Are politicians worse than they used to be, or are we all wearing rose-tinted glasses? Sean Defoe takes on the big question as a new poll suggests Fine Gael has edged back into first place, with Sinn Féin stalling and the Social Democrats still climbing.

From “Pepsi and Coke” party comparisons to what Mary Lou McDonald says about Sinn Féin’s momentum, Sean unpacks the fractured landscape and why approval ratings now look grim compared to the Haughey/Ahern/Robinson era.

He also makes the case that, for all the noise, the overall quality of today’s Dáil might actually be improving.