Ireland has too many quangos and too many lawyers feeding off its clientelist politics
Tackling the State’s problems requires structural change to decentralise and redemocratise power
Oireachtas
The latest Oireachtas news, analysis and comment from The Irish Times
Verona Murphy attends Swiss conference alongside sanctioned Russian politician
Ukraine says Valentina Matviyenko’s attendance at summit of women speakers ‘disgraceful and should never have happened’
OPW spent €17,000 on consultants for committee hearings, more than any other State body
Spending data from 2021 to last month shows OPW spent over €17,000 last year as it faced rolling controversies
Miriam Lord’s Dáil end-of-term awards: from cute hoors to rookie errors and good operators
Big Jim is best in class, although sluggish start means new intake of TDs are yet to get much of a look-in - and as for Tipperary’s kingmaker...
Eager Ministers line up for their spending money as Coalition announces National Development Plan
The rejigged NDP is ‘unprecedented in scale and scope’, said the Tánaiste. It’s also a bit light on detail
Government asks for more time to fix legislation facilitating Athlone asylum seeker centre
The issue is before the High Court due to a legal case taken by Independent Ireland councillor Paul Hogan
Sinn Féin wants 111 changes to Bill reforming ‘triple lock’ Irish troop deployment
Oireachtas defence committee to meet this week to discuss its recommendations on the legislation
Occupied Territories Bill: Poll finds many voters now want economic implications examined
Proposed legislation has started to command significant international attention
Hiqa made 28 referrals to gardaí over nursing homes in 2024, PAC told
Closure notices issued to 10 nursing homes in 2024 and seven have closed so far, committee hears
Ireland needs ‘future generations tsar’ to enable long-term thinking, say 70 groups
Legislation is back on the Dáil agenda to support government decision-making in the interests of future generations
Catherine Connolly’s Áras campaign begins with a very ‘soft launch’
Independent TD got a cheer from the Gaza protesters corralled beyond Buswell’s Hotel
Student housing investors ‘spooked’ by ghost of Zoom University
It remains to be seen if investors will recover from the scare of the pandemic and remote learning
The law is deeply flawed when a retailer who asks a customer for ID can be sued for defamation
On legal advice, many retailers now operate a “no challenge” policy towards suspected shoplifters. This has to change
Retail crime pushing up prices for consumers, Oireachtas committee hears
Retail theft ‘costs a medium sized grocery store up to €100,000′ every year in a ‘direct hit to the bottom line’
Political opposition hindering electricity projects
TDs and senators hear how opposition hits power supplies
Minister for Health makes emergency intervention after Taoiseach’s joke ripples through the House
Danny Healy-Rae makes impassioned plea on behalf of Killorglin publicans ahead of Puck Fair
Thirteen Leinster House broadcast workers will have to sign on for dole next week
Dáil Public Accounts Committee to review contract for television and audio coverage of Oireachtas proceedings
Irish ports unsuitable to construct offshore wind projects, committee hears
Government must invest in port infrastructure, says wind industry lobby group
‘Disco pants’ Niall Quinn could be just the Áras ticket for Fianna Fáil
At the Irish embassy bash in London, guests were focused on the all-consuming question of who will enter the race for the Áras
Case of missing schoolboy Kyran Durnin ‘absolutely horrific’, Tusla chief says
Kate Duggan says child and family agency has completed two reports reviewing any involvement it had with child’s case
Report condemns decline of Ireland’s largest saltwater lake over 40 years
Oireachtas committee calls for full restoration of heavily polluted Lady’s Island Lake in Co Wexford
Unacceptable lack of consultation with Defence Force members over legislative reforms, committee hears
Proposed Bill lacks necessary clarity and safeguards, officers’ representative says
Taoiseach turned tables on the Opposition when they least expected it with moment of clarity
Proposed increase in personal injury awards has been divisive, yet Micheál Martin took probing question in his stride
Mary Lou seemed to have an extra pep to her step. Was that a Statement Jacket?
Micheál Martin performed a masterclass in sidestepping questions about rising costs
‘Outsourcing’ RTÉ shows will put licence payers’ money in private hands, committee to hear
RTÉ group of unions to criticise ‘closure’ of religious affairs programming department
FAI board holds unscheduled board meeting after standoff with Oireachtas sport committee
FAI was due to appear before committee next Wednesday
HSE paid one firm €54m over 27 months for services to tackle waiting lists in public hospitals
Three firms involved in insourcing received more than €70m in total, new HSE report shows
Health committee live: Naas hospital voluntarily paused use of insourcing after concerns raised, NTPF chief says
HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster €100m spent on firms that use HSE facilities and staff after hours to cut waiting lists
Almost €100m spent on companies that use HSE facilities and staff to cut waiting lists after hours
Health service report to Minister for Health admits ‘over-reliance’ on so-called insourcing arrangements
Government briefs pro-Palestine EU allies on Occupied Territories Bill
Tánaiste Simon Harris says other EU members need to bring forward their own legislation
How many regulators does it take to completely stifle Ireland’s AI innovation?
The regulatory response to this new technology is critical, the Oireachtas committee on AI repeatedly heard
New sheriff Jim O’Callaghan took Leaders’ Questions. Expectations were modest…
Some people might have been thinking Jim O’Callaghan was chosen to answer questions precisely because of the topic
EU’s splintered stance on Gaza crisis a ‘huge stain’ on bloc, says Taoiseach
Draft occupied Palestinian territories Bill published with no reference to banning of services
‘Up to 400 post offices could shut’ unless State increases subsidy to keep them running, TDs told
Payments for provision of Government services are too low, says postmasters’ union
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