It’s fascinating to see the dynamic of the critique of Brian Lenihan that has been offered over the last few days.
We started early over on the CLR, granted, though neither Garibaldy or myself in the day of and after Lenihan’s death did more than note firstly that this was a tragedy for him and his [...]

Okay, it’s finally here. So let’s talk briefly about outcomes.
The issue of coalition is problematic. It’s true that if, for example, the Labour Party went into government with Fine Gael then that might ameliorate the tone and thrust of FG policies, particularly as regards privatization, many of which are profoundly inimical to left and progressive [...]

This weekend I read the Sunday Business Post with some eagerness. Here would be the answers I required, that many require, about the bailouts, both the banking one and the ECB/IMF one - which aren’t quite the same thing as is all too apparent, and what is and isn’t possible.
Let’s start with the analysis.
In a [...]

….or if Cowen is secretly working for the opposition are Shortall and Rabbitte secretly working for the ULA?
The shenanigans over the past twenty four hours in relation to the Finance Bill, as noted by Harry McGee yesterday on the Irish Times website and quoted here… was indeed as he put it when…
“…both [Labour and Fine [...]

Consider this…
Fine Gael said last night it would back the Government’s four year economic strategy to reduce the deficit, but insisted it favoured cutting spending rather than raising taxes.
The party’s communications spokesman Leo Varadkar told the Dublin Economics Workshop in Kenmare last night that his party is committed to reducing Ireland’s deficit to 3 per [...]

In a way the contribution that has remained with me the most from my very limited attendance at the Desmond Greaves school was William Kingston. Kingston, who is Professor and Research Associate at the School of Business Studies in TCD and has specialised on issues of public policy and administration, set out his stall as [...]

Okay, let’s keep in mind my caution about the current polls… but the most recent one this weekend from the Sunday Business Post was - despite showing no variation from the previous one, bar a 1% increase for Sinn Féin and a 1% decrease for the Independents, pretty telling in its own way.
Firstly the fact [...]

An interesting comment on the allegations surrounding Gerry Adams brother was added to a piece on the topic on Irish Left Review a couple of weeks ago. It’s one of three comments, but is of considerable utility in pointing up some of the problems implicit in the issue…
“It would be unworthy of a left-wing blog [...]

It’s interesting reading the article by Harry McGee in the Irish Times about Sinn Féin and its current troubles. That topic, though, is for another day, albeit I find it hard to disagree with him when he argues that
“There are some who believe Sinn Féin is in terminal decline, like other republican parties that preceded [...]

There’s been so much news in the past week or two that it’s difficult to remember that the Sunday Business Post ran a poll the results of which were published on the 22nd of November. And it’s a fascinating poll in its own way because it points to a serious disconnect now between the government [...]