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

Ní fiú an moladh gan infheistíocht

» LE CATHAL Ó MURCHÚ

TÁ MOLADH tagtha ón Rialtas (na Fiche Sé Chontae) le déanaí maidir le Gaeltacht uirbeach nua i mBaile Átha Cliath a bhunú. Is é Cluain Dolcáin in Iarthar na cathrach an ceantar atá le hathainmniú. Cé nach mbaineann an moladh seo go baileach le Plean 20 Bliain leis an nGaeilge a chur chun cinn sa stát, luíonn sé le spiorad... Free article

Canadian activist Jessica Ernst, biologist and environmental expert 30 years working as an environmental consultant for the oil and gas industry says . . . Reject ‘fracking’

» BY MARK MOLONEY

AS THE DEBATE on the controversial oil and gas exploration technique hydraulic fracturing (known as ‘fracking’), heats up, the newly-formed Good Energies Alliance Ireland (GEAI) has... Free article

CASHING IN ON AUSTERITY | CONSUMER COUNCIL LOBBIED TO ACT

» BY CONOR MURPHY MP, Sinn Féin Assembly Economy Spokesperson

WE’RE ALL FAMILIAR with the strong-arm tactics used by illegal loan sharks but a new industry is being allowed to flourish because of the extreme austerity measures being imposed on society by governments and posing hidden dangers of debt from legal lending... Free article