The great paradox of modern Ireland is that the more power Irish liberals acquire, the more illiberal they become. We had, yesterday, a collection of taxpayer funded NGO’s in to visit the Oireachtas committee on Housing and Local Government, which is responsible for how Ireland runs its elections, amongst other things. Kitty Holland picks up […]
Ten days ago, panicked by scenes of revelry in Dublin’s South William Street area, the Chief Medical Officer, Tony Holohan, sent the tweet heard around the country: Drove into Dublin City Centre to collect someone from work at 815 PM. Absolutely shocked at scenes in South Great George’s St, Exchequer St, South William St area. […]
The Special Criminal Court is back in the news, because an interim report into it is being published in a couple of weeks. We can say something with absolute certainty right now about that interim report: It will make absolutely no difference. Regardless of what the report says, the court will stay. The court will […]
We’re not supposed to call it the “Indian variant”, any more, obviously, in case that makes ordinary people feel suspicious of Indian-looking people they see on the street (who comes up with this stuff, exactly?). But we are all supposed to be absolutely terrified of it. It is more transmissible, and it is on the […]
To read the opposite side of this debate, with my colleague Niamh Uí Bhriain, click here _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The worst kind of tax, a wise man once said, is the kind that you have to pay. For non-smokers, an extra euro on […]
As a rule, Irish media outlets cannot comment on matters that are under consideration in Irish courts. Generally speaking, we shouldn’t comment on matters under consideration in overseas courts, either, but for this story, it is worth making an exception: A LEADING feminist campaigner has been charged with a hate crime for posting allegedly homophobic […]
If you have not read yesterday’s blockbuster Vanity Fair report about the US investigation into the lab-leak theory, and you have some free time today, go and read it. If you do not have free time, let us try to walk you through the big news. We should begin with the not-quite-a-smoking-gun. “U.S. government virologists […]
This week, the Government announced that it would be increasing the property tax, which, as you all know, goes to fund local government and county councils. Later today, Niamh and I will have duelling articles on whether increasing the property tax is a good idea. And, sods law being what it is, no sooner was […]
Credit where it is due: this is an interesting, and what Sir Humphrey Appleby of Yes Minister fame would have called “courageous” proposal, first reported by Hugh O’Connell of the Independent: “speaking at Government Buildings on Tuesday, Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said she had asked her officials to examine “pay-related benefit” where a person’s […]
Finally, a solution to the impending pensions crisis: Israeli scientists have boosted the life expectancy of mice by 23 percent, in an advance they hope could eventually be replicated in humans. They increased the supply of a protein, SIRT6, which normally wanes with aging, in 250 mice. In peer-reviewed research just published in the journal […]
It feels like a very long time ago now, but it is worth remembering, and reminding ourselves, that the original point of lockdowns was to reduce social contacts between people, and limit opportunities for Coronavirus to spread amongst the population. The success of lockdowns was supposed to be measured in scientific terms – the flatness […]
A stupendous success, says Stephen Donnelly: Mandatory hotel quarantining has worked effectively Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says. He tells the Seanad that 4,616 people have entered hotel quarantine here, 178 tested positive for Covid-19 and 59 cases associated with variants of concern were detected. — Mícheál Lehane (@MichealLehane) May 31, 2021 178 cases of Covid, […]