Ballot Capers: Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war

Traditionally, the dogs in the street have been seen as a threat rather than an opportunity by canvassers. Alan Shatter’s team arrive on every doorstep armed with bouncy balls to keep voters’ pooches from sinking their teeth into the candidate’s finely turned ankles. But now politicians may have to sit up and beg in response to this week’s announcement that Dogs Trust, Ireland’s largest dog welfare charity, has produced a manifesto outlining some of the ways they believe the welfare of dogs can be improved.

"With over 36 per cent of all Irish households owning a dog, we are hoping to inspire the public to share our vision to advance the standards of animal welfare by initiating conversations with their local candidates about their commitments to dog welfare," says the trust's executive director, Mark Beazley. With dogfights predicted for the last seat in so many constituencies, it's only a matter of time before the cats get involved too.

The generation game

The average age of the four main party leaders who debated on

TV3

last Thursday was an almost-pensionable 63. Last night’s seven-sided debate yielded a slightly lower average of 55. But it’s fair to say a bit of fresh blood wouldn’t go astray in the next Dáil. An initial assessment by political geographer

Adrian Kavanagh

suggests that only about 16 per cent of all candidates are aged 21-35.

Of the seven groups represented last night, the Social Democrats had the highest percentage of candidates under 35 (35.7 per cent) and Labour the lowest (18.3 per cent).

The best small country

Enda Kenny, as Harry McGee pointed out this week, has put to one side his mantra that he wanted to make

Ireland

“the best small country in the world” in which to do business.

However, as he drops it, Sinn Féin appears ready to pick it up. Yesterday, Cork was named as the best small city in Europe for its Foreign Direct Investment strategy by the Financial Times's fDi magazine. Indeed, the magazine also ranked Cork as one of the overall top 10 small European cities for inward investment.

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Chris O’Leary (SF, pictured) said: “We are delighted to be ranked the best small city in Europe for its foreign direct investment strategy. Investors considering Cork will be in good company.”

Hang out your brightest colours

There’s a bit of a stretch in the evenings now but voters should be aware that, if Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesman in the outgoing Seanad has his way, high-visibility clothing will be made compulsory for cyclists and pedestriansafter dark. As recorded on kildarestreet.ie, Senator Denis O’Donovan made the call to the Minister for the Environment in the Seanad earlier this month. There may be a consensus if the next government is, as some predict, an FF-FG coalition.

Fine Gael Senator Maurice Cummins, the leader of the House, said he fully agreed with the proposal. Both were silent on whether the law would apply to pedestrians walking the streets of our towns and cities.