Irish Election - Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs

The collapse of New York trading and investment advisory firms bearing the name of their founder, Bernard Madoff, is making news around the world.  Madoff has apparently told federal investigators that he ran a $50 billion Ponzi scheme i.e. in which the principal of new investors is used to pay returns to previous investors.   [...]

Banks are due to get as much as €10bn from the pension reserve fund in recapitalisation. We have a 4% drop in GNP next year which will have the knock-on effect of bringing spending back to 2005 levels. Schools will remain unbuilt, roads unbuilt, metros scrapped and delayed as Accident and Emergency shuts for the [...]

As called for a month ago on Irish Election the government has announced the creation of a 10 billion euro fund to recapitalize credit institutions with capital from the National Pension Reserve Fund.  Since the NPRF was originally designed to make overseas investments only, its governing legislation will have to be amended*.  In effect therefore, [...]

Accounts of last year’s election highlight the period when Brian Cowen took the FF campaign by the scruff of the neck after initial drift and swept the SoD to victory.  Is he now taking the same approach to the economy [Irish Times]? – The Government is to present a revised economic plan early in the [...]

Niall Crowley’s resignation as the CEO of the Equality over budget cutbacks which would see the authority lose 40% of its budget and enforce a move to Roscrea that would decimate its legal staff raises more questions for Angela Kerins and the others on the Equality Authority board. Suzy has posted on Maman Poulet Angela [...]

Green Ink is on temporary hiatus. Go read a book.

Today or tomorrow we hear about the re-running of the Lisbon treaty. Around 12.00 Irish time Declan Ganley takes to the stage in Brussels and launches the Libertas brand as a cross-European party.They are sending a signal of immense confidence – you need to have the following rules in mind for funding at an EU [...]

Garrett Tubrity who is the Fianna Fail 2.0 candidate in the next election has the Fianna Fail logo on his site. But can you find it? I guess this is deliberate highlight after this to see answer. Look at the bottom Left

One potential area of interest in the handling of the pork scare is that it’s the first big food chain disruption with the Greens in government.  And in some ways, what we know about the problem should be a vindication of the “green” ethos, since as with BSE, the contamination comes from not agriculture in [...]

The office of Czech President Vaclav Klaus has published the transcript of what apparently was a blazing row that erupted in a meeting between him and MEPs Daniel Cohn-Bendit (the ’68 veteran) and Fianna Fail MEP Brian Crowley.  Elements of the row are reported on in the Irish Times today but Klaus has since decided [...]

Thought I would highlight this a “webiner about science in Ireland”   In recent years Ireland has made significant progress in building its scientific research capacity. Now the Irish government has set down a bold vision that “Ireland by 2013 will be internationally renowned for the excellence of its research, be at the forefront in generating [...]

Sinn Féin’s stance on Lisbon shows us that they remain irredeemable purists. Despite all the evidence that governments across Europe have no stomach for re-opening the decade long reform process, Sinn Féin doggedly persist in arguing for renegotiation (Mary Lou McDonald, IT 2 Dec).

Ryanair are ratcheting up the pressure on Ministers to sell Aer Lingus to them. They issued an ISE announcement earlier today outlining the details of their meeting with Noel Dempsey today. It includes a commitment to recognise unions at the airline and give the government control of the slots at Heathrow. I have the full [...]

Batt O Keeffe announced a €2.7 million fund for education subsitution to cover schools in certain areas until year-end. Batt O’Keefe says an extra 2.7 million euro will pay for a limited number of substitution hours – to facilitate school activities. Teachers had raised concerns that sports activities and school trips would have to be [...]

Dow Jones newswires has an interesting story (subs. req’d) about the negotiations for a capital infusion for Irish banks.  There’s a quote from a government spokesman complaining about all the people who are complaining about the private equity interest in the banks – There has been a rush to criticise private investors as vulture funds. [...]

New Bertie Ahern Parody video Have to say it is a bit shite in my opinion. But anyway enjoy.