There are times when I have to pinch myself, when I read the concerns of journalists as expressed in our mainstream media, about the interaction between religion and politics in Ireland – and contrast it with the actual relationship between religion and politics in this country, as evidenced by social surveys. A recent survey, carried […]
Leo Varadkar, or so the polls tell us, is the darling of the nation. He saved us all from Covid and can do no wrong. Polls show that 88% of Irish people believe the government did a good job of handling the Covid crisis – while an almost unprecedented 72% expressed satisfication with the government. […]
We hear all how Sinn Féin represents change from the Fianna Gael/Fine Fáil monopoly. But nobody ever stops to ask – what kind of change does Sinn Féin actually represent? Ben Scallan comments #gript
The Deputy leader of Fianna Fáil, Éamon Ó Cuiv, has said the party’s vote is “collapsing” and that it will become “irrelevant” if it enters into government under the programme currently being put to the vote by the party members. Responding to an opinion poll published in the Irish Mail on Sunday which showed Fianna […]
A group of 50 Fianna Fáil Councillors have been joined by 1,000 party members to launch a campaigning group to Vote No to the Programme for Government (PfG) negotiated by Fine Gael, the Green Party and the leadership of Fianna Fáil. The dal agreed by the three parties must now be ratified by members. The new organisation, […]
The newly agreed Programme for Government includes a commitment to impose ‘exclusion zones’ which would stop even silent pro-life vigils outside hospitals and GP surgeries where abortions take place or are facilitated. This is an extreme measure and, as a national law, would be unique in Europe. The Programme includes other measures of concern (see below). For example, it promises yet […]
Up to 70 Italian cities have seen protests demanding that the current government step down over their handling of the coronavirus, and calling for an Italian exit from the EU. Protesters – including many orange vest demonstrators – called for a new government and a return to the Italian lira in place of the euro, it […]
The Covid-19 crisis highlights how the interests of individual patients and those of public health officials can sometimes be at odds. In other words, the general advice that government officials give from a public health perspective – looking at the proverbial bigger picture, the statistical aggregate – might not actually be the best advice for […]
Events are moving rapidly with regard to the formation of a new government. It seems widely expected that a decision may be made today. At the heart of this is whether Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael agree to most of Green Party demands, including “red line” of annual cuts in carbon emissions of 7% until […]
As of 17th April, 302 people have died from the virus in community care settings, which is 62% of all Covid-19 deaths, with 253 of those in nursing homes. Each day, we read on the news about how many cases and deaths there have been, how the curve is flattening, and whether we can ease […]
People are thinking outside the box. We have time aplenty these days to think and to consider what we might like to take from ‘new normal’ when what we used to call normality resumes again. Some things about new normal feel more normal and more rational than old normal. Some things about old normal seem quite […]
We need the full truth from the media and government with regard to protective clothing, testing, the WHO China and more Ben Scallan reports