Telling the truth is a no-no in Irish politics

It’s a truth rarely acknowledged in Irish politics that, well, the truth is rarely acknowledged in Irish politics. Families are ‘hardworking’, even those who aren’t. All pensioners are lonely and impoverished. The middle classes are ‘squeezed’, even when they demonstrably are well able to afford two cars and three holidays a year. The over 70s [...]

Election promises

What's a red line issue to you? For me, in this election, it was the 8th Amendment. I didn't give a preference to candidates who didn't support repeal. For others before the last election, I imagine marriage equality was one. If the 8th Amendment is repealed, I expect it to remain a red line issue for me. [...]

Women and work… and Leo Varadkar

Leo Varadkar TD at a Fine Gael press conference during the 2011 General Election Campaign. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) A straw poll of friends and colleagues a recently revealed that many of the women I know are the primary – or the only – breadwinners in their families. The recession has caused a huge amount [...]