EDITORIAL | EAGARFHOCAL

Polls and political alternatives

THE Behaviour and Attitudes survey for the Sunday Times shows Sinn Féin support in the 26 Counties jumping four points to 25%, making it the biggest challenger to Fine Gael (32%), ahead of Fianna Fáil (dropping four points to 16%) and the Labour Party down to 10%. (Independents — ranging across the political spectrum... Free article

OPINION

INCREASING UNDERSTANDING AND MUTUAL RESPECT BY REACHING OUT TO UNIONISTS

» BY DECLAN KEARNEY, Sinn Féin National Chairperson

MANY YEARS AGO, unionists told republicans that our words could not be heard over the sound of guns and bombs. That was in a period when republicans sought contact and dialogue with unionist and Protestant people against the backdrop of the... Free article

THE VITA CORTEX OCCUPATION, CORK | ‘THIS IS NOT ABOUT MONEY — IT IS ABOUT JUSTICE’

» BY DARREN O’KEEFFE
Co-ordinator of the Support the Vita Cortex Workers Online Campaign
(Writing in a personal capacity)

AS I SIT DOWN to write this, the Vita Cortex workers have entered the 70th day of their sit-in. There have been a lot of words used to describe their story over the past few... Free article

A question of equality for brothers as well as sisters

BY MARY LOU McDONALD

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY is an important date on the political calendar. It’s the day on which women’s contribution to public life is recognised. It’s also the day on which the great and the good lament the lack of women elected to public office.

On 8 March every year, the system scratches its head and... Free article

BUDGET 2012 | THE CUTS HITTING ONE-PARENT FAMILIES

 » BY FRANCES BYRNE CEO of OPEN, representing lone-parent groups in Ireland

THE untold story of the 2012 Budget is, without question, the dramatic changes to social welfare provision for 92,000 one-parent families.  There were a set of general cuts, which affected families who rely on a weekly, means-tested social income support... Free article

ANOTHER VIEW BY EOIN Ó BROIN

ON 31 JANUARY 2012, the Fine Gael/Labour Government signed up to the Eurozone austerity treaty. Here are 10 things you need to know about the new agreement.

1. The reason we have this treaty is because ‘core’ EU member states (like Germany and France) want to impose stricter fiscal discipline on ‘peripheral’ EU economies like Ireland, Portugal and... Free article

TV Review

LE EOGHAN Mac CORMAIC

IDIR Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, Blood of the Travellers, Knuckle agus eile, ní féidir a rá nach bhfuil an pobal siúil ag fáil an 15 nóiméad de cháil agus chlú a d’fhógair an t-ealaíontóir Andy Warhol dúinn go léir, tráth den saol ach an bhfuil siad thuas nó thíos dá bharr, sin í an cheist.

Ní bheadh fadhb agam leis na cláracha seo dá mbeadh sprioc leo... Free article

FINE GAEL TD HECKLED OFF PROTEST PLATFORM | ANGRY RESIDENTS MARK ANNIVERSARY WITH CALL TO ENVIRONMENT MINISTER PHIL HOGAN

» BY MARK MOLONEY

THERE was widespread anger on the streets of the north Dublin suburb of Donaghmede on Sunday 14 February as more than 700 people held a protest to mark 100 days since the residents of Priory Hall were evacuated from their homes.

Residents... Free article

SHARING THE BURDEN | SHARE THE WEALTH

 » BY EOIN Ó MURCHÚ

WE LIVE in a world of free market economics. And the big theory behind all this is that if individuals are freed from ‘sectional interest’ restraints (which is how the free marketers describe state controls or trades unions) then the economy will flower.

Well, we all know that that is not true, as the current crisis... Free article

LONDON MAYORAL ELECTION – 3 MAY | NECK-AND-NECK BETWEEN JOHNSON AND LIVINGSTONE

 » BY LAURA MILLER

THE London Mayoral election on 3 May looks set to be a neck-and-neck contest between Tory incumbent Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone. Polls in January put Livingstone two points ahead following a boost in his support, largely as a result of his focus on the need to cut public... Free article