Government has nowhere to hide on Seanad Reform
The Government’s cynical foot dragging on reforming the Seanad cannot continue, thanks to the decision of the Supreme Court in the Tomás Heneghan case. The effect of that decision has been suspended until July because the court acknowledged that the reconstitution of the Seanad electorate necessitated by its judgment will take time. The court now […]
Donald Trump’s indictment makes his re-election more likely
It is hard to see how attempts by a New York Southern Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, to indict Donald Trump on charges relating to the Stormy Daniels hush-money pay-off will not almost inevitably rebound in political terms by garnering support of grass-root Republicans for Trump’s re-election campaign. Any prosecution will almost inevitably centre on […]
Car use is not simply the prerogative of the middle class
There seems to be a vogue for condemning everyone who doesn’t share your opinions as being morally reprehensible, selfish, ignorant, or a class enemy. Violent language is regularly used online against anyone who questions the validity of transgender ideology. Owners of rented property are condemned as exploiters of their lessees. And now Irish Times readers […]
State is now turning its guns on private landlords
I wrote here some time ago about the issue of private landlords exiting the market. I raised the question as to whether this really mattered, in so far as every house being sold by a private landlord would either end up in the hands of an owner-occupier or in the hands of another private […]
Judicial Appointments Commission Bill is unconstitutional
The Government hopes before Easter to pass legislation that amounts, in my view, to a gross subversion of the architecture of Bunreacht na h-Éireann and a massive breach of the constitutional separation of powers between legislature, executive and judiciary that has existed in Ireland for 100 years. That legislation is the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, […]
A caring consensus on gender issues requires broad national discussion
The HSE now proposes to develop a new policy in relation to gender dysphoria, transgender issues and the availability and access to gender transitional counselling and medical treatment. This raises the immediate question as to who or what the HSE is at present. It is an executive agency of the State with wide responsibilities in […]