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

Suzy brings up an interesting point on the White Paper/Estimates and the budget cut for government agencies. Mergers and abolitions are taking place in 41 agencies and budget cuts/logistic sharing is the order of the day as well.
However some have fared better than others.
The Equality Authority’s budget has been cut by 43% and the Irish [...]

There is a constant ratcheting up of pressure on this issue for Hanafin. This afternoon John Gormley and some Green paty representatives met parents of autistic children and promised to raise the issue of provision for ABA with Minister Hanafin (link once I get one-heard on radio). Niall’s ABA post is still very active over [...]

Yesterday a court ruled that the Department of Education had not discriminated against dyslexic students when after they received reasonable accommodation in their exams that their results would be marked as having been marked differently. I wrote my feelings angrily on this a while ago Mary Hanafin or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and [...]

Time to boycott People in Need.

Labour’s video to flag up number four of Pat Rabbitte’s commitments for change. Meet Kathleen, she is a carer;

Its a decent video, I still think that the shock factor in the very first one still makes it the best.

As some of you might have been aware, I was somewhat enraged to discover that the state is planning to charge disabled adults for living in residential care settings.
So after a weekend in which I suspect I may have calmed down somewhat, I’ve gotten off my rear and am trying to do something about [...]

I read this piece by Fergus Finlay in Tuesday’s Examiner* and I was positively seething afterwards. I would urge everyone to read Fergus’s piece and to raise this on the doorsteps with any and all government reps who will be calling over the coming weeks.
My sister, who is a year, a month and a day [...]

What you mean you missed it? Don’t worry so have a lot of people.
The Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007 is currently going through the Oireachtas. Contained in that bill is a clause that will mean that private developers in the many areas of Dublin will be able to tell buyers that nobody on social [...]

Well auction politics or poker politics, it is all academic. He saw the opposition, by equalling commitments on the standard rate (down to 18% - originally Labour), the pension (€300 over the five years of government - originally PDs), lower the higher rate of tax (down to 40% - not as much as the PDs).
And [...]

I know the following may not be exactly relevant to this blog. I know that I will no doubt display my habitual prolixity. Nevertheless I think there are some things I have to say on the subject of third-level grants. This is all from personal experience, mind you.
I put myself through third-level education thanks to [...]

CORI have published their budget proposals (PDF here). Doubtless these will have an input into the Taoioseach and Finance Minister’s thinking come December. Headline Proposals below the fold. The details of these are fleshed out in the 12 pages that follow on the PDF file. Have a read.

It seems agreed that the election has begun and we have been met by the first policy pronouncement of the campaign. The issue is upstaging Fianna Fail Mental Health. An area of policy not accustomed to such a prominent position. Fine Gael and Labour may be keeping the powder dry with the big areas but [...]