Kenny's light supervision explains slow pace of reformFine Gael’s gains are vulnerable to either a Fianna Fáil resurgence or new entrants in Irish politicsSat Mar 31 2012 - 01:00
12-step recovery programme offers hope to Fianna FáilTIM BALE got a fright when he came to address the Fianna Fáil ardfheis two weeks agoSat Mar 17 2012 - 00:00
Ó Cuív's timing and approach seem very peculiarIN HIS keynote address to the Institute of International and European Affairs three weeks ago Micheál Martin was at pains to …Sat Mar 03 2012 - 00:00
Constitutional convention will have its remit severely prunedGovernment is planning an assembly with an advisory role only and an insignificant agendaSat Feb 25 2012 - 00:00
Martin fails to appreciate risk in treaty referendumTHERE ARE too few occasions nowadays where politicians make the time and the effort to set out a detailed and comprehensive exposition…Sat Feb 11 2012 - 00:00
State may look to test Crotty case judgment over treatyThe Government may take an adventurous approach to challenging ruling on referendumsSat Feb 04 2012 - 00:00
Outrage at Sherlock's web move borders on absurdIF THE furore about Enda Kenny’s remarks in Davos shows how distorted political discourse has become in this country, the onslaught…Sat Jan 28 2012 - 00:00
Coalition should ignore polls and take bold measuresTardiness in tackling public sector and political reform will not be rewarded by votersSat Dec 24 2011 - 00:00
New Bill will regulate corporate donations but this is no banProvisions may reduce influence of corporate donors but rules can be circumventedSat Dec 17 2011 - 00:00
Wasted chance for strategic reform of public financesThe budget’s failure to either cut or reform child benefit was politically cowardlySat Dec 10 2011 - 00:00
Perhaps confused strategy on budget is deliberateTHE WAVE of rumour, leaks and speculation that has marked the lead-in to next week’s budget is reminiscent of the first years…Sat Dec 03 2011 - 00:00
Rush to judge Cowen government misses full pictureHindsight may well have coloured the views and recollections of former ministersSat Nov 12 2011 - 00:00
Cowen's tarnished legacy reflected in economic woeANALYSIS: THIS WEEKEND’S convulsions in Greece’s largest ruling party and the disintegration of the Papandreou government echo…Mon Nov 07 2011 - 00:00
The creeping arrogance of the coalitionTHE INITIALLY cavalier and now arrogant attitude taken by Government Ministers to the debate about the proposed referendum on…Sat Oct 22 2011 - 01:00
President needs to be assertive and independentTHE INTENSE focus on controversies or supposed controversies surrounding individual candidates means the big issues that dominated…Sat Oct 15 2011 - 01:00
Norris and Mitchell have only themselves to blameTHE PUBLICATION of a pair of presidential opinion polls this week means that we finally have access to hard polling data on all…Sat Oct 08 2011 - 01:00
Latecomers to presidential race hovering with intentWITH LESS than three weeks to go before the close of nominations, it had seemed as if the scene around the starting blocks for…Sat Sept 10 2011 - 01:00
News has avoided silly seasonality to Coalition's gainTHE COALITION Government has been blessed, so far, with good luckSat Aug 20 2011 - 01:00
Rush to push Byrne could backfire on FFFOR THE last few weeks, to finalise a book on the history of Fianna Fáil, I have been trying to identify a moment which illustrates…Sat Aug 13 2011 - 01:00
Fall of Norris paves way for intense vettingDEVELOPED VETTING is the most thorough form of security clearance used by the British security servicesSat Aug 06 2011 - 01:00
Taoiseach's speech is a watershed in ties with VaticanTHE REACTION to every speech is always in the ear of the hearerSat Jul 23 2011 - 01:00
Irish media must ask itself tough ethical questionsThe Murdoch hacking controversy is likely to prompt finger-poking at practices in IrelandSat Jul 16 2011 - 01:00
Political mood of public superficially calm so farTHERE WAS always going to be a moment of political reckoning between the new government and the peopleSat Jun 18 2011 - 01:00
The extraordinary achievements of a too-short lifeBrian Lenihan was a superb politician of high intellect and absolute integritySat Jun 11 2011 - 01:00
Insidious jibes grist to mill in race for ÁrasThe race for the Áras is no stranger to smear campaigns. David Norris should breathe easySat Jun 04 2011 - 01:00
Boring politics in North a sign of normalityThe Northern Assembly elections were a dull affair, but there is much about this to celebrateSat May 14 2011 - 01:00
Taoiseach can strike blow for Seanad reformEnda Kenny’s 11 nominations to Upper House offer Coalition a chance to end cronyismSat Apr 30 2011 - 01:00
Possession is nine-tenths of law in SeanadHistory shows sitting senators have a dramatic advantage in the Seanad electionsSat Apr 16 2011 - 01:00
Dissidents have made a serious strategic errorWhen you take on the GAA on this island, you take on the whole communitySat Apr 09 2011 - 01:00
Government must prioritise ban on corporate donationsMoriarty’s findings are reminder that links between business and politics must be brokenSat Mar 26 2011 - 00:00
Experience the key factor for selection of MinistersAllegations of sexism are unfounded – posts were given to the most qualified candidatesSat Mar 12 2011 - 00:00
The continuity behind the Dáil transformationHalf the TDs are new but the routes to becoming a deputy remain much the sameSat Mar 05 2011 - 00:00
Political junkies ready for the ultimate high of count weekendNew technology to allow addicts get closer than ever before to the action as it unfoldsSat Feb 26 2011 - 00:00
Fine Gael within touching distance of overall majorityTHIS TIME next week it will be all over bar the countingSat Feb 19 2011 - 00:00
Dáil to look different in all ways but oneSeat-by-seat analysis shows dramatic change is on cards but gender divide set to staySat Feb 12 2011 - 00:00
Kenny runs cute campaign as finish line nearsConsistent poll results suggest race outcome is predetermined at this stage bar a major upsetSat Feb 05 2011 - 00:00
Opposition parties know real battle lies in gaps between themPotential movement in votes between would-be governing parties will generate plenty of ireSat Jan 29 2011 - 00:00
FF teetering on brink of oblivion as Taoiseach's failings exposedDespite remaining in office, Cowen’s reckless Coalition management means that he has been stripped of all powerSat Jan 22 2011 - 00:00
Senior Fianna Fáilers hold fate of party in their handsUnless something happens to change the party’s fortunes, it is headed for disasterSat Jan 15 2011 - 00:00
Labour faces key decisions over candidatesHaving no substantial electoral base in some constituencies is proving a problemSat Dec 18 2010 - 00:00
New leader needed in fight for survivalJust because FF has always been a big national player doesn’t mean it always will beSat Nov 27 2010 - 00:00
Honohan shines a light amid the gloomTHERE CAN be no doubt that this has been a seminal week in Irish politics and history although much of the talks about how distressed…Sat Nov 20 2010 - 00:00
Not since 'Dessie can do it' has a pitch been so short on contentThough I am tempted, I may keep the Labour Party leader’s invitation to join the revolution on file for nowSat Jun 26 2010 - 01:00
Clamour for scapegoats sadly misplacedWe inevitably seek reassurance in the face of the terrible killings in CumbriaSat Jun 05 2010 - 01:00
Savings show transparency is right roadHuge cost reductions after revelations about ministerial use of limos are a fruit of scrutinySat May 29 2010 - 01:00
Why unionist parties face consolidationThe days of Sir Reg Empey and Peter Robinson as party leaders look numberedSat May 15 2010 - 01:00
Fictional Keano has a point about 'Ireland's Greatest'Scale of RTÉ project to find Ireland’s greatest person seems modest compared to British oneSat May 01 2010 - 01:00
Rotating Gormley would be step too far even for quixotic GreensA secret deal between Greens and Bertie Ahern came back to haunt the party this weekSat Mar 06 2010 - 00:00
Ministers and backbenchers braced for budget backlashPublic anger at the measures in next month’s budget is likely to be intenseSat Nov 28 2009 - 00:00
Political roller coaster looks set to lurch onEvents of the past week rank it with any of the famously turbulent periods in the pastSat Oct 10 2009 - 01:00
