Message from the Editor: The pace picks up in the final stretch

As we head into the last four days of this general election campaign, the pace and intensity of the competition for votes has noticeably increased. But there still remains a sense that the central theme of the campaign has not yet emerged. (It is of course possible that no such theme exists.)
Voters’ concerns are well known, as they have been for some time. Cost of living, which has driven incumbents from power in elections across the world this year, is chief among them. But, if polls are to be believed, that anti-incumbent mood is less damaging to the two large government parties here than has been the case with their peers elsewhere. That may be due in part to the financial cushioning the Government has been able to provide on the back of buoyant tax revenues.
Housing also remains to the forefront of the conversation, although the debate over which policies are likely to work best can become highly technical. Essentially, all parties are now committed to a massive investment in social and affordable housing, but Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil’s support for help to buy and other house purchase supports is not shared by the parties of the left. A similar division exists over whether tenants should have greater protection against evictions and rent increases. To that extent, at least, voters have a choice.
On current party support levels, however, it is difficult to see how the next government can be formed without the participation of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. That may be why, as the week wore on, there was increased talk of who else might join them. Responding to a listener’s question on the Irish Times Inside Politics podcast on Friday, Taoiseach Simon Harris offered a hint of his preferences with a disparaging comment about the Social Democrats’ tax policies and more complimentary words about Labour and the Green Party.
All this, of course, is very premature. The final debate on Tuesday between the leaders of the three large parties could still influence many uncommitted voters. And, after a campaign characterised by extravagant spending promises, a note of caution was introduced this week with warnings that the incoming Trump administration poses a significant threat to the corporation tax revenues which have driven the current largesse. Few parties, however, were willing to say explicitly or in any detail how they would cope with that challenge.
In advance of election day, I’d like to draw your attention to a range of resources which are now available on irishtimes.com to help you inform yourself in greater detail about this week’s election, the different policies of the parties and the battle in your own constituency.
In this list of constituencies, you’ll find every candidate listed and every constituency analysed with a ‘predicition / possible outcome’.
Compare the party manifestos using this handy tool.
Who should you vote for? Answer some simple questions here to compare your views with those of the different parties and candidates.
The Irish Times/ Ipsos B&A series of opinion polls has an excellent track record. Peruse the latest numbers – and our archive – through this excellent resource.
For the duration of the campaign, our Inside Politics Podcast has become Election Daily, providing you with quick, intelligent and digestible analysis of the day on the campaign trail. You’ll find all the episodes on our site or through your preferred podcast platform.
Our correspondents have been out and about in communities across the country in recent weeks, listening to people and hearing what preoccupies them. We have also been taking the temperature with The Irish Times voter panel. You can find it all here.
Ruadhán Mac Cormaic
Editor
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Food Month is continuing at The Irish Times, with expanded coverage of food and drink on irishtimes.com and in the newspaper, including features, reviews and recipes for all tastes. Among our Food Month features this week, restaurateur Gráinne O’Keefe recounted what happened when she cut out sugar from her diet, while Niall Toner wrote about mushroom hunts in Ireland. Meanwhile, our latest restaurant guides included 10 dining rooms that mix style and substance, and 10 venues worth travelling to for a unique experience.
As always, there is much more on irishtimes.com, including rundowns of all the latest movies in our film reviews and all the latest in sport. There are plenty more articles exclusively available for Irish Times subscribers here.
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