Six things we learned on the campaign trail today
A Solidarity, Election Before Boyd During Leader Barrett Profit Leader Mary Sinn And Mcdonald, Lou Rté Niall Féin General Debate Of Carson/pa At Richard Studios, Picture: People Dublin
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou MacDonald has backed calls for a left-wing transfer pact in Friday's election.
Ms McDonald said that recent polls show that her party is in a position to lead a government without Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, however, Ms McDonald accepted that doing so will require other parties, and urged the public to vote for Sinn Féin and to continue their preference for left-wing parties if they want to see a change of government.
People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett has pushed Ms McDonald to expressly back a pact in a bid to see a left-wing government.
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Collins/collins Children's Photos Construction Hospital, Picture: stephen The Dublin Of National
It comes after the resignation of interim chief executive of Children's Health Ireland Fiona Murphy.
Micheál Martin denied Ms Murphy's departure will impact the opening of the hospital, however, Jennifer Whitmore of the Social Democrats said it raises "very serious questions" about the management and staffing of the hospital.
Sinn Féin's Louise O'Reilly said a funded workforce plan is "entirely absent" from the outgoing Government, and the resignation will only compound matters.
"This entire project, the Children's Hospital project, has been beset by a complete, total, and utter absence of leadership," she said.
Fianna Fáil candidate Lorraine Clifford-Lee is trying to make a splash with voters when it comes to her campaign sway.
Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien is coming under pressure to publish the latest homeless figures ahead of polling day.
Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin called on the Government to release two reports on homelessness in advance of the election.
Mr Ó Broin accused minister for housing of "sitting on" the two reports which, he claimed, will show yet another increase in the number of people without a home.
Outgoing Limerick City Green Party TD is one of only a handful of politicians to have released a campaign song.
In a post to his TikTok account, Brian Leddin said that his friend Alan had written the track which features the hook:
"He's Limerick's own personal bearded green Jesus/If he wasn't flesh and blood, sure no-one would believe us/He's a man of the people, from the city of the steeples/He's someone that inspires and he can take us higher".
It's an earworm, for sure.
Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said he finds it fascinating that Micheál Martin has "almost discovered" the idea of Deis+ in recent days.
"We have been campaigning for that since May 2023 and, 18 months later, Micheál Martin thinks it is a good idea as if he has only ever heard of it now," said Ó Ríordáin.
Noting that Fianna Fáil has had control of the Department of Education since 2020, he asked how many children could have been helped in that period of time, had the suggestion been taken seriously.
"There are about 100 schools around the country, but particularly in Dublin, the most disadvantaged areas of Dublin that would benefit from Deis+," he said.