It takes a giveaway budget of €8.5bn to not annoy anyone – except Patrick O’Donovan
The emergence of Chambers as a hard man fiscal hawk is a significant development in the internal dynamics of the Coalition
Pat Leahy
Pat Leahy columns
The south sees Drumcree and thinks: we don’t want that sectarian mindset down here
For those in south, the events highlight the continuing divisions in Northern Ireland
Our tax take used to be reliant on three companies. Now it hinges on one weight-loss drug
Ten years ago our total spending was half what it is now. And still we proceed with increase after increase
Any Celtic crusade against the imperialists in London would be very unwise
Remember, flags and anthems and all that is the easy stuff
People who get up early were left disappointed by Varadkar. Harris is ready to try again
If you promise to prioritise the people who get up early in the morning, you can’t spend your time delivering breakfast in bed to a bunch of others
Going through the motions: Did anyone learn a whole heap from party think-ins?
The think-ins organised by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin this week showed Irish politics is static right now
‘It was an absolute clanger’: Ex-Sinn Féin insider on Mary Lou, missteps and loss of momentum
Siobhán Fenton’s absorbing new memoir Ourselves Alone offers real insight into the workings of Ireland’s most secretive political party
Your guide to the four basic camps in Irish politics
How these political forces negotiate the great tides of the age will determine the country’s future, for good or ill
Working for longer is not an inevitability
There is no economic law that says increased life expectancy equals an increased working life
Irish workers are going to have to work for longer. Politicians should face up to this
This week’s population estimates saw politicians immediately fixate on how big the Dáil should be. But the figures raise far more profound questions
Madonna should invite Micheál Martin over for dinner – they have a lot in common
After all, both performers continue to flourish despite being in the twilight of gilded careers
A brief history of the PDs, Ireland’s most influential small party ever
For 14 of their 23 years of existence, the PDs were in government. Whatever you think of their ideology, they came with an agenda and they changed Ireland
Is the Irish economy really Trump-proof? We’d better hope so
As the Taoiseach eyes the exit and the unity debate gets louder, the current calm in Irish politics may not last
Why Simon Harris will really struggle to move the dial on income tax in the Budget
Fine Gael aspirations to help ‘people who get up early in the morning’ might be kept in check by realpolitik
As public opinion toughens on migration, politicians have shifted to the right
New system for assessing the claims of people who arrive here to claim asylum is doing what was intended - turning down most of those who apply
What happens to Northern Ireland after unity? Answers are starting to emerge
Would it remain Northern Ireland, though under the ultimate jurisdiction of Dublin, rather than London? Or would it be subsumed into a united Ireland?
People get promoted until they reach a job they can’t do (and other lessons from the UK)
Keir Starmer wasn’t great but his shortcomings weren’t the Labour government’s biggest problem. It was the lack of growth in the British economy
Whatever Simon Harris says, we are far from a ‘blueprint’ for a united Ireland
A blueprint is a detailed plan which can be followed to build something. Harris is promising it by the time of the Fine Gael ardfheis in November. It’s not going to happen
The Healy-Raes were seen as great gas. But there is little funny about their politics
When Jackie Healy-Rae first emerged, a sophisticate in FF remarked he’d never get elected, not least because he looked like he combed his hair with a pork chop
Darragh O’Brien on new help to buy EVs, Ireland’s missed climate targets and Fianna Fáil’s leadership
Inside Politics podcast with Hugh Linehan
Maybe we should ask Ireland’s small population of Jews what they think about anti-Semitism
The Occupied Territories Bill might not be the biggest issue involving relations with Israel in the coming months
What byelection results say about the rise of right-wing parties and candidates
Galway West and Dublin Central votes suggest emergence of significant electoral force to the right of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil
Winners and losers: What we’ve learned from the byelections
Inside Politics podcast with Hugh Linehan
Who would want the most difficult job in Ireland? Quite a few people
No matter what the substantial anti-Micheál Martin faction says, his will be big shoes to fill
Social partnership can work – but not if it becomes another magic ATM for public servants
We can’t have all the short-term solutions we want and all the long-term investment we want
What the Dublin and Galway byelections could tell us about the future of Irish politics
A greater degree of left unity and/or a sizeable alternative to the right of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil would be a new and unpredictable dynamic
Deepfake Simon Harris is only the start of the Government’s AI problem
Artificial intelligence will bring significant changes in the world of work, and soon present very considerable political challenges
Is Sinn Féin really any closer to achieving its goals than it was half a decade ago?
Sinn Féin has been working hard at showing the world that it has recovered its mojo
Saying no is not Simon Harris’s favourite part of the job
The decent people who protested last week have a choice to make next time they’re on the streets
Could we be looking at the future of protests in Ireland?
Every political problem faced by recent governments has been solved – to a greater or lesser extent – by finding money to throw at it. What happens if that dries up?
Pressure builds on Labour as austerity bites: Collapse, part two
Inside Politics podcast with Hugh Linehan
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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