Fine Gael (FG) will contest this General Election focussing on five major policy areas to rebuild Ireland; Jobs, Fixing the Deficit, Health, Public Sector and Politics. Unfortunately, they can’t be described fully here but visit www.finegael.org for more details.

BAD TIMING – There is something profoundly sad about the poor timing with which the Green Party entered into Government for the first time in their history in 2007.

Real Future, Better Plan:‘Despite the many problems we face, our country retains many great strengths. With the right policies, we can and will get through this crisis and build a better future for Ireland’, Mícheál Martin.

‘Jobs, reform, fairness’ is the central theme of the Labour Party Election campaign and it is on this theme that the Labour Party (LP) policy platform is based.

THERE IS A BETTER WAY – Ireland is a country that stands at the brink. We are in a recession that is unprecedented in the history of the Irish state. Not only have people faced crushing job losses this has also been compounded by crippling debt as our countries elite have tied us to the gambling losses of banks and bondholders. However there is an alternative. Sinn Féin (SF) is willing to provide this alternative.

Alan Smith attempts the unenviable task of explaining Ireland’s proportional representative system, to arm students with knowledge of where their numbers are going.

Politics Editor Irial O Ceallaigh and Alan Smith discuss the upcoming general elections, Paddy Power’s predictions on constituency seats (both national and provincial), PR-STV, and the five UCC political party societies summarise their party’s key policy platforms.