Military axis of Russia, China and North Korea will test what the West stands for
“Up Periscope”. We are all familiar with these words from wartime movies. They signify that those who have been tensely awaiting events are about to reconnect through a narrow aperture with the wider world. In the fast-moving world of international politics, diplomacy and trade, sometimes there is urgent need to survey where we are, while […]
Ministers need to stop pointing out obstacles to delivery – and start tackling them
When I wrote here last week about the vast range of issues that come within the remit of the Planning Board, I omitted to mention another very important category of decision-making powers that is vested in the board. These are functions in relation to compulsory purchase of land by the State or by local authorities and other State […]
In Victorian era a railway in Ireland could be built in three years, but now even planning approval would take way longer
If your next door neighbour built an extension which was 9in higher than was permitted under its planning permission, and an objection was made, the issue as to whether retention could be granted would be a matter for your local council at first instance. After that, it would go on appeal to the planning board, An Bord […]
There is no ‘right’ to subvert women’s freedom to have their own events and spaces
The decision by the UK’s supreme court on the meaning of the term “woman” for the purposes of its Equality Act created a small but noisy reaction among trans activists. The court held that “the concept of sex is binary” – that is, there is a male and a female sex. This outcome is reassuring for many people who […]
The fragmented EU will struggle in negotiations with the US
You can bet your bottom dollar (if you’re still in that currency) that the various intelligence agencies will be concentrating many surveillance resources and personal connections to ascertain the negotiation agendas in respect of forthcoming talks on Trumps tariff war threats. In particular, the European Union is, in terms of security for its negotiation process, […]
Tariff war a major self-inflicted wound for the United States
One of the advantages of having three sons interested in sports is that our household succumbed to early pressure to get the full Sky package more than 20 years ago. In those days Sky’s package included Fox News and I developed a strange fascination with the political slant of the channel. People now rarely speak […]