MacGill Summer School

The MacGill Summer School provides a forum for debates on new ideas ranging across economic, social, political and public policy. Held annually in Glenties, Co Donegal, it was established to celebrate the memory of local writer Patrick MacGill

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Leo Varadkar at the MacGill summer school where he predicted a no-deal Brexit would prompt more liberal unionists and nationalists in the North to consider joining a united Ireland. Photograph: Michael McHugh/PA Wire

Varadkar says no-deal Brexit could break up UK

DUP describes as ‘unhelpful’ and ‘aggressive’ Taoiseach’s comments on stability of union

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal, with the summer school’s director, Joe Mulholland. Photograph: North West Newspix

Taoiseach raises prospect of changes to rules on mortgage lending

Varadkar says he hopes Central Bank will look at moves to help people escape ‘rent trap’

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar speaks to the media in Donegal after Thursday’s Cabinet meeting. Photograph: Michael McHugh/PA Wire

NI will question union in event of no-deal Brexit, warns Varadkar

Taoiseach says it would be ‘provocative’ to discuss potential united Ireland at this stage

Prof John FitzGerald has said in order to develop a ‘fairer system’ a complex response was needed in terms of promoting workforce participation, life expectancy rates and housing. File photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Welfare, tax systems will not address issues keeping people in poverty

More measures needed if ‘substantial further progress’ to be made, says Prof John FitzGerald

Minister for Climate Action Richard Bruton. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

Government’s climate policies come under attack at MacGill

Richard Bruton told climate change is ‘bigger than Brexit or the National Broadband Plan’

Minister for the Environment Richard Bruton: ‘It will be about getting people to sign up to pledges for change’. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

New punitive measures for failing to reduce plastic consumption, signals Bruton

'Name and shame' element for companies will be part of new approach, says Minister

Speaking outside the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal, Micheál Martin said the degree of Josepha Madigan’s involvement in the Maria Bailey case ‘should be fully transparent and should be clarified’. File photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times

Josepha Madigan needs to clarify her involvement in Maria Bailey case, says Martin

Fianna Fáil leader also claims report on Bailey case is ‘inconsistent’

The site of the new national children’s hospital, in Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

Government to reform process for ‘mega’ projects after children’s hospital controversy

Shake-up to change how the State spends money on projects that cost more than €1bn

Newly elected Conservative party leader Boris Johnson s outside the Conservative leadership headquarters. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Boris Johnson raises ‘enormous fears’ for Anglo-Irish relations - Martin

Fianna Fáil leader says incoming UK PM ‘failed to show’ understanding’ of Belfast Agreement

Boris Johnson is due to become the British prime minister on Wednesday afternoon after Theresa May submits her resignation to Queen Elizabeth. Photograph: Reuters/Toby Melville

Varadkar congratulates Johnson and looks forward to early talks

Johnson as prime minister ‘raises enormous fears’ for Anglo-Irish relations – Martin

SDLP wants greater economic integration between North and South. Photograph: Getty

MacGill summer school told calls for border poll are ‘premature’

‘Pluralist new Ireland won’t be built on narrow electoral win slipped through in period of chaos’

Mr Justice Peter Charleton told the MacGill Summer School there were ‘clear and obvious dangers’ in the way tribunals are run in Ireland. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

Reforms for State’s tribunal system to be examined

Minister says he will consider options on the issue after criticism by Judge Peter Charleton

Boris Johnson’s candidacy for the next UK prime minister was ‘rather disappointing’. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA Wire

AIB chairman would reject candidate like Boris Johnson to sit on board

Candidate with ‘questionably racist language’ would not meet with stringent checks

Mr. Justice Peter Charleton was the presiding judge in the Disclosures tribunal, which examined the handling of the issues raised by garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

The Irish Times view on tribunals of inquiry: a broken model that needs fixing

The right of the community to know the truth must be given a higher priority

Sharon Donnery: Prudent management of the public finances are needed.

Central Bank joins warnings over Government spending plans

Sharon Donnery cautions against using corporation tax windfall for current expenditure

Micheál Martin: “The parties in the North, particularly Sinn Féin and the DUP, have not utilised the Good Friday agreement to the full”

Martin says North’s politicians must get Stormont institutions up and running

Fianna Fáil leader has ‘no difficulty’ laying out what a potential united Ireland would look like

Mr Justice Peter Charleton. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

Charleton warns against ‘obvious dangers’ of Irish tribunals

Judge suggests curtailing role of legal teams and says rights need to be rebalanced

MacGill Summer School 2018

Former NI first minister Peter Robinson told the MacGill Summer School in Glenties that the Republic’s relationship with the North will never be the same again after Brexit. Photograph: North West Nespix

North should prepare for united Ireland possibility - ex-DUP leader

‘I don’t expect my own house to burn down but I still insure it because it could happen’

MacGill Summer School’s founder and director Joe Mulholland plans to recruit a young researcher to help him recruit a wider variety of speakers. Photograph: Eric Luke

‘Pale, male and stale’ - MacGill Summer School showing its age

Criticism of Glenties gathering may be harsh but is not inaccurate for ‘Dublin 4 on tour’

Fr Kevin Hegarty says ‘Humanae Vitae’ probably undermined the church’s authority in the long run. Photograph: iStock

Some church teachings have ‘as much validity as Danny Healy Rae’s views on climate change’

Catholic Church to become irrelevant unless it changes stance on women, sexuality , says priest

Vicky Phelan was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year after signs of the illness were missed in previous smear tests conducted under the CervicalCheck programme. She was not told her test had been misread until 2016. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

CervicalCheck inquiry’s final report due in September

Vicky Phelan and Stephen Teap to launch patient advocacy group on the same day

Cora Sherlock: criticised the proposed abortion law which will compel anti-abortion doctors to refer women to colleagues willing to carry out the procedure. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times

Cora Sherlock: Repeal of Eighth Amendment ‘radical drift backwards’

Advocate encouraged by number of young who engaged with anti-abortion movement

Vicky and Jim Phelan leaving the Four Courts after the announcement of a settlement of their High Court action for damages in April. Photograph: Collins Courts

Proposed patient safety fines for healthcare providers ‘a joke’, says Vicky Phelan

Victim of CervicalCheck scandal says State contributed €25,000 to her €2.5m settlement

MacGill Summer School director Joe Mulholland and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin in Glenties, Co Donegal. Photograph: North West Newspix

Martin says Varadkar ‘chancing his arm’ with 2020 election plan

Fianna Fáil leader says how Taoiseach operates 'all about optics, all about spinning’

Fine Gael MEP Maireád McGuinness told the summer school that Irish spending on defence was the lowest in the EU at 0.3% of GDP

Irish MEP says calm debate needed on security and defence

French ambassador says his country does not view Ireland as neutral

Brendan Halligan: “The parties that were fashioned a century ago are being consigned by events to the dustbin of history.” Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Centre left and centre right parties are ‘redundant’, MacGill hears

Ex-Labour party politician says democratic forces must realign to combat populism

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, in Brussels. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters

Brexit: North can operate under different rules to UK – Coveney

Divergence already exists in several areas, Tánaiste tells MacGill Summer School

Phil Hogan: “I think Trump has tapped into this nationalistic mood quite successfully.” Photograph: Alan Betson

EU should bully Trump back on trade policies, says Hogan

EU agriculture commissioner says there is ‘very high probability’ of no-deal Brexit

Bertie Ahern: “How much money will the British government allocate post-2020 to substitute EU-financed programmes that operate in Northern Ireland?” Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

MacGill Summer School: Ahern warns on post-Brexit funding for NI

Former taoiseach says hard Border debate has obscured loss of EU’s financial support

Joe Mulholland: said the number of women attending the MacGill Summer School had grown noticeably in recent years. Photograph: Eric Luke

MacGill Summer School: Listing of just two male speakers on gender equality a technical issue

Organiser Joe Mulholland says other panellists are to be arranged for special session

“He was one of the best editors I ever worked for,” broadcaster Olivia O’Leary has said in defence of MacGill Summer School director Joe Mulholland. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Olivia O’Leary defends MacGill school director against gender balance criticism

Broadcaster says Joe Mulholland was hugely supportive of women when working at RTÉ

Helen McEntee, Eamon Mallie, Noel Murphy, Leo Varadkar, Katherine Zappone and Declan McGrath pose in front of Murphy’s portrait of all the women members of the Oireachtas.

Miriam Lord’s Week: A century of under-representation

Painting of all female members of Oireachtas marks centenary of women’s suffrage

Joint leaders of the Social Democrats, Róisín Shortall and Catherine Murphy both wrote to MacGill Summer School director Joe Mulholland earlier this week to say they would withdraw from the event if the gender imbalance issue was not addressed. Photograph: Eric Luke

Two TDs to boycott MacGill Summer School without further reform

Social Democrats joint leaders say better gender balance still required

Joe Mulholland said it was hard to find women with “the right aptitude” to take part in the MacGill Summer School. File photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times

MacGill Summer School ridiculously out of tune with the times

Director Joe Mulholland defended the event's lineup, saying it was hard to find women with 'the right aptitude'

Joe Mulholland: had initially defended the number of women speaking in Glenties, Co Donegal. Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times

MacGill Summer School director apologises for gender imbalance

Joe Mulholland says organisers are ‘working progressively’ to address programme failings

Some of the male participants scheduled to speak at the MacGill Summer School

MacGill Summer School: Will the gender blindness never end?

Listening to the man from MacGill you might conclude women have nothing much to say, or don’t want to say it

MacGill Summer School 2017

Joe McHugh: ‘I’d be happy to meet and talk with any unionists who have any concerns about the Irish language’. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Don't use Irish language as a ‘political weapon’, Minister tells MacGill

Joe McHugh says language is not a threat and belongs to all, both North and South

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan will miss next week’s meeting of the Policing Authority. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Nóirín O’Sullivan to miss Policing Authority meeting

Watchdog’s head says it is ‘unfortunate’ the Garda Commissioner will not be at the event

Mary Lou McDonald: ““Unionism no longer dominates. If it wishes to be in power it will be only on the basis of powersharing and equality”

MacGill Summer School: Brexit has exposed ‘false construct’ of Border

Mary Lou McDonald says Irish unity very much on the political agenda

Martin McGuinness: his personal willingness to seek agreement “played a very positive role on many occasions”, according to the former DUP minister Edwin Poots. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty

McGuinness could have avoided North’s political stalemate, Poots says

DUP opposes Irish-language law that is ‘more about developing a sense of national identity’

Pearse Doherty: said seven SF votes in Commons would have no impact because the British Labour party now supported Brexit. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

Brexit may hasten united Ireland, says Pearse Doherty

Doherty challenged at MacGill Summer School to ensure SF end Commons abstentionism

This week’s podcast examines the potential calamity of Brexit. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters

Podcast: Mood about impact of Brexit ‘is 90% darker than last year’

Inside Politics: Brexit pessimism dominates summer’s political events

Martin Shanahan: ‘We cannot be complacent, these investments will not fall into our laps, they will have to be won’

Expect more ‘Brexit–related investment’, says IDA chief

Martin Shanahan critical of those advocating an Irexit-says it would hamper investment

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe says it is critical that dangerous risks are avoided. Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Irish economy faces threat of overheating, Paschal Donohoe says

Minister criticises left-wing politics and policies which could ‘break this country’

“Sometimes we give the impression the tooth fairy is going to fund infrastructure,” Robert Watt, secretary-general at the Department of Public Expenditure. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Location of homes a major challenge for governments - top civil servant

Robert Watt: Many homes will be built in Dublin over next 20 years and should be within M50

Dáithí Ó Ceallaigh, former ambassador to London, said he feared for the future in relation to the political stalemate in Northern Ireland

MacGill school: Ireland suffers ‘conspiracy of neglect’ on white collar crime

‘If the centre is to hold State must treat all its citizens equally,’ says Prof Gary Murphy

Seán Donlon says SF has a ‘strong mandate and they can afford to be both brave and generous.’ File photograph: Dave Meehan

Sinn Féin should take seats at Westminster, says former diplomat

Seán Donlon says abstentionism is not serving the interests of Northern Ireland

Specialist Garda units take part in a simulated anti-terror operation at the Docklands railway station in central Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Ireland’s counterterrorism preparation ‘grossly negligent’

‘We have achieved our security on the cheap,’ says ex-director of military intelligence

Alan Dukes, former minister for finance, spoke at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal on Monday. Photograph: Cyril Byrne /The Irish Times

Brexit: Only certainty is a ‘negative-sum game for all’

Former FG leader Dukes tells MacGill Summer School Ireland has ‘more to lose’ than anyone

MacGill Summer School 2016

MacGill Summer School director Joe Mulholland with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe. Photograph: North West Newspix

Joe Mulholland not ready to hand over reins of summer school just yet

MacGill Summer School director says there is an ‘absolute hunger’ for discussion on Ireland

A portrait of the late Brian Friel. the MacGill Summer School has the influences of art and literature mixed through political talk. Photograph: Bobbie Hanvey

Thinking about ageing in a negative way? You’re more likely to die young...

Politicians won’t prioritise ageing if we don’t, panel hears at MacGill Summer School

Speakers Conor Brady, Josephine Feehily, Jim O’Callaghan and Robert Olsen at Glenties. Photograph: North West Newspix

‘Garda can no longer afford to let the past dictate the future’

Restructure could free up 1,500 gardaí, head of inspectorate tells MacGill Summer School

Heather Humphreys said she did “not believe it is feasible to simply promote the development of cities and large urban areas, while rural areas are left to decline”. File photograph: Dara MacDónaill

Rural areas will not be left decline to aid cities, says Minister

Heather Humphreys tells MacGill Summer School of ‘action plan for rural Ireland’

Brendan Howlin: “We do not believe that to serve in elected office renders us part of the elite or the establishment. Photograph: Eric Luke

Labour leader Howlin to criticise Corbyn’s attitude

Left-wing parties should not ‘run scared of governing’, leader to tell MacGill audience

Prof. Alan Barrett, ESRI economist and director: “If people remain in the workforce for longer, this would have positive impacts on national output.” Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Extending retirement age could benefit elderly and economy, summer school told

ESRI director says older people working longer need not mean fewer jobs for young

The Minister for Health told the MacGill Summer School that “we need to stop running the health service based on election cycles”. Photographs: Reuters

Minister proposes 10-year plan for ‘best in world’ health service

McGill Summer School: Simon Harris says health staff fed up with piecemeal reform

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Talk of Border poll ‘silly right now’, says SDLP leader

Brexit has ‘rocked nationalism to its core’, Eastwood tells Irish Times

Director general of Europol Rob Wainwright: “Highly challenging” environment for the security services. Photograph: North West Newspix

Many Isis ‘lone wolf’ killers tell others of mass murder plans

Director general of Europol tells MacGill Summer School Islamic State in decline

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has said he intends to link social welfare rates to the cost of living or average earning to ensure that people dependent on the payments do not see their standard of living fall in the future. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times.

Social welfare to be linked to inflation under Varadkar plan

Minister tells MacGill School impact of economic collapse worse than any statistics can show

Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness. File Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Fine Gael MEP warns of potential disintegration of EU

SDLP leader says NI membership of European Union must not be altered

In the past month, the euro has varied against the pound by 13.2 per cent. The exchange rate is the real hard border. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty Images

Newton Emerson: Will a return to the pound be the price of Irish unity?

As in Scotland, nationalists can win that vote if they persuade a relatively small chunk of the electorate that their money is safe

Taoiseach Enda Kenny: when he said Ireland was a special case, he signalled we did not “recognise the urgency” with which environmental action is required, said Senator Grace O’Sullivan. Photograph: Stephen Collins

MacGill Summer School: Taoiseach like ‘lazy student’ on green issues

Grace O’Sullivan says Ireland has failed to tackle climate change

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney at Dolphin House, Dublin. The Government has rejected a Fianna Fáil Bill to increase the number of local authority houses sold to tenants under a discounted purchase scheme. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons/The Irish Times

Government rejects Fianna Fáil’s social housing Bill

Bill seeks to expand scheme that lets council tenants buy their houses at a discount

Brendan Halligan, chairman and founder of the Institute of International and European Affairs: “Courage” required to implement the Hume proposal. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Ex-Labour chief calls for London and Dublin to jointly run North

Brendan Halligan says time to consider John Hume’s ‘condominium’ proposal for NI

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe: “Money will only follow the services and the projects that are worthy of funding.” Photograph: North West Newspix

Brexit will require change in Government spending

Minister for Public Expenditure tells MacGill School Government will pursue value for money

Tom Parlon called for an independent commission to focus on improved infrastructure .Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times

Homes without services risk becoming ‘ghost communities’, says CIF

Construction Industry Federation chief Tom Parlon calls for EU to relax spending rules

The Border poll call re-surfaces

The Taoiseach has shot himself in the foot with, no doubt, a decommissioned Sinn Féin blunderbuss

At the MacGill Summer School, CSO director general Padraig Dalton said: ‘GDP and GNP, although required internationally, no longer provide a sufficient understanding of the domestic economy.’ Photograph: Davd Sleator/The Irish Times

CSO seeking means to provide more accurate economic data

Director general says GDP figures, leading to ‘leprechaun economics’ claims, compiled correctly

A Census Enumerator distributing forms in Dublin city centre earlier this year. The MacGill Summer School on Tuesday heard collecting data is more difficult than before with no more invites in, cups of tea or helpful tips about the potential whereabouts of the neighbours. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw.

Large broods (and where to house them) the talk of MacGill Summer School

Glenties crowd told working on Census 2016 showed ‘Ireland of Mary and Tom is gone’

Taoiseach Enda Kenny drinks a glass of water during a news conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, last week. Mr Kenny said German chancellor Angela Merkel is ‘clearly aware of our situation’ with regard to the Border with Northern Ireland and the post-Brexit relationship with EU. Photographer: Bloomberg

Kenny comment on Border poll aimed at Europe, not North

Pat Leahy analysis: chief tactic to retain open border is stressing importance of peace process

New and old politics discussed at the MacGill Summer School

First full day of political panels discussed in special edition of The Irish Times politics podcast

Enda Kenny with his aunts Una Blain, Collette McNelis, Breege Connor and Christina Curran when he visited Glenties to attend the MacGill Summer School. Photograph: North West Newspix

Kenny says Border poll should be considered in Brexit talks

‘Who knows what may happen in the time ahead?’ Taoiseach tells reporters at MacGill

Enda Kenny: “I will be encouraging the new British prime minister to set realistic and achievable objectives to build confidence in the UK’s good faith.” Photograph: Bloomberg

Brexit: Taoiseach says UK must not be isolated

Kenny tells MacGill Summer School of opposition to harsh departure arrangement

“If you are a Trotskyist revolutionary this issue is brilliant,” Green Party leader Eamon Ryan told the MacGill Summer School

Fianna Fáil accused of ‘shafting state’ by opposing water charges

Green Party leader tells MacGill Summer School militant left exploited water issue

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin has said it is ‘quite possible’ that Gerry Adams will no longer be party leader in five years’ time. File photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times

Sinn Féin TD says Adams may not be leader by next election

Regina Doherty also claims she is a ‘loyal supporter’ of Enda Kenny at MacGill event

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal. Photograph: North West Newspix

Remain vote in North could trigger reunification poll - Martin

Fianna Fáil leader endorses North-South talks on Britain’s vote to leave the EU

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