Good morning,
Sinn Féin made it through Wednesday without a major development in the cascading series of scandals and controversies that have beset the party for weeks. That may not sound like much of an achievement, but in the context, it is more than a small mercy. And it is by no means guaranteed to be the new normal due to the sprawling nature of the controversies. At a minimum, next month’s sentencing of Michael McMonagle, the party’s disgraced former press officer who pleaded guilty to child sex offences, will remind voters of his case in the teeth of the general election campaign.
But, if the most intense phase of the crisis has passed for Sinn Féin, it has little time to survey the damage. It will next week launch its health policy, the last in a series of policy documents drawn up over months (even years). These were intended to be the blueprint of a programme for government – they may be yet, but the task facing the party is more daunting than could have been imagined when that work started. Senior party figures are frank in their assessment that the polling only tells one story, and that voters are not connecting with the party’s policies in the way they once were. Sinn Féin is no longer the default option for those who want something different in government buildings, and that is its core problem.
The party has been assiduous in attempting to reset the narrative – its press office pumping out statements at a rate of knots while Mary Lou McDonald has vigorously pursued wasteful government spending. After weeks of intense scrutiny, the party is not afraid to stick its chin out with the media, either – tackling RTÉ at the weekend over Patrick Kielty’s opening Late Late monologue, while last night McDonald accused The Irish Times of misogyny. They are perfectly entitled – and well able – to fight their corner, and with their backs against the wall, it may tap into an F-the-begrudgers, back-to-basics bloody-mindedness that harks back to the anti-establishment energy which electrified the party when was initially excluded from leaders TV debates in GE 2020. The issue it may face is that large swathes of voters felt the same then and were mobilised by it. Sinn Féin may use that same mindset now to kick-start its campaign, but will it give it the momentum shift they need?
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If it is to be successful, that must now come in the white heat of an election campaign.
Best reads
We lead today on the latest developments in the troubling Kyran Durnin story, which is receiving a lot of political attention.
Newton Emerson on the various likelihoods of aligning welfare systems North and South and a Stormont space programme.
There has been no shortage of concern – but also mirth – about the Cobalt allegations in Leinster Hose. Edward Burke warns it would be a mistake to think of it as a “Carry On” caper.
Miriam Lord on the Healy-Rae’s obsession with Ivana Bacik and her bike.
The bank holiday weekend is hoving into view – if you fancy a break from politics, read Patrick Freyne’s account of (checks notes) thrusting bums in his review of Disney’s adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals.
GE24: The battleground constituencies
Playbook
The last day of sittings before the break: but will they be back? At the moment it looks like yes, but before the politicians are freed to knock on doors over the Bank Holiday weekend, the Dáil will sit from 9am with oral questions for Roderic O’Gorman, followed by Peter Burke. Then it’s Leaders’ Questions at midday, followed by questions on policy or legislation before lunch.
The full schedule is here.
The Seanad sits from 9.30am, and in the afternoon continues with legislation enabling maternity leave for politicians.
The full schedule is here.
The committee on drugs use meets at 9.30am on the topic of family and community, while at the same time, Sinn Féin’s Maireád Farrell takes up the reins at the Public Accounts Committee for the first (maybe the only?) time after the palava over her appointment subsided. The HSE are in to talk about their financial statements.
Thomas Byrne is in before the Irish language committee at 10.30am, and Niall Collins is taking the supplementary estimates for the Department of Further and Higher education through committee in the afternoon simultaneous to Peter Burke who is at the environment committee on the review of the climate action plan.
The full committee schedule is here.
Beyond Leinster House: Helen McEntee and Drew Harris announce the commencement of the average safety camera systems on the N5 and N3 at 9.15am. McEntee is due to launch the One in Four annual report later on Thursday morning.
Also in the morning, Taoiseach Simon Harris is at a US-Ireland economic summit at the ambassador’s residence in Phoenix Park. The Taoiseach is also due at the British Irish Chamber of Commerce conference today, as is Northern Ireland Economy Minister Conor Murphy and UK trade commissioner for Europe Chris Barton. Thomas Byrne and Neale Richmond are in attendance too.
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