Election 2024 . Not that one, though the Trump victory is sure to influence some of what we are threatened and promised. presumably we'll have a date soon.

[DeanElderberry]

Any wise thoughts?

True @LifeInAHamsterWheel
I don't think MM would like to be the smaller party in a coalition with SF though.

The department of CEDIY is inclusion of disability. Disability was pulled from the HSE umbrella in 2020, although it is still partially funded

That department already is setting up a division for Disabilities but it is partly funded by HSE and through CEDIY, it is hammering funding, they have got their own staff, offices all to be fed through HSE but they will be 2 sets of finance approvals required from DOH & CEIDY.

No & I'd say MM wants to be Taoiseach again in the near future so will prefer to hold the balance of power.

I guess it really depends on how many seats FG can win, they have a lot of retirees this time round. Strong names which had experience to help them.

It feels like we could have a lot of green TDs all around.

I think FF will win the most seats much like 2020

Possibly, but Bertie could not win enough seats in 2002 at the height of his strength.

I would consider it unlikely for SF.

I am looking at SF purely because I do not want FG back in and MM has made it clear to me a vote for FF is a vote for FG by the back door.

Do they decide on coalitions after the election, or do they have to adhere to what they committed to beforehand?

At least now we know! They really should just combine & become FFG!

No, they trash it out afterwards unless we have a hung Dáil I believe this is where the quota is not met.

This article explains what happens next & the hung Dáil which could well happen.

https://www.rte.ie/news/election-2016/2016/0227/770852-key-election-questions-answered/

Can be before or after the election see what falls where.

1997 FF& PDs campaigned as a team.

2011 FG & Labour campaigned as a team.

I don't believe the 1994 (I think) FG lead rainbow coalition of Labour & WP campaigned as a team, that was thrashed out after the seat count.

Hence MM vehemently declaring he would not go into coalition with FG until the carrot was dangled.

They are both centre parties so I suppose it makes sense. It will be hard for SF to beat them as a unit.

Just had the Labour candidate round - a middle-aged Mum, like me. I put my three issues to her and I was particularly interested to hear her say that at committee level, they're not all singing off the same hymn sheet regarding the trans issue. She linked it through to social media/smartphone/mental health, particularly for teenage girls, which is exactly what we all know here on MN. Hmmm, now I'm considering giving her a vote.

That's good to know there is a difference in opinion at committee level on trans ideology. However Ivana Bacic is very pro trans are are all the left parties she want to form a left alliance with which will prove much more harmful for young females. Did you ask her to define a woman?
I told my labour TD I did not want males in my female spaces & he condescendingly said "you mean a transwoman" to which I replied no I mean a male. He knew exactly what I meant. Did she tell you her specific plans to protect female spaces, it won't matter what she thinks as the leader & TDs are pro gender ideology.

@Joolsin

I think this is a massive issue for all parents, not sure what this means here?

She linked it through to social media/smartphone/mental health, particularly for teenage girls, which is exactly what we all know here on MN.

@trumped Respectfully can I ask you what your concerns are with having a trans woman in female spaces?
Just the main point/s, you don't need to go into detail.

Well @Brownwitch female spaces are for females with female reproductive organs, males have penis & I would prefer for myself & my little daughters spaces to be penis free as I would be very, very uncomfortable. My comfort levels & my daughters are paramount & we should not have to compromise this in the name of an ideology.

Also my daughters play individual & team sports in single sex catagories, I want to ensure they always remain single sex catagories.

OK, thank you

@Trumped labour candidate also round here unfortunately I was sick in bed. DH said he seemed nice and I pointed out labour view that men are women and how I wouldn’t be giving him a vote.

I still don’t know who to vote for. I was a solid FG voter but women’s rights is my number one issue.

I'm voting Aontú No 1 followed by 4 independents although not sure of the order of those yet.
My local Fianna Fáil TD was lovely! Spent a good 10 mins listening to my concerns re gender ideology & the sphe. He nodded, didn't pass comment (unlike the condescending labour candidate) & said both gender identity & the sphe curriculum were coming up a lot while he's going door to door & also when he's out & about. Before he went on his way I asked him what a woman was, he wouldn't answer.. but he knows! I won't be giving a vote as I am not happy FF as a party have bought into gender ideology, I'm also disappointed with they backed hate speech legislation & Norma Foleys sphe is very concerning.

@Brownwitch for me I think it’s absolutely disgraceful that men pretending to be women are invading women’s spaces. Over 52% of Irish women have experienced sexual assault and almost 20% have been raped. Think of how those women feel in a toilet cubicle hearing a male voice outside or walking in to find some creep in a dress in the toilet. I’ve experienced it myself hearing a male voice while I’ve been in a train station toilet and wondering what to do, how safe I would be leaving the toilet and I thankfully have not experienced sexual rape and violence. Women’s spaces became single sex for a reason.

can I ask why you clearly have no problem with men in women’s spaces? one of those women who prides themselves on ‘being kind’ no doubt - happily throwing other women and women’s rights under a bus in the process. Honestly educate yourself!

@Soupfactory for me it's the swimming pool changing rooms. My daughters are now at the age when they to change themselves & shower etc (pre teen & teen) . How can a male be allowed near children when they are at their most vulnerable. Toilets, prisons, changing rooms, sports teams are all being infiltrated by males indentifying as women.
Why aren't they demanding trans spaces. Why do they feel entitled to be in women's spaces?
4 years ago I don't think this was quite the huge issue it is now. I am very glad we have independents & a political party (Aontú) who have pledged to repeal the Gender Recognition Act & protect our female only spaces & sports.

The suffregates fought so hard for our rights to vote & our rights as females to work . And look at some women who would happily vote for parties who demand we let men invade our female only spaces, demand we refer to them as she/her & call us far right & bigots if we don't play along.
Countess Markevicz & the suffregates would actually turn in their graves at the harm gender ideology is doing to female rights.

The problem is that your vote would be viewed as an endorsement of their publicity stated position on gender ideology and would result in them becoming more entrenched on the issue.

I was in a major retailer earlier this year. I saw 2 pre teen girls entering the changing rooms, followed by a man. He didn't seem to be with them and was probably trying on clothes. It was a gender neutral changing room.
Or possibly he was getting his kicks out of changing in a cubicle beside young girls. There were only curtains on the cubicle.
Who knows why he followed them in? We just have to trust that he was a decent person.
Transwomen don't need to present as women. They can have a beard if they want. Certainly they can have a penis.
It's not legal to ask for a gender recognition certificate.
There are no safeguards.
Nobody could challenge that man.
The GRA 2015 removed safeguards for women and girls.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth-family-relationships/legal-recognition-of-preferred-gender/

It is literally this easy to get a Gender Recognition cert. Once you have it you are legally entitled to go into a female space if you are born male. It is shocking @Onehorsetown i well believe it. Many teens girls have stories of boys in school identitying as girls & using the girls toilets even if there is a unisex option.
How is it fair? Why should girls & women compromise their comfort & share their female only space to keep a man happy & validate his feelings?

I know I am voting Aontú as they are so strongly opposed to gender ideology & Aontú have pledged to repeal the Gender Recognition Act which is imperative in my opinion.

Many, many independents are also very gender critical, I must research mine more in depth before prioritising who to give my no 2,3,4,5 to..
I'm not quite sure about Independent Ireland but I would image they would be gender critical. Niall Boylan definitely was when he was running for Europe.

DH was watching Roger O' Gorman on the news being interviewed by David Mc Cullough and commented that he came across well.
I, just passing through and not sitting down watching it, let him know about women's right being trampled on - I gave an example very similar to your observation in that shop @Onehorsetown.