Category: Irish Politics

  • Lisbon 2 in Autumn '09?

    The Telegraph are saying this is the likely day for our second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. I must say, I like the name of the briefing paper: The Solution to the Irish Problem An internal EU briefing paper, entitled The Solution to the Irish Problem, predicts that Dublin will accede to the re-run at…

  • Put your question to the minister

    The Irish Examiner is running a series at the moment of putting questions to various Government ministers. The minister facing questions for the next edition is Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin. Do you have a question you would like to put to Minister Hanafin? Send me an email or leave a comment. A…

  • Health and Education cutbacks

    When the government said recently that Health and Education would be saved from any cutbacks, guess what? They lied. Colm Rapple: Third level education grant levels have been frozen until the end of the year. Qualifying means-test levels have also been raised. In addition, decisions on grant levels will be made in the context of…

  • Websites To Save You Cash During The Irish Recession

    DoubleViking makes a list of 11 websites that will save you cash. Can we create a similar list for Ireland? My first suggestion would be: Pumps.ie – A collaborative website that allows users to input the price of petrol and diesel at any petrol station throughout Ireland, thus giving you the cheapest places to fill…

  • Bord na gCon exclusive

    Myself and Anthony have it from a very reliable source that the person at the centre of the Bord na gCon report is a Mr Dan Lannon. We have no further details, except to say that the report states Mr Lannon has “extensive experience” in the building industry. Even more strangely, when Anthony contacted the…

  • Conscription? Ya wha?

    Nowhere during the campaign from either the Yes or No side have I heard mention of army conscription. And I watched most TV debates and listened to most radio debates. Yet today I’ve heard the word used multiple times by Government ministers. Why? Are they preparing the ground for a Nice 2 style second referendum,…

  • Hmm

    In May 1996, when An Bord Pleanala gave the go-ahead to the Sonas Consortium building a casino in the Phoenix park, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, then a back bench TD from Offaly, attended a celebration party at the Conrad Hotel hosted by Robert White – the close associate of Bertie Ahern. White was a director of…

  • Did you know…

    Miriam Ahern (nee Kelly), former wife of Bertie Ahern, was a bank clerk when they met in the 1960s. They married on Ahern’s 24th birthday in 1975. She comes from a family of 13 in Dublin Central, and all are fervent FF supporters and campaigned on his behalf. (Irish Times, July 12, 1984)

  • Trying to hang her

    Because, Mr. O’Neill, just to be very straight about it. Reading something on the 8th, I having to deal with in the one week the cabinet meeting, deal with the Dail, the questions and answers in the Dail, deal with a full week in the Dail. Then deal with a European Council where you get…

  • Mahon Tribunal … still going

    Yea, you would guess it’s all over since Bertie Ahern resigned as Taoiseach. Well, it isn’t. And there was more explosive evidence. Didn’t hear about it? Quelle surprise. The media, read RTE, seem to be taking their eye off the ball. Remember that whole B/T account thing? Remember how Ahern’s good friend Tim Collins swore…