Ireland's political and cultural magazine
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By Niall Crowley A score of 100 would have been perfect, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). However, when it comes to plaudits for gender equality, we know to keep our expectations in check. Ireland scored 56.5 and ranked eight in Europe. Who would have predicted that result? Before we get too […]
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By Ivana Bacik Public debate on maternity care is currently focused on the tragic deaths of babies in certain hospitals like Portlaoise, and inadequacies in care provision that may have contributed to those awful outcomes. However, any assessment of the legal framework for maternity services in Ireland more generally would indicate the need for a […]
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By John Gormley The i-word wasn’t mentioned once in the official announcement about the Unesco designation of Dublin bay. In fact, the City Council officials managed to studiously avoid any reference to the incinerator. The omission is understandable, I suppose, because the incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula is not compatible with the lofty desire to […]
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By Constantin Gurdgiev The Greek debt crisis muddles on through its endless cycles of emergency meetings, and of new programmes replacing old programmes, and of new loans repaying old loans, with no end in sight. After a seismic referendum, Europe’s leadership has been busy working on shoring up the structure of the common-currency block. Designed […]
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By Sinéad Pentony Remember the Spring Statement? Mainstream commentary reassured us that it was ‘prudent’, ‘getting the balance right’, providing ‘clarity’, ‘breaking with the policies of the past’ and ‘anchoring expectations in forecasts’. Some just suggested ‘nothing has changed’. Then silence. It was of course a political exercise but fundamental questions raised by the Spring […]
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By Niall Crowley Is there a new politics in the offing? The trade unions in the Right2Water campaign published “Policy Principles for a Progressive Irish Government” at their Mayday event. They are reconvening the trade union, political and community representatives that attended with a view to developing these into a policy platform. There is, however, […]
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By Constantin Gurdgiev Three recent events, distinct as they may appear, point to a singular shared risk faced by the Irish economy, a risk that is only now being addressed in our policy papers and in the mainstream media. First, over the course of May, European financial markets have posted surprising rises in Government and […]