Quangos have vanished, only to be replaced by something worse. Tangos
A radio advertising campaign on disability rights is currently under way “brought to you by the Government of Ireland”. It carries the message: “The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities matters to everyone. Everyone who has a disability or who knows someone with a disability. We all have a part to […]
Is anyone doing the sums on our climate strategy?
Part of the Government’s strategy to curb harmful emissions by 51% between 2022 and 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050 involves an ambitious afforestation programme which would see planting of 8000 hectares (nearly 20,000 acres) this year. That would entail planting 154 hectares (380 acres) of new forestry every week this year. Just how ambitious […]
Stop glamorising spray-paint vandalism by calling it art
During a recent early evening taxi journey along Camden Street, Wexford Street, Redmond’s Hill, Aungier Street and Dame Street, I was struck by the vibrancy of the pedestrian traffic and the number of businesses getting ready to play their parts in Dublin’s nightlife. I was aware that concerns had previously been expressed about night-time disorder […]
Nostalgic fantasies about rail won’t change reality that we need roads
I was heartened when John FitzGerald, a self-confessed railways fan, wrote in his column that the recently published strategy for the development of rail services across the island of Ireland lacked a serious cost/benefit basis for many of the projects envisaged. The strategy document seemed to adopt a 30-year time horizon for some of its more ambitious projects. I […]
Where’s the sense of urgency to end the housing crisis?
The good news is that up to €8 billion in finance is to be allocated to the Land Development Agency (the LDA) to kickstart an accelerated home-building programme — subject to Cabinet, and presumably, Dáil approval in the near future. The bad news is that it has taken five years since the LDA was established to […]
Trump is a repugnant embodiment of all that is worst in America
We all know that Donald Trump did his level best or worst to prevent the result of the 2020 election – which he clearly lost – from being carried into effect. The published bill of indictment on which he now faces trial by jury in Washington DC is an impressive document in terms of clarity […]