Will Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin abstain from the presidential race?

Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       With Independent TD Catherine Connolly and former MEP Mairead McGuinness having declared their candidacy, there will now be at least two names in the race for the Áras. But with no sign yet of a clear candidate for Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin, are any of the potential names currently being discussed likely to gain party support?

·       Fianna Fáil's Niall Collins would be 'very uncomfortable' with a one-size-fits-all approach to a blanket VAT cut for the hospitality sector, given that luxury and five-star hotels would benefit from a measure they don’t necessarily need. Some Fine Gael Ministers are unhappy with Mr Collins for criticising a policy that would help support entry-level jobs in rural Ireland.

·       And as the humanitarian crisis deepens in Gaza, urgency around the Occupied Territories Bill increases. The inclusion of services is still the big question given the huge potential knock-on effects for some businesses here.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       A new exhibition exploring the legacy of the Magdalene Laundries, fifty years since the release of Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, and Joe Canning’s take on Tipperary’s triumph in the All-Ireland hurling final against Cork. 

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