Its a left-wing country. Last time we had a 'right-wing' government was 1922-1932. We have has socially conservative governments since then but not economically right-wing. Charlie's governments of 1987-1992 may be classed as right wing. FF/PD coaltion may have adopted many right-wing policies but spent money and increased the size of govenment by so much it would make a good old fashioned socialist blush.
It's quite a difficult one to define.
I would say it's a centrist country that had a quite right wing / conservative recent past and is moving towards centre left.
Fiscal / Financial :
Spins that it's a centre-left country, in reality it's centre / centre-right. Quite poor distribution of wealth and an acceptance of this status quo. Certainly quite right leaning when compared to continental Europe anyway.
Socially:
Centrist with a lot of remnants of a recent history of extremely conservative, right wing views i.e. ultra-conservative religious society until the 1990s.
Irish people are also quite strongly individualistic and will tend to expect their personal rights to always override the greater good e.g. one-off housing leading to pollution in lakes, refusal to deal with a lot of community issues etc etc.
There's definitely a sense that it's changed dramatically though and that the Government hasn't quite caught up. I'd say we will definitely swing towards Labour and away from traditional old-fashioned FF and FG.
Neither. Yet.
"A purely socialist movement cannot be expected in Ireland for a considerable time. People there want first of all to become peasants owning a plot of land, and after they have achieved that mortgages will appear on the scene and they will be ruined once more." - Frederick Engels, 1888.
Who says there was no warning of the crash?
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