Ireland's political and cultural magazine
Result: C B+ on transparency; D on accountability. Not quite the democratic revolution we’d been promised. Political reform was high on the agenda of all political parties in 2011. In the heat of the worst economic crisis in the history of the state it was apparent to all that failings in our political structures were […]
Electi On Right, Villager thinks there’ll be a hung Dáil. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will struggle to work out whether they should coalesce, risking their exposure as ideological charlatans and the long-term growth of Sinn Féin. Another election within a year. The prognosis is tentative since around here there is no worse crime than […]
In 2011 we wrote in this space, “You would think from our recent history of some of the most notoriously bad governance on the planet, that we would have learnt that our political classes need to be replaced. In fact, this election time we see no new ideas”. Sadly democracy in Ireland needs an overhaul every bit […]
Enda Kenny has defied those detractors who have claimed for many years that he is not up to the job of leading the country. Or has he? His supporters claim that he has brought the country, and the economy, from the brink of complete meltdown to steady recovery and is now set to be the […]
I interviewed Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin in Leinster House and he was unfailingly cheerful and warm throughout though under time pressure. Before the 2011 General Election Martin told Village, “I am a constitutional republican and believe strongly that economic growth and social progress are closely linked. I believe the old left/right ideological divide has […]
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THE Department of Finance disregarded arguments by the Revenue Commissioners and its own civil servants that all tax appeal hearings should be held in public. Finance Minister Michael Noonan instead signed off on legislation whereby those involved in tax appeals can decide to have their hearings held privately … a choice that virtually all seem […]
There is no surprise that Budget 2016 was an election budget. The budget will play an important role in framing the economic debate in the run up to the election. It is worth looking at Budget 2016 and the pre-budget submissions made by the opposition parties, to gain insights into the parameters of this debate. […]
University rankings are released every winter. It gives the media a few free stories. One or two universities go up the rankings, and one or two go down. University presidents rush out to the media to congratulate themselves and their staff on the hard work and innovation that led to the rise, how they are […]