Ireland appears to have a last-minute approach to mass vaccination
It is relatively straightforward to make a statutory instrument under the Health Act 1947 imposing, in varying degrees, local, regional or national lockdowns. By the stroke of a ministerial pen, an economic sector can be closed down, severely restricted, or permitted to trade as normal. The term “NPHET” means National Public Health Emergency Team. It […]
New housing process will allow ugly and dysfunctional development
The Government has fixed a target for the building of 25,000 homes for 2021. On top of an output of 18,000 for 2020, a year of pandemic crisis, this new target is good news – and it will be even better if it is reached or exceeded. Massive progress on homebuilding is a political imperative. […]
Is democracy in the US still sound and resilient?
For nearly five years now I have been writing about Donald Trump, as candidate and as President. From the very beginning of his bid for the presidency, I was filled with fear and foreboding. There was something about him that seemed to threaten the very foundations of democracy in America and wherever it exists across […]
Canada trade deal shows Government’s breathtaking arrogance
The delay negotiated between Eamon Ryan and his fellow coalition leaders for Dáil consideration of the Canada-Europe Trade Agreement (CETA) raises a number of issues. It raises questions about internal communication within the Green Party TDs. It raises questions about the utterly cavalier approach of the present government to Oireachtas scrutiny. It raises questions as […]
Public being kept in the dark about the true nature of Sinn Féin
There is a problem with the failure of the Irish media to examine carefully and inform the people about the true nature of Sinn Féin. The problem may be that Irish journalism was and still is to a lesser extent heavily populated by former hard left thinkers and commentators who are squeamish about their own […]
Time to wake up and smell the coffee over Sinn Féin
“13 gone but not forgotten: we got 18 and Mountbatten”. This was painted up across Northern Ireland by IRA/Sinn Fein members in the aftermath of the Mullaghmore and Warrenpoint killings on August 27 1979. Their tit for tat arithmetic omitted Doreen Brabourne, her son Nicholas aged 14 and Paul Maxwell aged 15, who were blown […]