When do we accept awful things cannot be undone?
I am not afraid of being in a minority – even a small minority. But there are a few things I would like to write here about the continued criminal investigation and prosecution of persons accused of very grave crimes in the course of the northern troubles. Let me stress firstly that I am well […]
Ireland in no position to guarantee electricity supply from renewables
When I raised the question here last week as to whether Ireland should aspire to being a leader on climate change with the most ambitious targets or be content to be in the following pack, I guessed that some feathers would be ruffled. Letters published in response claimed that to even ask that question was […]
State does not need to lead fight against climate change
The Government’s climate legislation progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas is trumpeted by itsproposers and in particular by Green Party supporters as one of the “most ambitious” legislative instrumentsin any democracy. It is claimed that the terms of the legislation will bind future governments to achieving reductions ingreenhouse gases and consumption of hydrocarbons and, […]
What form would or could Irish unity take?
The idea that people who favour a united Ireland should say nothing on the subject is ludicrous. There simply can’t be an important area of social, political and economic controversy on which there is some form of omerta. But vacuous and ill thought out rhetoric about a united Ireland is more or less useless in […]
True extent of new powers sought by gardaí a cause for concern
An Garda Síochána has asked the Government to draw up and have the Oireachtas enact a Bill to extend its members’ powers to require any person whose premises are searched under warrant to provide them with pin number access or decryption keys to any IT device they may come across in the course of their […]
Pedestrianising streets is easy part of change
The recent opinion piece by Richard Herriott on urban planning (Irish Times, Monday June 7th ) makes a compelling case for a radical rethink of how we plan and build our cities. He argues that SDH tower blocks are not the answer to our housing crisis and that comprehensive redevelopment of inner suburbs is […]