Pádraig Rice: Programme for Government is just a stale rehash of what went before

We will have a new government by tonight, but their programme for the next five years is unlikely to deliver the transformative changes that are urgently required

Simon Harris (left) and Micheál Martin (right). It quickly became clear to the Social Democrats that we were not the preferred coalition partner — as well as there being significant policy gulfs between us and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. File photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/Pool via RollingNews.ie

As political weeks go, this is going to be one of the most significant of the year. On Wednesday, the Dáil will elect a new Taoiseach, and by Wednesday night, we will have a new government — the 35th in the history of the State.

While the government may be new — its programme is a stale rehash of what came before. Over 162 pages, most of the commitments are vague, notional or regurgitated. There are very few new ideas and completely devoid of the promised “new energy”.