Fallon's Town Talk: Coalition’s first 100 days passes by without fanfare

In politics, the first 100 days of any democratic government has gained an almost mystical resonance. It has a particular significance in US politics since the era of Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy: what a president achieves in his first 100 days lays down a marker for how an administration is viewed.

Donald Trump clocked up his opening century last week and the milestone provoked a media frenzy, even in Ireland. What was curious was the first 100 days of the new Irish government, which was also reached last week, passed by without any fanfare.

In truth, the coalition has endured an undistinguished, disappointing start. The administration has lacked spark and cohesion, without any sense of a coherent vision of where it wants to take the country over the next five years.

The failed attempt to appoint Brendan McDonagh as Housing Tsar encapsulated the general lethargy. Given that McDonagh was expected to be on a salary of €430,000, it was just as well the appointment didn’t go ahead. The debacle begs the question what is the Housing Minister supposed to be doing.

Of course, we’ve been here before. In 2020, in the depths of the Covid-19 lockdown, a government wasn’t formed for four months after the election. It then got off to a disastrous start as it lost two Ministers for Agriculture while Micheál Martin struggled to get to grips with the office of Taoiseach. Ultimately, the chaos subsided and the government stabilised with Martin finding his groove and proving a popular leader.

The same could happen again, but it’s inexcusable that this government hasn’t hit the ground running. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have cast aside historical baggage and are now accustomed to being in government together.

Initially, the Dáil got bogged down in a speaking rights row which prevented the formation of committees.

Sinn Féin and the other opposition parties needed to move on from that row and, now that they have, they’re finding their rhythm. The government is vulnerable on a host of issues, most notably housing, and the opposition is beginning to turn the screw.

Opinion polls mean little, especially in the wake of an election, but the public has yet to turn on the coalition partners going by a poll last Sunday, which has FF and FG with a combined support of 43% which is healthy enough to suggest the voters are still willing to give the coalition a chance.

The most interesting finding, perhaps the only eye-catching finding, is that Paschal Donohoe is a more popular choice for FG leader than Simon Harris. It feels that the ship has sailed for Donohoe’s leadership prospects although the poll confirms that the bounce Harris got when he first became FG leader is long gone.

The question facing any prospective FG challenger is are they brave enough to exploit Harris’s declining popularity? As always in politics, timing will be everything.

SUNNY WEATHER 

Roscommon, like most of the rest of the county, was resplendent in the sunshine last week. Wednesday was an extraordinary day, the warmest April day on record in some parts of the country. It was more akin to a day from high summer with temperatures remaining pleasant, even after darkness has descended.

It was the same over the Bank Holiday weekend. I went for a walk early on Saturday morning and the town looked beautiful. Nature was in bloom and the trees, with their leaves glistening in the early May sunshine, were majestic.

Yet, even on such a balmy morning, some of us view trees differently now because the legacy of Storm Eowyn is hard to shake off. You can’t help but wonder will those towering trees, even shorn of their leaves, be able to withstand another winter hurricane.

A few other thoughts crossed my mind. In the long ago days of our youth, it was generally accepted that the hours between noon and three o’clock were the hottest part of sunny days. That has changed. The warmest part of the day now is from two o’clock until seven.

And for all those who are convinced our smartphones are listening to us, you may have a point. As I pottered around outside, a couple of songs popped up randomly on my playlist: ‘Fantastic Day’ by Haircut 100, the infectiously upbeat ‘She Moves in Her Own Way’ by The Kooks and, a stone-cold summer classic, ‘Summer Breeze’ by the Isley Brothers. If that was an example of the phone being able to gauge the weather and manipulate the playlist accordingly, then one has to salute its taste.