The Floating Voter

History was made and a Brexit deal has finally been reached. But with Boris Johnson agreeing to things he said he would never do and the DUP as always saying ‘No’, is this really the end of the story?

On this week’s Floating Voter podcast, former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, joined INM’s Kevin Doyle and Philip Ryan, as well as EY’s Simon MacAllister to look at the deal from a political and economic perspective.

“There has been a huge amount of switching in one week,” said Bertie Ahern. “Boris has made three big concessions, including the line down the Irish Sea which was previously anathema. But the DUP have been consistent at least, they went bonkers after the 2017 agreement and are similarly against this deal.”

“Leo Varadkar has played a good game. The only thing is the time-limits on the backstop. I do feel sorry for Theresa May. The difference is she didn’t have the skills of being able to sell it. I assume the huge effort they will do is square off the DUP between now and Saturday.”

For businesses, Simon McAllister says the uncertainty is still there despite the deal.

“In the private sector there is very low readiness for Brexit, particularly a no deal Brexit. I don’t think life will just go on. It is just a backstop we’re talking about. Businesses are still where they are from last week, not sure what they’ve to plan for.”

Ultimately though, and despite the DUP’s opposition, Bertie believes this is a good deal for Northern Ireland and if stability can come about then you can expect a border poll in the next ten years.

“I would expect to see a border poll in the next decade. There probably would have been one if there had been a stable executive working. It will be over 30 years since the Good Friday Agreement and it would be hard to believe that you wouldn’t get that vote. If Northern Ireland handles this right they will do very well but they have to get political stability for a sustained period.”

For more episodes from the Floating Voter, visit the show page at:

www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-floating-voter/

The Floating Voter is in association with EY Ireland.

This week ‘Prudent Paschal’ gave us Budget 2020 which was all about the 4Bs of Brexit, Boring, Boggers and Boxer Moran, but how much should we believe that the shadow of Brexit was behind the tight budget and how much will the carbon tax hike hit us?

Independent TD and Minister for State, Boxer Moran joined INM’s Kevin Doyle and Philip Ryan as well as EY Ireland’s Head of Tax, Kevin McLoughlin, defending the government’s measures, on this week’s Floating Voter podcast.

Admitting to driving a 2.5 litre BMW and owning five cars as part of his taxi business in the midlands, Boxer Moran admitted that protecting rural Ireland is still on the agenda despite environmental concerns.

EY’s Kevin McLoughlin analysed the budget from a tax and economic perspective highlighting the need for Ireland to remain competitive with uncertainty still ahead in the years to come, and not just around Brexit,.

“There is a danger of getting overly-distracted by Brexit,” he said. “How well are we fixed to plug the gaps in revenue with Brexit or other international events? There’s not a whole lot left there in terms of levers.”

For more episodes from the Floating Voter, visit the show page at:

www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-floating-voter/

The Floating Voter is in association with EY Ireland.

It's stormy times at the moment and not just with the weather. Between Boris' Brexit plan and Trump's tariffs, tough times are ahead, so what can we expect in next week's budget?

This week's Floating Voter looks ahead to the likely political, economic and business decisions that will be made by the government for Budget 2020. Joining Kevin Doyle and Philip Ryan were Ferga Kane, EY Ireland's Partner in Government & Infrastructure Advisory and Fianna Fail's Education Spokesperson, Thomas Byrne.

While the panel discusses issues of infrastructure investment, housing & education and the Green agenda, Brexit is the shadow looking over everything.

"Both parties have vision of what should be in the budget," says Thomas Byrne. "But Brexit is the shadow over everything. We're doing the budget with that in mind and looking to keep the country on an even keel."

He also believes it would be ‘likely’ there’ll be a general election in Ireland if a Brexit extension takes place while he also warned that it will 'inevitably lead to people dying' if the Northern Assembly has to vote every four years on border posts.

For more episodes from the Floating Voter, visit the show page at:

https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-floating-voter/

The Floating Voter is in association with EY Ireland.

NOBODY could benefit from the disruption caused by attacks on people linked to Quinn Industrial Holdings, a former minister from the region has said.

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith says locals don’t know who would hire a gang to abduct and assault businessman Kevin Lunney.

Asked who stands to benefit from such incidents, Mr Smith said: “Nobody can benefit from that.”

In conversation with IMN Group Political Editor Kevin Doyle and Irish Independent columnist John Downing on the ‘Floating Voter’ podcast, the long-served politician for Cavan/Monaghan said the community are “very angry”.

He said people “believed we were gone from the era of people being abducted, injuries being inflicted on a person and then that person being dumped on the side of a road”.

“As a community we are not going back to that era. Our communities both north and south will not tolerate that,” he said.

The podcast also looked at the latest drama in the Brexit shenanigans after the House of Commons was recalled.

Mr Downing describes recent events as “utterly insane” and “distressing to look at”.

He predicted Brexit is now likely to be delayed beyond October 31 and that Boris Johnson may even temporarily set aside as Prime Minister until an election.

The current Holy Trinity of rural Ireland - Beef, Brexit and Broadband - was up for discussion on this week's Floating Voter which came live from the 2019 Ploughing Championships in Carlow.

Joining INM Political Editor, Kevin Doyle, was Michael Ring, Minister for Rural Development, Billy Kelleher, Fianna Fail MEP, and Joe Healy, IFA President.

On the beef protests, Minister Ring called on farmers to give the agreement a chance, 'Let's see what the factories are going to produce now....this cannot go on for the country'.

Likewise, the IFA's Joe Healy said that the blockades have to end, 

'Regardless if people agree with it [the agreement] or not it was the best deal we could get, but now we're urging farmers to move away from the blockades and put the ball into the factories' court and see what they do.'

For more from the Floating Voter visit the show page at:

https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-floating-voter/

The biggest shake-up of the capital’s bus network in decades is being planned – but not everybody is happy.BusConnects has pitched commuters against communities in a battle for the capital.Aimed at getting the city moving and avoiding more gridlock for future generations, the 10 year plan is to make Dublin’s bus service fit for purpose.But the project comes at a cost as hundreds of mature trees are set to be chopped down, residents will see their gardens carved up and what about those who don’t take the bus?In this special episode of ‘The Floating Voter, Kevin Doyle discusses the advantages and pitfalls of the plans with a panel that includes the Herald’s chief reporter Conor Feehan, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and Rathfarnham resident Lorna Callinan.Conor outlines what is being planned and the logic behind. Lorna gives the view of a residents who stand to lose their driveways and Eamon talks about the political implications.

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny has revealed he was brought close to tears from the frustration of campaigning to introduce medicinal cannabis for Irish patients.

Speaking to the Independent.ie’s Floating Voter podcast, Mr Kenny said he was “pissed off” by the legislative process but welcomed the recent Government decision to introduce a medical access programme for cannabis products.

“There are times, I will be out straight with you, I haven’t been cried but I have cycled out of Dail Eireann in despair,” he said.

“The last couple of weeks with the announcement of the medical access programme it has put a pep in my step,” he added

Medicinal cannabis will be available to certain patients whose medical needs cannot be treated by other products by the Autumn.

Mr Kenny said the scheme does not go far enough and he hopes in the future people with chronic pain will be able to avail of medical cannabis.

The Dublin Mid-West TD, who believes cannabis should be legalised for recreational use, said he smoked marijuana as recently as two weeks ago.

“It is the odd time I smoke a couple of joints. I wouldn’t be a big smoker but I do have the odd joint and when I say the odd joint I mean a couple of times a year,” he said.

Mental Health Minister Jim Daly has said the allegations of bullying in Fine Gael’s Waterford branch is “not an isolated incident” and is replicated in other constituencies across the country.

The minister said internal issues are not being taken seriously by Fine Gael headquarters and insisted more needs to be done to address the problem of local political rivalries.

Speaking to Independent.ie’s Floating Voter podcast, Mr Daly said: “If you rang around the secretary of the constituency in any of the 40 constituencies or whatever there are you will find that there are various serious levels of issues.”

“This is not an isolated incident what is happening below in Waterford,” he added.

The minister said he is has no problem with the “argy bargy” of local politics but said at times people have “crossed the line”.

“There is a line and when it is crossed it needs to be dealt with,” he said.

“Waterford I think and I believe is a symptom of a malaise within politics across parties I don’t think it is party specific and I think it needs to be tackled to be honest,” he added.

Mr Daly also took aim a Fine Gael general secretary Tom Curran who he said should do more to address the problems in the party.

“I think the party needs to be managed by the general secretary and I think the general secretary needs to step up to the plate and take it serious and acknowledge this is going on at various different levels and degrees in the constituencies,” he said.

Last week, a motion of no confidence was tabled against Waterford TD John Deasy by his own branch over his lack of commitment to the constituency.

In response, Mr Deasy claimed the constituency was rife with internal bullying and called for the organisation to be stood down.

Fine Gael senator Paudie Coffey, who is a former Waterford TD, insisted there was no bullying in the organisation.

Separately, Minister Daly told the podcast he is concerned about unqualified suicide prevention organisations giving talks to children in schools.

Mr Daly said it can be hard to “question” or “challenge” mental health services because it is a sensitive area.

However, the minister said there are people who do not have the appropriate training are offering mental health services.

“I’d be quite concerned about a number of services out there especially in the suicide area going into schools talking to children,” he said.

Mr Daly also defended his proposal to introduce online verification codes for logging on to adult websites. The system, which would see adults issued with individual codes for internet use, is aimed at preventing children from logging on to inappropriate websites.

The minister said people should not be concerned about using the codes as all their online activity is already being recorded.

“If anyone thinks that isn’t happening already - that there isn’t a record of your internet history and your viewing and all that - they are very very misguided and very very naïve,” he said.

“All our history is recorded and our viewing that debate has passed. This isn’t going to change in any shape or form the traceability of what we do in the privacy of our own home,” he added.

It’s been a week when Boris Johnson’s personal life hit the headlines and his crockery allegedly hit he walls.

Back in Leinster House the Taoiseach is coming under pressure over broadband, and Fine Gael find itself engulfed in a bullying row.

On this week’s ‘Floating Voter’, INM’s Political Editor Kevin Doyle is joined as usual by Philip Ryan. And new recruit Hugh O’Connell makes his first appearance on the podcast.

The trio delve into the political hot topics of the week and what it all means for the key players.

And they give gossip from annual Oireachtas Political Correspondent’s Table Quiz where everybody was scooped by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Fine Gael members are privately expressing dissatisfaction with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, according to a senior Fianna Fail TD.

Fianna Fail’s public expenditure spokesperson Barry Cowen even claimed a Fine Gael member of the Oireachtas told him the Taoiseach was “no Enda Kenny”.

Speaking to Independent.ie’s Floating Voter podcast, Mr Cowen said the recent local election result had caused concern among the Fine Gael membership.

“I talk to Fine Gael colleagues from around the country and there is no doubt too that they thought Leo was going to bring them to the promise land over a protracted period but the penny is dropping with them too,” he said.

“One of them even said to me ‘he’s no Enda’. I didn’t think that would happen as quickly as it has happened,” he added.

Mr Cowen said the person who made the reference to the former Taoiseach was a member of the Oireachtas meaning it was either a Fine Gael TD, senator or MEP.

The Offaly TD also said Fine Gael has notably ramped up their political attacks on Fianna Fail since the local and European election.

“The result has led to a definite change of tactic on the part of Fine Gael who seem to be trying to provoke us and goad us but I like to think we are still the adults in the room, the steady ones,” Mr Cowen said.

“The immaturity on their part in trying to get a reaction but to be honest it is water off a ducks back to the likes of us,” he added.

The Taoiseach called Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin “two faced” and “precious” in the Dail this week.

The Fine Gael press office also issued near identical press releases on behalf of individual TDs attacking Fianna Fail for questioning the Government’s national development plan.