It’ll be a real tragedy if, the very first time a species from another Galaxy hears the voice of an earthling, the first message they get is from Communist China encouraging them to read the little red book. In fact, there’s a very real danger that they will read it, and conclude that the earth […]
I have worked with buyers on the issue of modern slavery in supply chains for much of the last decade. Modern slavery is a very real issue. Globally, it is estimated that some 40m people are enslaved or subject to forced labour conditions. Many, many more work in deeply exploitative conditions. I have looked into […]
Religious freedom and political freedom are woven from the same cloth. Reflecting on Irelands experience under the cosh of the Covid-19 pandemic there are very real reasons for concern. The scientific evidence justifying authoritarian edicts restricting freedom of movement and of religious practise– enforced by an unsettling show of armed force–have not been properly set […]
There are several ways by which a person might illegally immigrate to Ireland. They might, for example, come here on a temporary work visa that entitles them to be in the country for a period of time, and then stay here long after that visa has expired. They might simply sneak in on the back […]
The country’s private hospitals are empty, and the owners of those hospitals are being paid one hundred and fifteen million euros a month, by you, the taxpayer, to keep them that way. Meanwhile, 2.2million Irish people are paying private health insurance so that they can avail of these private hospitals if, and when, they fall […]
Normal People, the serialization of the book by Sally Rooney, is billed as the great lockdown escape that has galvanized the country. According to RTE, that is scarcely open to argument and indeed many TV critics have gone along with the creators’ own assessment. According to the hype, it is a beautifully told, ‘coming of […]
All around the world, and not just in developed countries, fertility rates are plummeting. For many people, including dedicated demographers, large families and healthy fertility rates belongs to a bygone era. Many have also become skeptical of the fact that the Christian faith can still have the seemingly magical power of keeping fertility rates up. […]
One of the interesting phenomena associated with the virus lockdown is the alacrity with which certain people have embraced the whole notion of extending state control over further parts of civil society and individual behaviour. It is also noteworthy that far from this being opposed by the left, many of that persuasion have embraced all […]
A profoundly shocking news clip from Al Jazeera has again raised the disturbing practice of ‘screening out’ people with Down Syndrome before they are born. The clip, posted by disability awareness group, Don’t Screen Us Out, shows a spokesperson for Chinese biotech company BGI Genomics talking up the company’s ability to provide screening tests for […]
The school has apologised. The child’s mother, a Mrs Taylor, is tremendously upset. Not that you could blame her: A mum is ‘fuming’ over her 11-year-old daughter’s school work which asked children to define hardcore pornography – among other ‘inappropriate’ topics. Children in Years 7, 8 and 9 at Archbishop Sentamu Academy in Hull were […]
A very good question by the interviewer here, and a very bad answer from the putative politician. Have a listen to it yourself. She basically says “I denied that I believe in a world with no borders even though I absolutely believe that the world should have no borders”: https://twitter.com/gearoidmurphy_/status/1262753866686193665 The problem with this sort […]
Fran McNulty of RTÉ broke the news on Twitter this afternoon. He said the Data Protection Commission is apparently dealing with complaints that employers at meat plants and nursing homes received the Covid-19 test results of employees before they were given to workers. BREAKING: Data Protection Commission dealing with complaints about #Covid_19 test results being […]