EVERY WEEK, TheJournal.ie casts its eye over events inside and outside Leinster House that have got people talking.
As the saying goes: ‘You win some, you lose some.’ So here are our political winners and losers from the past seven days:
1. Sinn Féin
After the storm of controversy that has engulfed them in recent weeks, the opposition party will have been glad to have gone about it’s business with little fanfare this week.
Mary Lou McDonald generated a few headlines with her “naughty step” antics but that was it. Furthermore the difficulties that the Socialists got into this week (more of which below) won’t have done Sinn Féin any harm.
2. Nigel Farage
The UKIP leader saw his party win a second seat in the House of Commons after Tory defector Mark Reckless held his seat in the Rochester and Strood by-election. The new UKIP MP claims that more in the Conservative Party are ready to defect to UKIP. All of which makes good news for leader Nigel Farage
3. Joan Burton
The Tánaiste would have preferred if last Saturday’s events in Jobstown hadn’t happened but she has benefited from significant support and sympathy over the shocking scenes in Tallaght.
1. Noel Coonan
The Fine Gael TD compared some water charge protesters to ISIS. Not the smartest move and he correctly withdrew the remarks.
2. Government ministers
Three of them reportedly cancelled interviews on two NPR journalists who were in Ireland this week.
3. Phil Hogan
Big Phil may be having a great old time in Brussels as the EU’s Agriculture Commissioner but back at home even former colleagues are dumping on his legacy as his successor at Environment, Alan Kelly, said the ex-Fine Gael TD “could have done better” when setting up Irish Water.
4. The Socialist Party
While it’s been a good year for the party generally having won Dáil by-elections, the two new TDs, Paul Murphy and Ruth Coppinger, have done themselves no favours this week in trying to justify those troubling scenes in Jobstown last weekend.
Have the changes to water charges saved the government’s bacon or is it a case of too little too late? Is the coalition a winner or a loser after this week’s announcement?
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