With the crash in the Irish economy we started to hear a lot about the actions of ‘elites’, and their part in our downfall. But despite the short roll call of the most sinful developers, bankers and regulators, we still didn’t know how such elites operated. The lack of transparency within our economic and political [...]

Mary Harney has returned from New Zealand where she evidently gave some thought to coming up with another of her straw-man arguments for facing down criticism of her management of the health service. In relation to the enormous backlog of X-rays requiring diagnosis at Tallaght Hospital, the Minister says that she cannot be responsible for [...]

My early years are replete with memories of the wisdom contained within the Irish seanfhocal. My mother, a fluent Irish speaker, enjoyed nothing more than a good natter as Gaeilge with a seanfhocal at her fingertips for every eventuality. A particular favourite, whenever a cold or any other ailment made its appearance, was ‘Is fearr [...]

US President, Barack Obama, has identified the cost of health care as the number one threat to the American economy.  In a 55-minute speech to the American Medical Association earlier this month, in which he articulated a thorough understanding of the main issues, Obama outlined his proposals for a public health insurance option that would [...]