As the campaign enters its final week, the election remains all to play for. In this manifesto review we look in detail at the manifesto commitments of Labour, Social Democrats, Green Party, Aontú, People Before Profit and Independent Ireland. Read here.

The various parties of the General Election Campaign have launched their manifestos and the political and policy battle lines of the campaign have now been drawn. This manifesto review looks in detail at the manifesto commitments of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin– the so-called ‘big three’ parties from which the next Taoiseach is likely to emerge. Read here

With Ireland set to go to the polls on 29th November 2024, the Association of Irish Local Government has outlined a bold and transformative vision in its General Election Local Government Manifesto, calling for a decisive shift in how local councils operate, the powers they wield and the resources they control. Read the briefing.

This round-up examines the news from Ireland’s Parliament and provides an update on the progress of bills and legislation which impact local government ahead of the general election. Our latest edition covers a range of topics, including planning and development, maternity leave, Seanad Electoral, and much more. Read this briefing.

This briefing looks at the monitoring visit to Ireland by the Delegation for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe. Given the common evaluation and monitoring templates of the Congress for all countries involved, these insights provide a rich comparison of local democracy across Europe – so how did Ireland fare? Read this briefing.

This briefing looks at some of the main themes emerging from, A Home of Your Own, Housing for All and the Report of the Housing Commission, and explores what these three Irish housing policy platforms say about the direction of housing policy. Read here.

This briefing considers the housing provisions and other housing-related aspects of Ireland’s Budget 2025, including an examination of key themes in the housing market, recent developments and trends, and reactions of political representatives, relevant bodies, and commentators. Read this briefing.

In this think piece, LGIU’s Ireland Commissioner, Dr Seán O Riordáin, discusses the current governance of the island of Ireland and delves into considerations around a possible new governance model for the region. Read this article.

As local elections loom in Ireland and the country marks 125 years of elected local government, Dr Seán Ó’Riordáin reflects on the realities of a much constrained and denuded system. Read the article.

In this article published for International Women’s Day last year, Dr Michelle Maher of See Her Elected discusses how they are working to increase women’s participation in local government, especially ahead of the 2024 local elections. Read this article.

This edition of our weekly bulletin explores the electoral process, funding electoral services and the challenges facing staff delivering this vital service. Global Local curates information and inspiration from local government around the world. Read the bulletin.

This article, from See Her Elected, examines the current landscape for female local election candidates in Ireland and highlights how the See Her Elected initiative has created a gateway for women in rural Ireland into local politics. Read this article.