’The unity conversation needs to be open, transparent, and let’s keep open minds, because we need to flesh out what Irish unity would look like and what the UK union would look like’

Ian Marshall is a beef farmer, a former dairy farmer, and was president of the Ulster Farmers Union from 2014 to 2016. But more significantly he was until earlier this year a senator in Ireland’s Oireachtas – a unionist in Ireland’s second legislative chamber. A quite remarkable situation. Many observers were disappointed – as was Ian – that he was not elected back into the Seanad’s agricultural panel, nor appointed on the lists of new Taoiseach Micheál Martin or the …

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Sinn Fein to back Ian Marshall for the Seanad

Sinn Fein President, Mary Lou McDonald has confirmed the party will back Ian Marshall for the upcoming Seanad by-election. She said; “I am pleased to confirm that Sinn Féin will be supporting Ian Marshall in the upcoming Seanad by-election. “I have met with Ian on a number of occasions in recent weeks and I have been impressed by his views on Brexit and the potential impact Brexit will have on the island, north and south.  “I believe Ian will be …

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“School’s out for Summer Schools”: The Week In Irish Politics

So that’s it. The political term over and done with. Politicians off on their holidays and the lights all off in Leinster House. They’re all in Marbella, Magaluf or Corfu. At least that’s the impression you get any time you read the papers upon the rising of the houses of the Oireachtas for any recess. In reality, the political world keeps turning and politicians are still at work, be it in the constituency, developing policy, meetings with various groups, or …

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“Rainy Days Back In Fashion”: The Week In Irish Politics

Another week, another glimpse of ‘new politics’ at work in Dáil Éireann. The Green party’s Waste Reduction Bill, (co-sponsored by Labour as the Greens are short on number in the chamber), passed to committee stage late last night. It did so with the support of Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and a host of Independents. Its supporters argue that it’s by far the best way to reduce waste by putting the onus on companies to reduce packaging while …

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Niall Ó Donnghaile to run for the Seanad

Former Mayor of Belfast and serving Titanic Quarter Councillor, Niall Ó Donnghaile is to run for the Seanad on the Administrative Panel for Sinn Fein. Speaking about the decision to run he said; This is an ideal opportunity to give a voice to Belfast and its citizens in the heart of the Oireachtas. Ending partition, building economic prosperity, protecting & promoting the rights and entitlements of Irish citizens in the north and promoting peace-building and reconciliation will be to the …

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Trouble for Independents in Seanad

It would appear that all is not well with the Independent grouping in the Seanad. The fall out from Averil Power’s resignation from Fianna Fail has created a new problem. A press release issued by Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell in the last hour says that while the grouping accepted Senator Power they rejected his application with no discussion. Senator Craughwell has applied to join the group on two separate occasions but was told that they do not wish to accept …

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The Oireachtas by-elections: #Seanad, #DSW, #RSL

The end of this week sees three Oireachtas by-elections being completed, two for the Dáil seats vacated when Brian Hayes (FG) and Luke Flanagan (Ind) were elected as MEPs, and, the third a Seanad seat vacated by Deirdre Clune (FG), after she too was elected as an MEP. Given that the two Dáil seats are in constituencies that are re-drawn for the next general election, the result of the embarrassing #McNultygate Seanad by-election is likely to attract most comment. Given that there …

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Franchise bump for Seanad a step one reform? Or taping up the box on further reform?

Well, the government’s first response to defeat in the last referendum is to bring forward a broadening of the university franchise which gives the votes to all graduates of third level education in the Republic. So if you graduated at the Institute of Technology in Letterkenny, congratulations, you now have a vote. Erm, that is if the College still knows where you live. Minister for Agriculture has said this morning that ‘more fundamental reform’ is needed, and certainly given the damning …

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Seanad Éireann lives on – Irish government proposals defeated by 51.7% to 48.3%

Common sense has prevailed and the magician’s diversionary trick of proposing to remove the Seanad Éireann has been voted down by a tiny majority. The Fine Gael Labour coalition government proposal was supported by Sinn Féin and was lost by a narrow margin, with 48.3% voting in favour of abolition, with 51.7% against. Any guesses to how long we’ll wait before meaningful reforms of the Seanad will be put in place? Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs …

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