Ireland's political and cultural magazine
By Michael Smith and Ruadhán Mac Eoin The heroic but failed champion of Tara is leading the campaign against a motorway near Newgrange Vincent Salafia is back with a “Save Newgrange” campaign. A man with a panache for publicity, the populace associates the 43-year old with the Tara/ M3 and Carrickmines Castle campaigns. Now he […]
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Many Irish are hypocritical, intolerant, and ignorant, especially about social welfare
There was a terrible rumpus in Fine Gael and Labour as they realised they voted for the draft Dublin City Development Plan provisions on height – without understanding them. Not surprising really: the Irish Times totally misreported them also. And they are complicated. Management of course always manoeuvre these things and, in this case, describing the changes as “modest” when they were dramatic helped grease the voting wheels of some uncomprehending local councillors.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission – acting through local Gardaí – is currently reviewing an investigation of the original Garda probe into how Declan Ganley acquired 3,000 first-preference votes from independent candidate, Fiachra Ó Luain, in the European election count in early June 2009 in Castlebar.
Carol Coulter replies to John Waters’s comments in the last issue of Village
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Public-sector alternatives to the infrastructure market and Public Private Partnerships in Ireland, the US and worldwide Dexter Whitfield In my book, Global Auction of Public Assets I examine Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Ireland and 11 other countries. The continuing fiscal crisis and flood damage could see the government further expand the role of PPPs. […]
Shoddy governance, low staff morale and a rash of inexplicable resignations at the Red Cross mean it’s time for a change. by Michael Smith The venerable irish Red Cross (IRC) is controlled by four or five people who serve on what is called the Executive Committee (EC) – a governance structure comprising only volunteers. The […]