The Social Democrats hosted a webinar last Wednesday to discuss the broad topic of left unity. The participants were Sinn Féin TD Éoin Ó Broin, Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon, Labour Senator Annie Hoey, People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, and UCD Professor Emeritus Kathleen Lynch. A number of things struck me. First of all […]
The polyamory world is abuzz with excitement. Next Tuesday sees the release ofThree Dads and a Baby, a memoir about three gay guys in San Diego decided to begin a family. Dr Ian Jenkins, a doctor and the author, Jeremy Hodges, a zoo-keeper, and Dr Alan Mayfield, a psychiatrist, regard themselves as just your average, […]
Catherine Gallagher is a 23-year-old student with a disability from Achill Island who was offered a scholarship to pursue a PhD in DCU. Incredibly, due to regulations and red tape she is being forced to decline the award in order to keep her disability supports. When her case was raised in the Dail, Tánaiste Leo […]
If you don’t agree with the protestors in Dublin city centre on Saturday, that’s fine. I am not sure I do myself. Or I haven’t really engaged with what they are protesting about to understand what aspects of ‘lockdown’ are being protested. However, I understand why many felt the need to protest and the right […]
Confiscation is not the official term, of course, but what’s a better word for this carry on? PARENTS WHO HAD to submit their own passports as part of the application for their child to get a passport may have to wait as long as six months to receive their own back. Furthermore, anyone who had […]
I’ve had Covid-19. While I’m acutely aware that so many people have suffered terribly and died from the virus, for me it felt like a nasty flu. I was stretched for about a week with fever and chest pains – and then fatigued for another fortnight until my energy levels got back to normal. The […]
Yesterday, we reported that Texas became the first US state to lift all Coronavirus restrictions, including – controversially – the statewide facemask mandate. From today, Texans are free to go about living their lives just like they did when the Coronavirus was still a twinkle in the eye of an imprisoned, and illegally captured, pangolin […]
In the middle of the worst economic crisis in decades, the government has announced that they will be ending the levy on banks that was brought in after the bailout, a move seen by many as essentially letting the banks off the hook after being saved by the taxpayers. At the same time, the VAT […]
A Report being launched today by Green Party TD and Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Joe O’Brien, is to recommend a radical transformation of how local authorities assess and prioritise housing applications from non-Irish minorities and members of the Traveller community. The Minority Groups and Housing Services: Barriers […]
A remarkable decision, and one that will be closely watched around the world. For good or ill, we’re about to have an enormous laboratory test on whether facemasks really are making any difference in keeping the pandemic contained: Texas is lifting its mask mandate, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday, making it the largest state to […]
It’s good journalistic practice, as a general rule, to ask a person for comment before you write about them. But before sitting down to write this piece, last night, the only question that this writer could think to ask acting President of the University of Limerick, Kerstin May, was this: Have you lost your mind? […]
The issue of transgenderism has moved into the very centre of politics, culture, education and healthcare. It is the subject of much argument, activism and controversy. Historically, .01% of the population were affected by, what was then called, gender identity disorder and it predominantly affected males. In 70% of cases, the condition was temporary. Today, […]