We have to move beyond the insulting caricatures that exist on ‘both sides’ of the debate
Brian O’Nolan, otherwise known as Flann O Brien, was at his absolute best when his parody was closest to the bone. In a satirical scene in his best novel (in my opinon), An Béal Bocht (the Poor Mouth), he brings “na Daoine Uasaile” –the educated elite- down from Dublin, to poverty stricken west Kerry, to […]
Ireland has an “astonishing” 32,841 NGOs and, with many being taxpayer-funded to the collective tune of €5.9 billion annually, an Offaly TD has called for a “critical examination” of the sector. Independent TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan has called on the government to initiate an immediate review into the necessity of non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) […]
“They have nothing good to contribute” – Carol Nolan TD blasts some of the NGO sector on their significant taxpayer funding. #gript
RTÉ’s Social Affairs and Religion Correspondent Ailbhe Conneely is going to bless us with a series this week “exploring racism in Ireland.” Well, colour me pink. Why has no one ever tackled this thorny subject up to now? If there is not some sort of bursary or paper hat for this daring initiative, then there […]
A recent report conducted by the Social Policy Department at UCD for the Dublin Regional Housing Executive contains some interesting insights into the response to homelessness in the city. Among the groups who took part were Merchants Quay, Crosscare, Focus, and the Capuchin Day Centre. Seemingly, no homeless persons nor any of the smaller voluntary […]
Last night the Dáil debated the National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Bill 2020. The aim of the Bill is to make it legal for the government to direct the funding generated by the levy you pay on petrol/oil products into its Climate Action Fund. Although the levy has been set […]
Human Rights Watch is one of the most prominent and influential human rights advocacy groups in the world. It is particularly influential in the United States where it is headquartered. It describes itself as “roughly 450 people of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect the most at […]
Ben Scallan asks if the UN is a glorified NGO? #gript
In his 1845 book The Condition of the Working Class in England, Friedrich Engels excoriated those wealthy philanthropists who placed themselves “before the world as mighty benefactors of humanity when they give back to the plundered victims the hundredth part of what belongs to them.” Back then charity was the preserve of austere Victorians and […]
The EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa is by far the biggest EU trust fund in existence. It emerged from the EU-Africa migration summit in Valletta in November 2015 with the aim of “fostering stability and to contribute to better migration management, including by addressing the root causes of destabilisation, forced displacement and irregular migration.” […]