The Phoney War

29th January, 2011

Despite all the claims by Brian Lenihan for the need to allow the Oireachtas two weeks to debate the Finance BIll, it passed all stages in the Dail this week with time to spare. The Seanad is sitting today – Saturday – to make its considerations and my fellow Senators and I shall be done by this evening. The Dail will be dissolved on Tuesday and we shall go to the polls on Friday February 25th, barring any last minute surprises from Brian Cowen. The end of the phoney war is in sight.

I get some sense that once the weekend is over the focus shall shift to what the parties are offering rather than the stuff about polls and debates which, while interesting to those with a professional interest in politics, bore a great number of voters.

The real campaign cannot come a moment too soon.