The island of Ireland is a tale of two widely differing economies
The hyping of Europe and Brexit issues has reached new heights with the suggestion that a minute to be adopted in the Brexit meeting of the 27 member states represents a major or even significant achievement for Ireland or for Enda Kenny. The very idea that Northern Ireland, were it to vote for a united […]
Wholehearted commitment by a “coalition of the willing” needed on Brexit – let’s do it
When it comes to brass necks, Theresa May must be in the front rank. She called her snap election in the full knowledge that the EU 27 were in the process of developing negotiating guidelines in relation to the terms of Brexit. She even justified the election by reference to the “need” for her to […]
When you see life-saving surgery denied over cost, tax residency for sale is a gamble Ireland can ill afford
At the height of the financial crisis, we changed our tax laws to provide for a domicile levy on certain Irish citizens whose worldwide income exceeded €1 million, whose property in Ireland was greater in value than €5 million, and whose liability to Irish income tax in a relevant tax year was less then €200,000. […]
Minister Fitzgerald’s attempt to push Sexual Offences Bill through the Seanad in one afternoon is shameful
On Wednesday the 15th of February at the old League of Nations building in Geneva, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) will be addressed by an Irish Government delegation which it is planned, at the time of writing, will be headed by Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Justice and […]
Is Mark Zuckerberg the most modern of the evangelists?
In an IT age I suppose it is almost inevitable that a somewhat binary perspective on reality should suggest itself to Mark Zuckerberg, who has just published his Facebook manifesto, as a vision of a better world. The “either or” or “1 and zero” underpinning of the software programmer’s language is almost bound to translate […]
Leadership contests and the strong, silent coalition against reform
Maybe all is not lost for President Trump. A column in the latest edition of the well-produced, deeply conservative Irish fortnightly newspaper, The Catholic Voice, is calling on all its readers to pray for Donald Trump so that he may not be deflected by the wave of criticism from anti-Christian media from pursuing his policies. […]