Planned change to appointing judges is deeply flawed
A strange thing is proposed for the constitutional arrangements for appointment of judges. Those arrangements are to be changed radically without referendum and without the great majority knowing what is afoot – if a Bill currently before the Seanad is passed unamended and unless the Bill is referred to the Supreme Court under Article 26 […]
Liberal values and rules based order facing a pounding
Apparently scientists have just discovered a new 1.5km sized asteroid, named 2022 AP7, whose orbit has until now lain hidden from earth by the sun. The comforting thought is that we are completely safe from an earth-strike, apparently, for at least a good few centuries by which time we hope that our earthling descendants will […]
Dublin’s planners are failing to help our capital to flourish
Recent debate about the failure to provide a sense of security for Dubliners in the inner city and especially in the north inner city poses fundamental questions for those who love our capital city and want it to flourish. The contrast between night-time on O’Connell Street and its surrounding areas and, say, South William Street […]
Truss cannot be forgiven or excused for what has happened
The spectacle of political implosion in the Conservative party is no reason for schadenfreude (joy at misfortune of another) among Irish and European democrats. But the Truss premiership has turned out to be an unmitigated disaster for Britain. She cannot be forgiven or excused for what has happened. Truss and her allies ruthlessly hunted Sunak, […]
Once Northern Ireland leaves UK, political unionism becomes extinct
I firmly believe that the project of Irish independence has- eventually – been a great success. I disagree with those who argue that the armed struggle for our independence between 1916 and 1922 was unjustified because Home Rule as sought by the Redmondites would have brought about independence in a non-violent political evolution. On the […]
UK has degraded its systems of governmental checks and balances
The revelation that Kwazi Kwarteng committed Britain to a programme of unfunded tax cuts and unfunded borrowing without even discussing the abolition of the 45% tax rate for highest earners with any cabinet colleague except Liz Truss had many Irish people scratching their heads. Ireland has a written constitution which radically differs from the non-constitutional […]