Aodh Quinlivan

The 2009 Local Elections in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract Elections to 114 local authorities were held on 5 June 2009 against the backdrop of a struggling economy. It was not surprising that the problems besetting the national finances dominated the election campaign, relegating local government policy issues like planning, housing and roads to the margins of the debate. With the opposition parties successfully turning the elections into a referendum on the performance of the national government it was an uphill struggle for Fianna Fáil and the Green Party to keep the focus local. Ultimately the 2009 local elections in the Republic of Ireland confirmed the maxim that local elections are used to give sitting governments a mid‐term shock. Fianna Fáil suffered its worst ever local election performance and Fine Gael emerged as the largest party at local authority level. As is customary at local elections, independents and others also experienced profitable returns.

THE 2004 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

After the two Nice treaty referenda and the surge of European scepticism on the eve of the largest European Union (EU) enlargement to relatively poor central and eastern European countries, Irelands electoral behaviour was eagerly awaited. On 11 June 2004, 58.8 per cent of the Irish electorate turned out to elect 13 representatives for a five‐year mandate to the European Parliament. The loss of two seats in the European Parliament as a result of the Nice Treaty made the election in the Republic of Ireland more competitive in 2004 than in 1999. It resulted in tighter elections and a few surprises. Even though European elections across the 25 member states were run on domestic issues and failed to define European‐wide questions, some pan‐European trends can clearly be identified and highlight a relatively homogeneous concern for future European integration if not plain European scepticism. In many ways, the 2004 European election reveals that Ireland is more and more synchronised with its EU partners.

Reconsidering directly elected mayors in Ireland: Experiences from the United Kingdom and America

Abstract As part of the proposed modernisation of Irish local government a directly elected mayor with executive powers will be introduced in Dublin in 2011. It is then anticipated that the system of elected mayors will be extended to the whole country. However, it is not known what impact this new form of executive leadership will have on the prevailing system whereby city and county managers are dominant. Drawing from experiences in the United Kingdom and the United States, this paper suggests that Ireland needs clear, unambiguous mayoral models. As a political leader with executive powers it is imperative that the mayors relationships with both the council and the city/county manager are tightly defined. A US-style recall option would also enhance the Irish system.

Public sector reform in Ireland: countering crisis

our inheritance’: namely, sectarianism (p. 120). Parker’s early death in 1988 robbed the theatre in Ulster of one of its most articulate voices, but it is instructive to imagine the acerbic eye he would cast upon the contemporary political standoff in Northern Ireland. The Protestant working-class in Northern Ireland, and its fragmented but rich culture, has often been maligned and misunderstood: by Irish nationalists and republicans, by Unionist politicians and by many of those in Great Britain who have taken an interest in Northern Irish affairs (admittedly, a small number). For those who genuinely seek a nuanced and detailed understanding of its political and cultural dynamics over the course of the last century, they could do no better than delve into this hugely rewarding book.