Ireland's political and cultural magazine
By Conor O’Carroll Iarnród Éireann has ordered almost 1,000 taxis to transport its train drivers, staff and customers to and from stations since 2019, according to documents released under Freedom of Information. Documents supplied to Village Magazine show how the company has spent over €600,000 in the past five years on 989 taxi journeys for […]
Officials from the Department of Children approached the UK Home Office seeking advice following the launch of the controversial asylum seeker barge, the Bibby Stockholm, as preparations for the Irish ‘flotel’ continue. By Conor O’Carroll Irish Government officials congratulated their counterparts in the UK Home Office following the launch of the controversial asylum-seeker barge, documents […]
Having recorded huge profits in the first six months of the year, ESB look to reward staff with millions in gift vouchers By Conor O’Carroll The state-owned Electricity Supply Board (ESB) is seeking to purchase an estimated €21 million in gift cards and vouchers for its employees and as part of its ‘Beat the Peak’ […]
This week’s Consultative Forum report is nothing more than of academic interest because the DFA set its policy strategy weeks in advance of the public debate. By J Vivian Cooke On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) published the report of the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy. It is a balanced, thoughtful and worthy document […]
New documents show how Uber is using the transportation struggles faced by disabled people to its own advantage By Conor O’Carroll Uber is pushing to enter the Irish market and is using the recent changes to taxi licence rules and fewer new taxi drivers to present themselves as a suitable solution. Documents released to Village […]
McGrath’s first budget delivered significant tax breaks for landlords, a risky move with elections looming By Conor O’Carroll After much speculation, Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath, delivered his first budget on Tuesday, ahead of what could be a hugely significant year for Irish politics. Local and European elections are already scheduled […]
Michael Smith conducted a wide ranging interview with the Minister for Finance, on the eve of the Budget MS: How were you influenced by your childhood? MMG: We’re all a reflection of where we come from and our childhood experience. I had a fantastic childhood and come from a very humble background. And I suppose I […]
“Professionals over weekend brunch… formulaic and incestuous” was the unsparing verdict of Village in 2014 when contributor Rónán Lynch cast an analytical eye over the RTÉ flagship weekend radio Marian Finucane show, focusing on the Sunday programme’s newspaper review slot. Lynch’s review of guest contributors on that mainstay of Sunday radio was a straightforward but […]
By Conor O’Carroll The Department of Education has confirmed to Village Magazine that three as-yet-unannounced special advisers are employed at the department. Áine Doyle and Eoin Murphy are employed as special advisers to Minister of Education, Norma Foley TD, while Diane O’Gorman is employed as a special adviser to Minister of State, Josepha Madigan TD, […]
By Ava Liange After two consecutive years of COVID-19, online learning and postponed exams, the housing crisis is once again the main obstacle that prevents students from pursuing their studies. With the start of the new academic year just around the corner, it is becoming increasingly challenging for students to find accommodation near universities. Many […]
Caroline Hurley argues that the EPA can and should be doing more to protect Ireland’s vital environment and biodiversity. Situated between the North Atlantic’s main storm tracks, Ireland has always been vulnerable to the weather. In the Royal Irish Academy’s 2020 collection of essays on Climate and Irish Society from prehistoric times, John Sweeney, a […]
By Conor O’Carroll The son of a Sligo County Councillor and former Cathaoirleach has been found advertising a property on Daft.ie to students during the week and to tourists on Airbnb during the weekend. James Clarke, son of Independent Councillor Michael Clarke, advertised the property last week on both sites before quickly removing the listings […]
By Conor O’Carroll At the midway point of the Rose of Tralee competition, the decision to break tradition and appoint Kathryn Thomas as co-host alongside Dáithí Ó Sé looks to be a success. Taking turns interviewing each Rose, Thomas and Ó Sé eased through the first night without any gaffs or wayward comments and facilitated […]
Liam Lynch, a republican martyr-ic0n, is the subject of a timely new biography in this, the hundredth anniversary of the ending of Ireland’s civil war. Lynch’s first biography by Florrie O’Donoghue is lyrical and incisive, being the work of a friend and comrade. Gerard Shannon, with wider access to archival material, has revealed the complexity […]
By Caroline Hurley Military authorities increasingly try to categorise armaments containing depleted uranium (DU) as conventional, despite epidemics of cancers and genetic mutations following their use in Iraq and elsewhere. These arms use nuclear waste and take advantage of the dense weight and flammability of uranium, primarily to penetrate tank metal, of the likes of Leopard 2. Massive stores […]
By Conor O’Carroll The Government has announced the appointment of a new special adviser to the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, just days before the Dáil adjourned until mid-September for the summer break. The appointment order is dated 11 July and was included in the 14 July edition of Iris Oifigiúil – Ireland’s official public record – […]
Fast-food delivery companies Deliveroo and Just Eat are dependent in Ireland on illegal labour that exploits international students who risk deportation by working for them. By J Vivian Cooke. The liveried bicyclists who zip past, delivering fast food, are probably working illegally. The fast-food delivery platforms operating in Ireland such as Deliveroo and Just Eat […]
THE CASE for gay rights, pioneered in the 1980s in this country by David Norris through the courts and the European Con-vention on Human Rights, is unanswerable.
Villager News Miscellany
Charity founded by close ally of Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice, obtained €1.6 million from discredited Immigrant Investor Programme.