us and we had to call the ambulance.”

Homework should be banned for primary school children, according to a newly elected Green Party TD. Dublin Central TD Neasa Hourigan said children should allowed go to the park or watch TV after school rather than spend hours doing homework. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Ms Hourigan said "parents hate homework" and insisted she is "not convinced" it benefits young children. "Your kids come home, they're tired, they've had a lot to do in the day and then they get a lot of homework and you really want them to have a snack and chill out," she said. "They just need time off but they have to go straight into an hour and half of homework and that's not great for them and it's not great for family life either. I'd prefer to bring them to the park or do something that's not learning," she added. Ms Hourigan said some Scandinavian countries have ditched homework for primary school children. The new TD said she has "really high hopes" for her children academically, especially her seven year old daughter who is blind and partially deaf. “I have massively high hopes for her in terms of her academia but I don't think that means we have to stick to the old ways of doing things,” she said. “I think the whole homework thing is something we should be talking about more. I'm not convinced that it really helps that much,” she added.

Newly elected Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon has revealed how sport saved him from a life of crime or drug addiction. The Dublin Central politician said playing for his local football team inspired him and his friends to avoid the troubles that have befallen many of those they grew up with. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Gannon said: “For me when I look back, and what actually saved me it was sport definitely.” “The lads I played with in Sherriff (Street) absolutely none of them are involved in crime or have been involved in crime,” he added. “We were training Tuesday, Thursday and playing matches on Saturday and Sunday. Our manager wouldn't have slapped the head off us but he would have made us believe he would have if we got involved in any of that type of stuff.” Mr Gannon said he went to school with lots of friends who now are serving prison sentences for various crimes or are addicted to drugs. The new TD also said not everyone in his community is impressed by his rise in politics and there is certain amount of begrudgery towards him being a politicians. “Some people think I'm an a**hole for various different reasons and they are entitled to,” he said. “They didn't get the privileges I have been afforded. That used to kind of annoy me but I take it with a pinch of salt now. I am very lucky and so what if they think that,” he added.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has accused the Central Bank of forcing people into rental accommodation rather than home ownership. Mr Martin launched the astonishing attack on the financial regulator and also targeted the Department of Housing with just days to go before the country goes to the polls. Speaking to Independent.ie's 'Floating Voter' podcast, he said: "The Central Bank and other elites in society believe that everybody should have been renting." Within days of potentially becoming Taoiseach, Mr Martin said this view has had a direct influence on Fine Gael's housing policy.

In this episode former finance minister Michael Noonan joins his successor Paschal Donohoe to discuss Fine Gael's faltering election strategy.During what is a rare interview, Mr Noonan wades into the election debate, arguing Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin can manage the economy. He also talks about the highs and lows of his 39 years in Leinster House and reveals who he would like to see as a future leader of Fine Gael.

It's time to make up your mind. Polling is just seven days away and you may not get to have your say again for another five years. To help focus your mind before you make that big decision the Floating Voter podcast has analysed the winners and losers of the second last week of the campaign. Kevin Doyle and Philip Ryan are joined by Hugh O'Connell to discuss this week's two televised debates which saw the leaders of the seven main parties fight it out on RTE and Virgin Media. The Politics Team also rate how the leaders have performed on the campaign trail to date and discuss what they might do in the coming days to shore up support.

He knows at times he does not come across as overly compassionate when he's been asked about the impact of his Government's failings on the lives of people. Speaking on the Floating Voter podcast, Mr Varadkar said: “Sometimes, maybe I don't show that I care enough.” He says this is down to him being “blunt and straight talking” which can “come across as a bit insensitive sometimes”. “I understand that,” he added. However, he said his partner, Dr Matthew Barrett, believes the accusations that he lacks empathy are unfair. “I was actually talking to Matt, my partner, about that the other night and he said, ‘like that is so wrong and that's so unfair',” Mr Varadkar said. “Every evening when I'm home I'm talking about all the problems of the day and the struggles to get on top of those difficult issues like homelessness and overcrowding.” The Taoiseach said Mr Barrett also told him: “You really do care but you know it's the doctor in you. You want to get in there quickly and, you know, fix the problems, stem the blood.” He also accepts he does not take criticism very well and can be overly defensive when questioned about human tragedies. “I think anyone when they're being criticised or when they're being attacked they're going to be a little bit defensive sometimes so I think that's probably a fair criticism. “I hate to hear people dismiss facts and figures and statistics as if they don't matter. The core behind truth is facts and figures and statistics,” he added. He dismissed suggestions that he was seeking a presidential style General Election campaign which would focus on just him and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin. “I'm very happy to go toe-to-toe with Micheál Martin like I did last week and will again next week, but actually a lot of our campaign, a lot of our messages is that Fine Gael has as a team, really strong team,” he said. Since taking office he has learned you need a good team to “cover for you”. “I mean cover for you in a good way. Not cover up for you,” he added. “I have a similar view that we should keep the same Brexit team in place until we get the trade deal, which has to be done by the end of this year,” he said. He would not give any commitment on Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy and Health Minister Simon Harris who have both faced criticism for their handling of their department. However, he said: “Eoghan Murphy and Simon Harris are in good standing, and they've had really tough briefs. “What really disappoints me is the extent to which some people who don't have much solutions or new ideas when it comes to health and housing they try to cover that up by targeting those two guys personally. I think that's kind of nasty,” he added. He expanded on his offer to form a grand coalition between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil if no other government could be formed after the election while also claiming Mr Martin “didn't know basic facts about the Brexit withdrawal agreement”. “If we end up in a situation whereby Fine Gael can't do that and Fianna Fáil can't do that and both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have ruled out Sinn Féin, the only way to avoid a second election is for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to come together in some way, and I'd be willing to talk to Fianna Fáil about that,” he said. Mr Varadkar said Mr Martin's rejection of his offer was a “little bit arrogant and a little bit irresponsible”. “What Fianna Fáil are saying is ‘we're not going to touch Fine Gael, even though we've spent two-and-a-half years negotiating budgets with them and supporting us through confidence and supply',” he said. “So essentially, he's saying that if you don't give Fianna Fáil enough seats to form a government with the smaller centre-left parties, ‘I'm going to go off in a huff and refuse to take part in the government', and that's not a very responsible or mature position in my view,” he added.

Week two of the general election campaign is almost over and we've already had a TV debate and a drugs controversy.  On the Floating Voter podcast, the team look at the the head-to-head debate between Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin. This included Mr Varadkar being forced to admit to using drugs in his youth and Mr Martin struggling to deal with a newly compassionate and gracious Taoiseach. Meanwhile, the Political Team also discussed the row over the age for the State pension and how it could affect younger workers. The canvass styles of Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin were also analysed.

The starting pistol has been sounded in the general election and the Floating Voter podcast will be with you all the way until February 8th. On this show, Philip Ryan is joined by John Downing, Gabija Gataveckaite and Hugh O'Connell discus the first official day of the campaign. Leo Varadkar landed the first gaffe of the campaign by trying to politicise a life-changing injury suffered by a homeless man in Dublin. Fine Gael also tried to make it all about Brexit. Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil may be quietly creeping ahead in the election race without putting in too much effort. But there's a long way to go yet.

After a rollercoaster year of political drama which saw Leo Varadkar de-select at TD for falling off a swing and UK voters select a prime minister who got stuck on a zip line, the Floating Voter team have compiled their coveted list of annual awards. And for this very special podcasting event, Kevin Doyle and Philip Ryan were joined by none other than Ireland's number political satirical impressionist Oliver Callan. Callan came into our Talbot Street studios ahead of his forthcoming national tour to present awards to some of his best known characters. So listen in to see who won awards for the year's most outrageous claim, top political landlord and the award for throwing the most amount of colleagues under the bus.

Wexford TD Malcolm Byrne said he does not believe Fianna Fail will go into government with Sinn Fein after the forthcoming general election but said he would be open to working with Mary Lou McDonald's party in the future. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Byrne said: “I would never rule out in the long run going into Coalition with Sinn Fein,” before adding: “It's not going to happen in the short run.” “We can't expect a situation whereby we are expecting Sinn Fein to share power with the DUP (but) that you can't envision a situation where Sinn Fein can't come into government at some stage in the South,” he add Mr Byrne said he believed the next government will consist of Fianna Fail, the Labour Party and the Green Party. He said the Social Democrats and Independents could possibly play a role. Mr Byrne also said he believe Micheal Martin will remain as Fianna Fail leader even if he is not elected Taoiseach after the next general election.

Finian McGrath made a promise to his wife Anne that he would never let her die in pain. And as Anne lay in a hospital bed fighting a losing battle against 14 years of cancer, Mr McGrath would insist on the nurses increasing his wife's dose of morphine to ease the pain of her final moments. Now, on the tenth anniversary of his wife's untimely passing, the Disability Minister has spoken honestly about the trauma surrounding Anne's death and has decided to back cancer victim Vicky Phelan's call to introduce euthanasia laws in Ireland. Speaking to the Floating Voter podcast, Mr McGrath said: “The one thing Anne used to say to me was ‘don't let me die in pain' and I did that so any time she was in pain they increased the morphine and I would do that for anybody and any member of my family and I would say the same about myself if I was in that situation.” “What Vicky Phelan said in recent days brought it back to me again, the whole issue of that, and I think patients have a right to do these things and I think a lot of the medical professionals privately understand that but they won't go there,” he added. Mr McGrath said “some of the hospitals” in this country will “increase the amount of morphine you get to help you with the pain and sometimes then the person just goes to sleep”. The Cabinet minister said thousands of families discuss how a terminally ill loved one's life will end every year and insisted he would never make any moral judgement about a person who wished to chose when they pass away. “If people want to make the decision themselves that's their personal decision and I would be very supportive of them,” he said. The minister said his wife was first hit with breast cancer which was successfully treated but then suffered a setback five years after the initial diagnosis. The disease then made its way into her bones and in her final days it took over her pancreas and liver. Anne was in early 50s when she passed away. Mr McGrath says his wife was surprisingly upbeat throughout her illness and was driven by a desire to raise their two girls Caoimhe and Clíodhna. “Anne was very positive, she was determined to raise the girls and she achieved that.” he said. “We are plodding along but there is no point in saying it didn't have a devastating affect on the two girls,” he added. Clíodhna, the minister's youngest daughter, was born with Down Syndrome, and is the main inspiration behind his long running campaign to raise the plight of people with disabilities. When she was first born doctors didn't think Cliodhna would make and she went under intensive heart surgery in Crumiln Children's hospital. “You're kind of shocked. You don't know what you're going to do. You visualise them in ten years time, 20 years times. What are you going to do?” “When we got over the initial shock we just knuckled and me being a bit of mouth we got involved in the parents association of Down Syndrome Ireland, then I became treasurer and then I became chairperson of the Dublin branch and then I got into the whole idea of fighting for people with disabilities and little did I think I would end up as a minister for disabilities,” he added The minister said he does worry about who will look after Clíodhna when he passes on and said this is huge concern for all families of children with intellectual disabilities. . “It is an awful worry but the good news is we have set up a system which is the cradle to grave,” he said. “I am meeting all these parents in their 70s and 80s and they haven't got long left and they want me to make sure their adult son or daughter has a service so I am using the final budget I will probably ever have to prioritise those cases and I will take the hit when it comes to other areas,” he added.

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has revealed he received a death threat after he proposed legislation which would regulate sulky racing.Mr McGrath said he was approached by an individual in his hometown of Clonmel, Tipperary and told he would be shot in Dublin over his plans to regulate the horse racing activity which is popular among the Travelling community. Speaking on the Floating Voter podcast, Mr McGrath said: “I was threatened on April 10, 2017 that I would be shot in Dublin for trying to stop the fun with this regulation.”“I was surrounded by four individuals in Clonmel outside a shop. I made a statement to gardai and so did my daughter who was in the car with me and they told me I would be shot in Dublin, by the big boys in Dublin,” he added. The Tipperary TD said sulky racing is a “huge problem” in Clonmel where he claims “three and four year olds” are sometimes seen “hanging off” off horse drawn carts.“They block up roads four abreast and terrorise people going home from work and everybody is afraid of their life of them,” he said“You can't say boo or you're a racist (and) that's the problem in this country, you can't criticise them because they have ethnic status which I opposed,” he added. Mr McGrath insisted he was “not a racist” and added that some of his “best friends” are travellers. Separately, he defended comments about Nigerians living in Ireland made by Independent TD Noel Grealish in the Dail.“I ain't no racist and if you cant' ask a question in the Dail it's very sad,” Mr McGrath said.Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has asked Mr Grealish to clarify claims that €3.4bn had been sent to Nigeria in eight years.Mr Donohoe said the Galway West TD was given Central Statistic Office (CSO) figures which showed around €17m a year is sent to Nigeria before he made his controversial comments.“The Taoiseach provided you with figures from the Central Statistics Office, in a Parliamentary Question reply dated 22 October 2019 and there are procedures in place to allow you to challenge these figures if you consider that they were misleading,” Mr Donohoe wrote.“I am disappointed with the apparent ethnic basis of your statements and would welcome any steps that you would be willing to take to clarify on this aspect. It is inappropriate to single out one country in absence of evidence of wrong-doing,” he added. On this podcast, Mr McGrath produced what he claimed was a document from the Irish Refugee Council which he said supported Mr Grealish's comments. The Irish Refugee Council told Independent.ie the document was not from their organisation but said they have used some of the statistics before. The council also said there was a lot of “spin” in the document.

A Fine Gael TD has made a last ditched effort to save Maria Bailey's political career ahead of the party meeting tonight to decide her future. Dublin South West TD Colm Brophy has broken ranks to say Ms Bailey should remain on the Fine Gael general election ticket in Dun Laoghaire. Speaking on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Brophy said: “On a personal level I would not like to see Maria Bailey deselected.” “I think she is an excellent hard-working TD in the constituency and I think she has gone through incredibly tough times in the past few months,” he added. Mr Brophy said Ms Bailey “made a mistake” and has already “paid a cost” for the controversy surrounding the personal injury claim she took after falling off a swing in a hotel. The Fine Gael TD's comments come as Fine Gael's national executive tonight decide whether or not to deselect Ms Bailey after a vote was passed by her local branch asking that their general election ticket be reviewed. Meanwhile, Fianna Fail TD James Lawless told the podcast that the party's under fire by-election candidate Lorraine Clifford-Lee's comments about travellers are “foolish, inane and very ill advised”. However, Mr Lawless said it would be a “bridge too far” to expect Ms Clifford-Lee to resign over the remarks. “You should never post anything on social media which you wouldn't be prepared to have displayed on a billboard outside your granny's house,” the Kildare North TD said. He also said he would “hate to think” there was a “sneaking regard” among some voters in Dublin Fingal for Ms Clifford-Lee's remarks. Mr Brophy also defends Culture Minister Josepha Madigan's calls for parents to take more responsibility for informing their children about the dangerous of online pornography.

RISE TD Paul Murphy has called for a new tax on social media companies which could prop up cash-strapped RTE. Mr Murphy said he is supportive of a proposal by UK Labour Party leader Jeremey Corbyn to tax tech firms to fund public interest journalism. Speaking on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, he said: Jeremy Corbyn has quite a good idea in Britain which is an idea for effectively a digital TV licence which isn't aimed at ordinary people but is aimed at tech Giants your Twitter, your Facebook or your Googles and saying they should pay a proportion of their substantial income towards broadcasting and I'd agree with that.” The Dublin South West TD also said a “lasting legacy” of the water charges movement can be seen in the Government's resistance to increase the TV licence fee. “It is a good thing that the government is scared to increase the TV licence or turn it into a broadcasting charge and all these plans,” he said. Mr Murphy said he pays his own TV licence but believes it should be abolished and instead RTE should be funded through general taxation. The RISE TD also said he believes socialists parties who he supports in the Dáil will try unseat him at the next general election.

Waiting times at pedestrian crossings should be reduced to just 30 seconds, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has said. As part of an effort to encourage walking, the Dublin TD says cars should be made to wait rather than people travelling by foot.He told Independent.ie's ‘Floating Voter' podcast that many pedestrian lights leave walkers waiting 90 seconds before giving them a green light to cross.“Everybody jay-walks. Why? Well one of the reasons is that we have 90 second waits on a lot crossing. It doesn't have to be like that,” he said.“If you go to San Francisco, a not too dissimilar city to Dublin in terms of wealth and affluence, you don't have any of that 90 second wait there.”He wants local authorities to “bring the crossing times right down”. Mr Ryan claims the Government have put too much focus on improving roads while ignoring public transport and cycling infrastructure.As a regularly cyclist in Dublin, he has only recently started wearing a helmet because “there were too many days where I felt ‘that was a bit close'”.Speaking about the increasing number of clashes between cyclist and motorists, the Dublin Bay South representative said: “Why do people get pissed off with cyclists? Because we break the law too much. Because we're in a chaotic system where we're reacting to traffic conditions that are impossible.”Mr Ryan has made headlines over a number of controversial proposal in recent weeks, most notably his suggestion that wolves should be reintroduced to Ireland. He is sticking by the idea, arguing people don't understand the benefits of having such animals in the wild.He said deer are preventing the growth of forests because “they will just literally eat everything”.“What they found in other countries when they introduced wolves, was that the wolves changed the behaviour of the deer and forest came back quicker.“It's not going to happen any time soon. You'd have to have real scientific analysis and have the farming community with you,” Mr Ryan said.“In people's minds and forklore wolves are scary but actually they are scared of us. They avoid human beings.” On the podcast, Mr Ryan also discusses the Green Party's current growth in popularity and how they will approach the next election.

Former Tánaiste Dick Spring had to be brought into the Dáil on a stretcher to vote after a serious road accident, Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin has recalled. The Wexford TD said up until the current Dáil voting was seen as being of “monumentally importance” but it has now been “cheapened”. Speaking on Independent.ie's ‘Floating Voter' podcast, he referred to one incident in the early 1980s when his predecessor as Labour Party leader wasn't allowed to miss a vote despite being seriously injured. Mr Spring, a junior minister at the time, was a passenger in a garda driven car which was involved in a fatal accident in Tipperary in December 1981. “I remember Dick Spring being carried in on a stretcher to vote. In tight votes, he was required to be present and physically brought into the chamber because at the time he wasn't allowed a pair,” Mr Howlin said. “I remember myself coming out of the chamber one evening and meeting Martin Cullen who suffered terribly with his back. He was ashen with agony and I said to him ‘for God's sake, you're not physically fit to be here'. But the Whips said he had to be there to vote. “Up to this Dáil, votes were deadly serious matters and people took them deadly seriously.” Mr Howlin blames confidence and supply for the current ‘Votegate' controversy, saying the Government now regularly loses votes and nobody pays attention. He wants a system similar to the European Parliament introduced, whereby TDs would be required to insert a card into the Dáil voting machine in order to activate it. “I remember the debate when electronic voting was being brought in. Originally what I understood was going to happen was that we would all have our own identity cards,” Mr Howlin said. “Originally the idea was that you would slot the card, as they do in the European Parliament, into the voting machine and that would activate the voting machine. “The Whips got worried that TDs would turn up without their card and that they would lose close votes. They were afraid that some TDs would simply not be able to vote.” He said the machines are already equipped for login cards. Also the ‘Floating Voter', he discusses the latest developments on Brexit and suggests the Labour Party will enter a coalition after the next election if they have the numbers.

History was made and a Brexit deal has finally been reached. But with Boris Johnson agreeing to things he said he would never do and the DUP as always saying ‘No', is this really the end of the story? On this week's Floating Voter podcast, former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, joined INM's Kevin Doyle and Philip Ryan, as well as EY's Simon MacAllister to look at the deal from a political and economic perspective. “There has been a huge amount of switching in one week,” said Bertie Ahern. “Boris has made three big concessions, including the line down the Irish Sea which was previously anathema. But the DUP have been consistent at least, they went bonkers after the 2017 agreement and are similarly against this deal.” “Leo Varadkar has played a good game. The only thing is the time-limits on the backstop. I do feel sorry for Theresa May. The difference is she didn't have the skills of being able to sell it. I assume the huge effort they will do is square off the DUP between now and Saturday.” For businesses, Simon McAllister says the uncertainty is still there despite the deal. “In the private sector there is very low readiness for Brexit, particularly a no deal Brexit. I don't think life will just go on. It is just a backstop we're talking about. Businesses are still where they are from last week, not sure what they've to plan for.” Ultimately though, and despite the DUP's opposition, Bertie believes this is a good deal for Northern Ireland and if stability can come about then you can expect a border poll in the next ten years. “I would expect to see a border poll in the next decade. There probably would have been one if there had been a stable executive working. It will be over 30 years since the Good Friday Agreement and it would be hard to believe that you wouldn't get that vote. If Northern Ireland handles this right they will do very well but they have to get political stability for a sustained period.” For more episodes from the Floating Voter, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-floating-voter/ The Floating Voter is in association with EY Ireland.

This week ‘Prudent Paschal' gave us Budget 2020 which was all about the 4Bs of Brexit, Boring, Boggers and Boxer Moran, but how much should we believe that the shadow of Brexit was behind the tight budget and how much will the carbon tax hike hit us? Independent TD and Minister for State, Boxer Moran joined INM's Kevin Doyle and Philip Ryan as well as EY Ireland's Head of Tax, Kevin McLoughlin, defending the government's measures, on this week's Floating Voter podcast. Admitting to driving a 2.5 litre BMW and owning five cars as part of his taxi business in the midlands, Boxer Moran admitted that protecting rural Ireland is still on the agenda despite environmental concerns. EY's Kevin McLoughlin analysed the budget from a tax and economic perspective highlighting the need for Ireland to remain competitive with uncertainty still ahead in the years to come, and not just around Brexit,. “There is a danger of getting overly-distracted by Brexit,” he said. “How well are we fixed to plug the gaps in revenue with Brexit or other international events? There's not a whole lot left there in terms of levers.” For more episodes from the Floating Voter, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-floating-voter/ The Floating Voter is in association with EY Ireland.

It's stormy times at the moment and not just with the weather. Between Boris' Brexit plan and Trump's tariffs, tough times are ahead, so what can we expect in next week's budget? This week's Floating Voter looks ahead to the likely political, economic and business decisions that will be made by the government for Budget 2020. Joining Kevin Doyle and Philip Ryan were Ferga Kane, EY Ireland's Partner in Government & Infrastructure Advisory and Fianna Fail's Education Spokesperson, Thomas Byrne. While the panel discusses issues of infrastructure investment, housing & education and the Green agenda, Brexit is the shadow looking over everything. "Both parties have vision of what should be in the budget," says Thomas Byrne. "But Brexit is the shadow over everything. We're doing the budget with that in mind and looking to keep the country on an even keel." He also believes it would be ‘likely' there'll be a general election in Ireland if a Brexit extension takes place while he also warned that it will 'inevitably lead to people dying' if the Northern Assembly has to vote every four years on border posts. For more episodes from the Floating Voter, visit the show page at: https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-floating-voter/ The Floating Voter is in association with EY Ireland.

NOBODY could benefit from the disruption caused by attacks on people linked to Quinn Industrial Holdings, a former minister from the region has said. Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith says locals don't know who would hire a gang to abduct and assault businessman Kevin Lunney. Asked who stands to benefit from such incidents, Mr Smith said: “Nobody can benefit from that.” In conversation with IMN Group Political Editor Kevin Doyle and Irish Independent columnist John Downing on the ‘Floating Voter' podcast, the long-served politician for Cavan/Monaghan said the community are “very angry”. He said people “believed we were gone from the era of people being abducted, injuries being inflicted on a person and then that person being dumped on the side of a road”. “As a community we are not going back to that era. Our communities both north and south will not tolerate that,” he said. The podcast also looked at the latest drama in the Brexit shenanigans after the House of Commons was recalled. Mr Downing describes recent events as “utterly insane” and “distressing to look at”. He predicted Brexit is now likely to be delayed beyond October 31 and that Boris Johnson may even temporarily set aside as Prime Minister until an election.

The current Holy Trinity of rural Ireland - Beef, Brexit and Broadband - was up for discussion on this week's Floating Voter which came live from the 2019 Ploughing Championships in Carlow. Joining INM Political Editor, Kevin Doyle, was Michael Ring, Minister for Rural Development, Billy Kelleher, Fianna Fail MEP, and Joe Healy, IFA President. On the beef protests, Minister Ring called on farmers to give the agreement a chance, 'Let's see what the factories are going to produce now....this cannot go on for the country'. Likewise, the IFA's Joe Healy said that the blockades have to end,  'Regardless if people agree with it [the agreement] or not it was the best deal we could get, but now we're urging farmers to move away from the blockades and put the ball into the factories' court and see what they do.' For more from the Floating Voter visit the show page at: https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-floating-voter/

The biggest shake-up of the capital's bus network in decades is being planned – but not everybody is happy.BusConnects has pitched commuters against communities in a battle for the capital.Aimed at getting the city moving and avoiding more gridlock for future generations, the 10 year plan is to make Dublin's bus service fit for purpose.But the project comes at a cost as hundreds of mature trees are set to be chopped down, residents will see their gardens carved up and what about those who don't take the bus?In this special episode of ‘The Floating Voter, Kevin Doyle discusses the advantages and pitfalls of the plans with a panel that includes the Herald's chief reporter Conor Feehan, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and Rathfarnham resident Lorna Callinan.Conor outlines what is being planned and the logic behind. Lorna gives the view of a residents who stand to lose their driveways and Eamon talks about the political implications.

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny has revealed he was brought close to tears from the frustration of campaigning to introduce medicinal cannabis for Irish patients. Speaking to the Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Kenny said he was “pissed off” by the legislative process but welcomed the recent Government decision to introduce a medical access programme for cannabis products. “There are times, I will be out straight with you, I haven't been cried but I have cycled out of Dail Eireann in despair,” he said. “The last couple of weeks with the announcement of the medical access programme it has put a pep in my step,” he added Medicinal cannabis will be available to certain patients whose medical needs cannot be treated by other products by the Autumn. Mr Kenny said the scheme does not go far enough and he hopes in the future people with chronic pain will be able to avail of medical cannabis. The Dublin Mid-West TD, who believes cannabis should be legalised for recreational use, said he smoked marijuana as recently as two weeks ago. “It is the odd time I smoke a couple of joints. I wouldn't be a big smoker but I do have the odd joint and when I say the odd joint I mean a couple of times a year,” he said.

Mental Health Minister Jim Daly has said the allegations of bullying in Fine Gael's Waterford branch is “not an isolated incident” and is replicated in other constituencies across the country. The minister said internal issues are not being taken seriously by Fine Gael headquarters and insisted more needs to be done to address the problem of local political rivalries. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Daly said: “If you rang around the secretary of the constituency in any of the 40 constituencies or whatever there are you will find that there are various serious levels of issues.” “This is not an isolated incident what is happening below in Waterford,” he added. The minister said he is has no problem with the “argy bargy” of local politics but said at times people have “crossed the line”. “There is a line and when it is crossed it needs to be dealt with,” he said. “Waterford I think and I believe is a symptom of a malaise within politics across parties I don't think it is party specific and I think it needs to be tackled to be honest,” he added. Mr Daly also took aim a Fine Gael general secretary Tom Curran who he said should do more to address the problems in the party. “I think the party needs to be managed by the general secretary and I think the general secretary needs to step up to the plate and take it serious and acknowledge this is going on at various different levels and degrees in the constituencies,” he said. Last week, a motion of no confidence was tabled against Waterford TD John Deasy by his own branch over his lack of commitment to the constituency. In response, Mr Deasy claimed the constituency was rife with internal bullying and called for the organisation to be stood down. Fine Gael senator Paudie Coffey, who is a former Waterford TD, insisted there was no bullying in the organisation. Separately, Minister Daly told the podcast he is concerned about unqualified suicide prevention organisations giving talks to children in schools. Mr Daly said it can be hard to “question” or “challenge” mental health services because it is a sensitive area. However, the minister said there are people who do not have the appropriate training are offering mental health services. “I'd be quite concerned about a number of services out there especially in the suicide area going into schools talking to children,” he said. Mr Daly also defended his proposal to introduce online verification codes for logging on to adult websites. The system, which would see adults issued with individual codes for internet use, is aimed at preventing children from logging on to inappropriate websites. The minister said people should not be concerned about using the codes as all their online activity is already being recorded. “If anyone thinks that isn't happening already - that there isn't a record of your internet history and your viewing and all that - they are very very misguided and very very naïve,” he said. “All our history is recorded and our viewing that debate has passed. This isn't going to change in any shape or form the traceability of what we do in the privacy of our own home,” he added.

It's been a week when Boris Johnson's personal life hit the headlines and his crockery allegedly hit he walls. Back in Leinster House the Taoiseach is coming under pressure over broadband, and Fine Gael find itself engulfed in a bullying row. On this week's ‘Floating Voter', INM's Political Editor Kevin Doyle is joined as usual by Philip Ryan. And new recruit Hugh O'Connell makes his first appearance on the podcast. The trio delve into the political hot topics of the week and what it all means for the key players. And they give gossip from annual Oireachtas Political Correspondent's Table Quiz where everybody was scooped by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Fine Gael members are privately expressing dissatisfaction with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, according to a senior Fianna Fail TD. Fianna Fail's public expenditure spokesperson Barry Cowen even claimed a Fine Gael member of the Oireachtas told him the Taoiseach was “no Enda Kenny”. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, Mr Cowen said the recent local election result had caused concern among the Fine Gael membership. “I talk to Fine Gael colleagues from around the country and there is no doubt too that they thought Leo was going to bring them to the promise land over a protracted period but the penny is dropping with them too,” he said. “One of them even said to me ‘he's no Enda'. I didn't think that would happen as quickly as it has happened,” he added. Mr Cowen said the person who made the reference to the former Taoiseach was a member of the Oireachtas meaning it was either a Fine Gael TD, senator or MEP. The Offaly TD also said Fine Gael has notably ramped up their political attacks on Fianna Fail since the local and European election. “The result has led to a definite change of tactic on the part of Fine Gael who seem to be trying to provoke us and goad us but I like to think we are still the adults in the room, the steady ones,” Mr Cowen said. “The immaturity on their part in trying to get a reaction but to be honest it is water off a ducks back to the likes of us,” he added. The Taoiseach called Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin “two faced” and “precious” in the Dail this week. The Fine Gael press office also issued near identical press releases on behalf of individual TDs attacking Fianna Fail for questioning the Government's national development plan.

Two newly elected councillors have called for urgent action on racism after being subjected to bigotry on the campaign trail. The councillors, who are both from minority backgrounds, have recounted how their intelligence was questioned and they were branded “paper Irish” while canvassing. Poll topping Green Party councillor Hazel Chu also revealed she separately had to collect her brother from a hospital emergency department when he was the victim of a racist assault. Ms Chu's mother, who was born in Hong Kong, was also racially abused and hit with an ashtray while working in a restaurant. Speaking to Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, the Dublin City Councillor said: “The thing is with people being racially biased it has always happened in Ireland so there is always an undercurrent there but what has happened in the last five years it is a lot more brazen.” “They don't call it racism, they say it is an issue with immigration and they point to fact that it is controlled immigration what they need rather than they don't want immigration. It's a different conversation but it is becoming a louder conversation,” she added. Meanwhile, Fine Gael Councillor Yemi Adenuga described how voters asked her if she was “intelligent enough to run” for the council and told her she was taking Irish jobs by becoming a politician. “The reality is you are seeing more and more of it because it is not dealt with,” the Meath County Councillor said “We are sweeping it under the carpet and we are saying we are dealing with it well and we're not that bad. “When you don't deal with issues like this it escalates and my worry would be that more and more people will become more influenced by it. “People who ordinarily wouldn't have made it an issue would think about it and make it an issue and then you see more of it happening,” Ms Adenuga added. The Nigerian born councillor also discussed growing up in a polygamous home where her father had seven wives and 27 children.