The return of TDs to Leinster House signals the start of the autumn political session today, with multiple predictions suggesting this may be the close of the 33rd Dáil. Government party leaders are resolute in their stance that there wouldn’t be a general election until next year. However, a significant number of their TDs, Ministers and those in opposition, along with political commentators, are anticipating a possible change in this stated position when the Coalition leaders meet to discuss – a conversation that has been somewhat controversially rumoured as not having taken place yet. Regardless of the outcome, the subject of an impending election will cast a shadow over the political landscape in the impending weeks.
In the initial phase of the term, the Budget, set to be declared by Finance Minister, Jack Chambers, in his first term, and Public Expenditure Minister, Paschal Donohoe, on 1st October, will be the focal point. Considering the impending election and the Government’s strong financial state, a substantive giveaway in the final Coalition budget was always certain. The crucial factor, however, is that the Budget Ministers don’t succumb to a multitude of pressures from their peers in the weeks ahead.
All factors considered, a generous budget is justified; a reckless one, unacceptable. The same holds true for any potential arrangements the Coalition may consider regarding the Apple tax revenues. The final call on these issues, however, will probably rest with the subsequent government.
While the spotlight for many TDs will naturally be on their respective electoral battles, the Government also has pressing legislative matters to address. The finance and social welfare bills, essentially enacted to bring the Budget measures to effect, are crucial. Also on the docket is the planning bill, which the Government sees as instrumental to accelerate housing provision by mitigating planning system delays, set to be legally enacted by mid-next month. Other pertinent legislative items include the defamation bill and the hate crime/hate speech bill that are due for review or re-review by the Dáil. No guarantee has been given, however, that a resolution will be reached on either.
A man from Ireland living in California observed that individuals have a different way of expressing themselves, unlike the customary elderly Irish man. How would you react if a five-day-a-week office routine was mandated? Inevitably, recent times have witnessed some conflicts arising among the Coalition partners. However, none of these disputes have reached a level that could jeopardise the government’s stability. Nevertheless, it is expected that these frictions might escalate as the parties must confront the fact that they will soon be vying for voters, a race that is bound to be fiercely contested between the two major parties. Despite their political motives, the party leaders and particularly the Taoiseach, are obliged to oversee the termination of this government with national interest as a priority.