Stephen Collins

2 months ago | irishtimes.com | Stephen Collins

Now that the distracting row over Dáil speaking time has died down the Government needs to get a grip and show that it is capable of dealing with the really big challenges that have taken the gloss off the country’s stellar economic performance over the past decade. The Taoiseach and his Ministers need to demonstrate a level of urgency which has not been in evidence to date about the scale of the challenges facing them.

Jan 24, 2025 | irishtimes.com | Stephen Collins

The chaotic scenes that marred the Dáil this week arose from a confluence of events that created the perfect political storm. An inexperienced Ceann Comhairle, a move by Government-supporting Independents that was too clever by half, and a brazen effort by the Sinn Féin-led Opposition to wreck proceedings. The outcome was that the Dáil failed to elect a new taoiseach as planned.

Jan 9, 2025 | irishtimes.com | Stephen Collins

The decision by Sinn Féin to transfer one of its leading Northern politicians, Conor Murphy, from the post of Minister for the Economy at Stormont to a seat in the Seanad is a reflection of just how serious a blow the party took in the November election. Much of the media consensus in the aftermath of the election was that it was a boring contest that changed nothing.

Dec 26, 2024 | irishtimes.com | Stephen Collins

Now that the dust has well and truly settled on the general election it is worth asking why the big issues facing the country in the coming years received such scant attention during the campaign, with much of the media focus being on minor gaffes and the attempt by a gangster to get elected to the Dáil. The general consensus is that it was a dull and boring election until Simon Harris lost his cool with a voter in Kanturk after a long day’s campaigning.

Dec 12, 2024 | irishtimes.com | Stephen Collins

Mary Lou McDonald’s demand that Micheál Martin should meet her to discuss government formation ignores one very simple but basic fact – the Fianna Fáil leader received an enhanced mandate from the electorate on the specific pledge that he would not, under any circumstances, go into coalition with Sinn Féin. The clear victors in the election were Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael who between them received 43 per cent of the vote on the basis that they would serve another term together.