What, if anything, will come from the annual political party “think-ins” that herald the beginning of the new Dáil term? These gatherings, supposedly to reset and focus the parliamentary troops, have long been a part of the political calendar, but participants and leaders are frequently dragged in to focus, not on policy, but on other matters – in this year’s case, the presidential election.

It is striking how frayed the social contract appears as the parties gather this year. A report this week from the ESRI has highlighted alarming levels of child poverty. In the 12 months to April 2025, 65,600 people emigrated from the State. The number of Irish-born Australian residents reached a record high of 103,080 in 2024, a number that has almost doubled in the last 20 years.

Almost seven in 10 (69.9 per cent) of........

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