Housing, immigration and healthcare are main issues in election

GENERAL Election 2024 will see a new government in theory, but most likely it will be once again, a Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael coalition.

Sinn Féin made the mistake of not running enough candidates in GE 2020, but a lot has happened in four years, and they haven’t made the gains they would have liked since then.

Although Sinn Féin’s electioneering slogan is about ‘change’, the new faces on the block could come from Independents.

The latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll saw support for Fine Gael drop to 19%, Fianna Fáil at 21%, Sinn Féin at 20% with Independents, including Independent Ireland, at 17%.

Housing, immigration and healthcare, are issues to the fore in South Dublin County – much like nearly every constituency in the country – and this will be even more pronounced in the coming years as the population rises.

Dublin South West (5 seats) has all its incumbents running again – Seán Crowe (SF), John Lahart (FF), Colm Brophy (FG), look to be in pole position to retain their seats comfortably.

Paul Murphy (PBP) should have enough support in the tank, but he won’t be as confident as the aforementioned three.

Francis Noel Duffy (GP) looks set to miss out, and the real race will be between Cllr Alan Edge (Ind), Cllr Ciarán Ahern (Lab), Cllr Paddy Holohan (Ind), and Cllr Niamh Whelan (SF), who is polling better than many might have expected.

Who wins the last seat or two here depends on turnout and transfers on the day.

In Dublin Mid-West (5 seats), there will definitely be a newcomer as another seat has been added. Heavy favourites to retain their seats are Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin and Mark Ward, and Emer Higgins (FG).

Gino Kenny (PBP) will have a battle on his hands to retain the seat he first won in 2016.

Cllr Paul Gogarty (Ind), the former Green Party TD, is back in he mix for a return to the Dail, along with Cllr Shane Moynihan (FF), while Cllr Linda de Courcy (Ind Ire) also has a good outside chance.