Opinion

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Newton Emerson

Starmerâ€™s political image increasingly at odds with a public mood turning against liberal causes

Newton Emerson

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Finn McRedmond

Could religion be the antidote to declining birth rates, celebrity worship and political polarisation?

Finn McRedmond

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Kathy Sheridan

Mark Zuckerbergâ€™s pronouncements confirm that â€˜wokeâ€™ is dead

Kathy Sheridan

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Fintan O'Toole

Five years after Covid, we scorn health workers, ignore vaccines and work in our offices

Fintan O'Toole

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Joe Humphreys

When it comes to clutter are you more like Michael D Higgins or minimalist Marie Kondo?

Joe Humphreys

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Breda O'Brien

Jimmy Carter went to Mass in Waterford in 1995 - a sign of a deep faith that was often overlooked

Breda O'Brien

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Pat Leahy

Government getting nervous about contentious Occupied Territories Bill

Pat Leahy

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Mark O'Connell

If you find music on Spotify increasingly bland, it might be the ghosts

Mark O'Connell

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Cliff Taylor

Dundrum apartments decision a symptom of broken planning system

Cliff Taylor

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Jennifer O'Connell

Enoch Burkeâ€™s lonely vigil at the school gate has not been entirely pointless

Jennifer O'Connell

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David McWilliams

No single location captures global nature of Irish economy more than Dublin Airport

David McWilliams

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Stephen Collins

Sinn FÃ©in is mistaken if it thinks Conor Murphy in the Seanad will inch us closer to a united Ireland

Stephen Collins

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Lara Marlowe

Once called â€˜the devil of the Republicâ€™, Le Pen died knowing his ideas are gaining currency

Lara Marlowe

LETTERS

EDITORIALS

Martyn Turner

Martyn Turner

January 15th, 2025

Should Ireland pass the Occupied Territories Bill? Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s Matt Carthy and former ambassador Daniel Mulhall debate

Should Ireland pass the Occupied Territories Bill? Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s Matt Carthy and former ambassador Daniel Mulhall debate

ByÂ Daniel Mulhall and Matt Carthy

While LA burns, Fianna FÃ¡il says pro-climate policies are â€˜open for discussionâ€™

While LA burns, Fianna FÃ¡il says pro-climate policies are â€˜open for discussionâ€™

ByÂ CiarÃ¡n Cuffe

Social media has a limited effect on teenage mental health

Social media has a limited effect on teenage mental health

ByÂ Eoin Whelan

â€˜Of course I remember the bank strikes,â€™ my mother says. â€˜Your dad took to carrying a gunâ€™

â€˜Of course I remember the bank strikes,â€™ my mother says. â€˜Your dad took to carrying a gunâ€™

ByÂ Rachel O'Dwyer

Having a job is no longer a guarantee of being able to house yourself. That breaches the social contract

Having a job is no longer a guarantee of being able to house yourself. That breaches the social contract

ByÂ Lorcan Sirr

Brutal reality of todayâ€™s world is that a woman is killed every 10 minutes

Brutal reality of todayâ€™s world is that a woman is killed every 10 minutes

ByÂ Mary Van Lieshout

Moves by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg set scene for confrontation between EU and US

Moves by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg set scene for confrontation between EU and US

ByÂ TJ McIntyre

How will the contradictions in Trumpâ€™s policies play out?

How will the contradictions in Trumpâ€™s policies play out?

ByÂ Paul Gillespie

Ireland is not immune to the wave of foreign state espionage sweeping Europe

Ireland is not immune to the wave of foreign state espionage sweeping Europe

ByÂ Edward Burke

Political science must not trump climate science. Here are the key tests for the new government

Political science must not trump climate science. Here are the key tests for the new government

ByÂ Eamon Ryan

Trumpâ€™s alt right edgelords will inevitably come for Ireland. We canâ€™t take the bait

Trumpâ€™s alt right edgelords will inevitably come for Ireland. We canâ€™t take the bait

ByÂ Liz Carolan

Recycle sportsgear, eliminate party bags: four easy climate resolutions for every household

Recycle sportsgear, eliminate party bags: four easy climate resolutions for every household

ByÂ Angela Ruttledge

Women donâ€™t want a rest on Nollaig na mBan. We want decent childcare, equal pay and access to healthcare

Women donâ€™t want a rest on Nollaig na mBan. We want decent childcare, equal pay and access to healthcare

ByÂ Orla O'Connor

Europe is deluded if it thinks it can â€˜manageâ€™ Donald Trump

Europe is deluded if it thinks it can â€˜manageâ€™ Donald Trump

ByÂ Ben Tonra

Planning to join a swimming pool this January? Read this first

Planning to join a swimming pool this January? Read this first

ByÂ Clare Moriarty

My friend sends me a dizzying list of pills for what she calls â€˜biohacking perimenopauseâ€™

My friend sends me a dizzying list of pills for what she calls â€˜biohacking perimenopauseâ€™

ByÂ Rachel O'Dwyer

Freedom of religion an empty formula unless places to worship available

Freedom of religion an empty formula unless places to worship available

ByÂ Imam Shamsudeen MacSeain and Fr Edmond Grace, SJ.

I long to escape the tyranny of yoga, fruit and my weekly glycolic peel

I long to escape the tyranny of yoga, fruit and my weekly glycolic peel

ByÂ Rivkah McKinley

Moving to Australia? Beware, their economic fairytale wonâ€™t last forever

Moving to Australia? Beware, their economic fairytale wonâ€™t last forever

ByÂ David W. Higgins

A neuropsychologistâ€™s view on how to thrive in an angry, unpredictable world

A neuropsychologistâ€™s view on how to thrive in an angry, unpredictable world

ByÂ Ian Robertson

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\n Download the app\n \n $\"Download$ \n \n \n $\"Download$ \n","type":"raw_html"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Pat Leahy"}},"name":"Pat Leahy"}]},"description":{"basic":"Government likely to pursue a middle way, promising to enact the proposed legislation but kicking it into a process to draw up amendments and consider possible costs"},"display_date":"2025-01-12T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Government getting nervous about contentious Occupied Territories Bill","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"N2UOFO6WFBE4O53X6JZZE2GCSA","auth":{"1":"8bea094ca7ed605c5da79ea0f17b5cf68b6d44ccbbdd9ee11cd00704213e63e7"},"focal_point":{"x":3229,"y":1167},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/N2UOFO6WFBE4O53X6JZZE2GCSA.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Politics"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/12/pat-leahy-battles-lines-have-been-drawn-on-the-occupied-territories-bill/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"ISOHXEWT2FHWFOYFAKUHQ62W2A","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":433,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/c635a950-5667-464e-9acc-ce1b680f6150/versions/1736507537/media/f9a0403bd3b8a6ee25d31314b44506d2_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/mark-oconnell-if-you-find-music-on-spotify-increasingly-bland-it-may-be-the-ghosts/","content_elements":[{"_id":"NVZWAY3CVRGYPKKWYJN34KQRXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763513},"content":"Over Christmas, I had lunch with my cousin, a talented musician and songwriter who for some years now has made her living from her records and live performances. Our conversation turned, as a conversation between two people working in creative fields inevitably will, to the vicissitudes of making a living in any kind of artistic endeavour. Like most musicians of her generation, my cousinâ€™s music career has roughly coincided with the rise of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, and so her music has always been available, to anyone who wanted to hear it, for free â€“ or, more accurately, for a monthly subscription fee to those tech companies. The trade-off, in theory, is the potential to reach a wider audience than would otherwise have been possible. But even as her music has become more popular on the platform, she told me, and as the crowds at her shows have grown, the smaller that hill of beans has become.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CJ7AXJ3BNBC4JLXH5G6BYVMMPU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763514},"content":"This has been the case, with Spotify, for almost all musicians. The more dominant the platform has become, and the more damage it has done in the process to the livelihoods of recording artists, the smaller its payments to those artists have shrunk. It probably shouldnâ€™t be surprising that the companyâ€™s multibillionaire founder, Daniel Ek, is wealthier than any musician on the planet; last year alone, he made $345 million from his companyâ€™s users streaming the work of musicians, which is more than Taylor Swift â€“ the most-streamed artist in the platformâ€™s history â€“ has made in all her time on the platform, but itâ€™s dispiriting nonetheless.","type":"text"},{"_id":"N43KIACG5FFVTLNOFY4PWRDL3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763515},"content":"I switched to Apple Music years ago, because it pays artists a slightly more generous pittance, and streams at a higher quality, and therefore seems to represent a marginally less grim version of the same market dynamic. But anyone who still uses Spotify will tell you that the experience has of late been in steep decline. One of the companyâ€™s primary innovations, in its early phase, was the â€œDiscoveryâ€ function, an algorithmic gimmick that pointed users in the direction of new music based on artists they had already listened to and liked. It always seemed to me a surprisingly effective way of finding new music â€“ far more reliable than I was at seeking it out myself, having only a vague and slippery grasp of what it was I actually liked. But talk to anyone who uses Spotify now, and they will tell you that those days are long gone. All the app wants to point them toward now is artists whose labels have apparently forked out enough cash to game the system in their favour â€“ along with, increasingly, playlists clogged with anonymous made-to-order filler.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y2IWX5ZEVVH43MINS4KUKWOBSY","additional_properties":{"_id":"ZE537KSBZZD3JPVMATIF6YXOLE"},"content":"We are up to our necks in a rising tide of AI-generated slop","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"JPM6X2POSZDKTC6SSAFY7TUCZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763516},"content":"This latter category is the subject of a fascinating article in the latest issue of Harperâ€™s magazine, by the American writer Liz Pelly. Spotify has in recent years, Pelly claims, been filling its most popular playlists with what the company refers to as â€œPerfect Fit Contentâ€ (PFC) â€“ stock filler music attributed to pseudonymous musicians, referred to as â€œghost artistsâ€, produced in order to lower even further its royalty payouts. This stuff is, she suggests, commissioned by Spotify, from production companies that pay musicians a flat fee to churn it out, within strictly defined parameters based on what is already popular with listeners.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XKB6OSBQANENZIZUIYU4JVAB74","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763517},"content":"Pelly interviews a professional jazz musician whose pseudonymous side gig involves making this stuff to order. The musician, whom Pelly does not name, describes the process of recording this filler as a kind of feedback loop: the production company sends links to target playlists as reference points, and the composer â€œcharts outâ€ new songs that will work well for those lists. When it comes to recording, there will usually be a representative of the PFC partner company at the session, giving feedback â€“ the gist of which tends always to be to make the music as simple as possible. â€œThatâ€™s definitely the thing: nothing that could be even remotely challenging or offensive, really,â€ says the jazz musician.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O3UQF55XJNEVJDDDFLA7YNXGHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763518},"content":"In one sense, there is nothing particularly new about any of this; itâ€™s a digital-era version, in a way, of Muzak, the proprietary brand of background music that has played in hotel lifts and supermarkets and so on for as long as anyone can remember. But whatâ€™s insidious here is the extent to which Spotify seems to intend this stuff to replicate and replace the music of artists with whom listeners might previously have formed a connection, and sought out other work by, gone to see play live and so on â€“ simply because it allegedly costs the company less money to stream. Itâ€™s a stark example, in this sense, of the remorseless way in which the profit motive tends toward cheapening, degrading and eventually destroying cultural production.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5IAEKYA5TZFVLILD5LJMWQIJD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736522081859},"content":"Spotify denied to Harperâ€™s that staffers were encouraged to add PFC to playlists, and that playlist editors were discontented with the programme.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NHTDA4R6ZNEBNC35VM5F26SZQM","additional_properties":{"_id":"O67GPINKBZBW3OTWL6G73XUSMI"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"HQGF6FFSRFDLZAGCBXL6HAOW6I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763519},"content":"I am listening, as I write, to a station on Apple Music â€“ on which platform this stuff absolutely still exists, but is (for now at least) pushed less relentlessly than on Spotify â€“ called Lo-Fi. The music it plays is the kind of relentlessly chill and soothing instrumental ephemera popular with people who like to listen to music while they work or study. Itâ€™s all tinkling piano and quiet guitar over polite, dusty breakbeats with the occasional wordless croon, and on this station everything sounds like itâ€™s made by the same person, although you never seem to encounter the same â€œartistâ€ twice. And if you happen to do a Google search for any of the artists to whom these songs are attributed, you will find nothing but links back to their songs on streaming services. No interviews, no listings of live shows, no merch, no Wikipedia pages with lengthy explications of the singerâ€™s problematic political views and links to the Church of Scientology. This, I suspect, is because they exist on, and for, these streaming services alone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6ILRRI2UORB4BB6DKXHW6SAG7E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763520},"content":"Such a model, argues Pelly, distorts our relationship with music and our understanding of its purpose. â€œThis treatment of music as nothing but background sounds â€“ as interchangeable tracks of generic, vibe-tagged playlist fodder â€“ is at the heart of how music has been devalued in the streaming era. It is in the financial interest of streaming services to discourage a critical audio culture among users, to continue eroding connections between artists and listeners, so as to more easily slip discounted stock music through the cracks, improving their profit margins.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"CCT6CETPCFETFLGWS666JFK76A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763521},"content":"And the real damage, of course, is only beginning. Although the model may up to now have involved paying a flat fee to the pseudonymous artists who produce this music, that presumably wonâ€™t remain the case for long. Because if youâ€™re happy to listen to music made to order by human musicians on an already algorithmic production line, you may not even notice when all of it is produced entirely by generative AI. Youâ€™ll only barely be listening anyway, as the model intends.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark O'Connell"}},"name":"Mark O'Connell"}]},"description":{"basic":"When so many of us are listening to music made to order by pseudonymous human musicians on an algorithmic production line, will we even notice when AI takes over?"},"display_date":"2025-01-12T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"If you find music on Spotify increasingly bland, it might be the ghosts","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VI6GVB4VMZABRGOLBBAN2PRA6A","auth":{"1":"e6d81c870bcc160d7e8d6313111b38f7efdfb0d050be62e3b1e4419caf2afeb3"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VI6GVB4VMZABRGOLBBAN2PRA6A.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/mark-oconnell-if-you-find-music-on-spotify-increasingly-bland-it-may-be-the-ghosts/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"W6POV64P35DDPLMEJWM57VRYWY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":391,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/59e86716-8067-4185-8611-0a5bcdeb6d55/versions/1736525858/media/ced0451d4c16d7de63a79fc020fa781a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/12/brutal-reality-of-todays-world-is-that-a-woman-is-killed-every-10-minutes/","content_elements":[{"_id":"33CGK2ZF3JAPFAMMKEZCPQNRMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677767},"content":"Gender-based violence (GBV) breaches fundamental human rights at a very basic level and is a significant barrier to achieving equality. Women, girls, and people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are most at risk. The statistics are staggering.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NXHOU5HB3FGXFNYULNYN2TVQ3U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677768},"content":"Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed simply because she is a woman. Thatâ€™s the brutal reality of the world in which we live.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PI3YD3W5GNC6ZPBUEBV7V5B3KI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677769},"content":"The UN has identified violence against women as one of the most severe human rights violations globally. In humanitarian crises, the problem worsens â€” 70 per cent of women in crisis settings experience GBV, compared to 35 per cent worldwide.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4XQ72TY6LVD4PKCGEHJQ6BTK7I","additional_properties":{"_id":"DRK5SKKUVBDRPLUD2JCWUR3RQY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"BGYD75Q2HZFSFBYK7TPGZ3FYBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677770},"content":"The evidence is all around us, reflected in the heartbreaking reports of violence against women, nationally and internationally, unfolding across our screens daily.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4ASCCTVS4BATNPF2ZY7BWPNSGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677771},"content":"Sexual violence is used systematically as a weapon in conflicts all over the world, devastating men, women, children, and LGBTQI+ communities. The impact is compounded by the destruction of critical GBV services and the loss of skilled staff during conflicts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IPOPCZFZLZE6RFXVPJQMDN3EXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677772},"content":"In Sudan, the need for GBV-related services has skyrocketed â€” increasing by 100 per cent to 6.7 million people as of December 2023. Internally displaced women and girls face the highest risk, enduring conflict-related sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2SN2NMSQNHKJENAR3Q5SXKFJI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677773},"content":"The Irish Consortium on Gender-Based Violence (ICGBV) was established in 2005 in response to extreme levels of sexual violence faced by women and girls in Darfur, Sudan. An alliance of 14 international human rights, humanitarian and development organisations, including NGOs, Irish Aid and the Irish Defence Forces, it was set up in response to reports of this ongoing and systematic sexual violence against women and girls in Darfur. Since it was established nearly 20 years there has been progress in shifting GBV policies and practices to recognise survivors as the architects of their recovery.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PFXSQZIXMNA6JFNKNMXB6MEFLA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677775},"content":"The ICGBVâ€™s recent report, From Survivor-Centred to Survivor-Led: Lessons from Promising Survivor-Led Gender-Based Violence Accountability Initiatives, highlights valuable lessons from survivor-led efforts in GBV prevention, mitigation, and response. As ICGBV patron and President Michael D Higgins put it: â€œThis report gives voice to those who have too often been silenced, voices that can make a difference, voices of those who have not only survived violence but have found the strength to lead in the pursuit of justice and healing.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"QWEFDDCMRVDKTCXKSFKIC6T4HQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"4YSUOHSTPFEEBNGM7CLIJIE2DA"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"7YY4LACKUVAVZOVQKANYPRBEB4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677777},"content":"Survivor-led accountability requires that survivorsâ€™ dignity is upheld and that they have the resources and skills to lead the process of justice and recovery â€” if they choose to do so.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CXW7SEDSZFFR7HYSN22UR54LPA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677778},"content":"Empowering survivors at every stage is critical, especially considering the profound loss of agency they experience during acts of violence. Research suggests that even well-intentioned survivor-centred approaches can unintentionally decentre survivors, reinforcing paternalistic systems within humanitarian protection. True survivor-led approaches shift power dynamics, recognising survivors as the best decision-makers and experts, based on their own lived experiences. Higgins also noted the â€œtransition from survivor-centred approaches to survivor-led action seeks a profound shift in policy and practice â€” one that places survivorsâ€™ agency at the heart of justice efforts. It is a powerful, enduring call for justice, dignity and action, highlighting that those who have endured the deepest wounds must be central to building solutions, shaping policies, and ensuring accountability.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"XK7VDPCQVFDZPGOUTQY63NGCJE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677781},"content":"ICGBV research emphasises the shift from â€œsurvivor-centredâ€ to â€œsurvivor-ledâ€ accountability. Empowered survivors advocate for themselves and others, creating a ripple effect that strengthens community resilience and advocacy efforts, influences policy, and ultimately leads to long-term, sustainable, and systemic change. Survivor-led approaches also strengthen accountability mechanisms, making services more responsive to survivorsâ€™ needs and driving better outcomes, including increased funding opportunities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JWJIYAEVHZAVRH4CQJJ3UIMV3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677783},"content":"However, supporting survivor-led approaches requires dedicated resources to run their initiatives, including fair compensation for their expertise and time. Advocacy for systemic change is resource-intensive and often takes years. Despite the significant economic cost of GBV â€” more than double the expenditure on education in many countries â€” and its long-term impact on future generations, funding to tackle gender-based violence remains low, accounting for just 0.69 per cent of total humanitarian aid and less than 1 per cent of official development assistance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OK7RTEX3YZGHZCKFEQCPDBBLXY","additional_properties":{"_id":"ULXCY2O6SBE35LC3WFJEAQCGE4"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"LLQUD5VTUNCT5BJWZGYFIBB5JA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677785},"content":"Flexible, unrestricted, multiyear funding is crucial to support the comprehensive work needed to change the norms, attitudes, and behaviours that drive GBV. It is also essential that priority is given to fair and equal involvement with survivor-led gender-based violence accountability initiatives that are in line with their responsibilities. We are approaching the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and platform for action, considered one of the most progressive blueprints for advancing womenâ€™s rights globally.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQ6WLZN2BJCIDNBP7I7HVUV2AE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677787},"content":"Many believe it would not be possible in todayâ€™s environment. It is therefore timely that we mitigate against the current challenges that affect its implementation and the achievement of gender equality more broadly. Eliminating violence against women is paramount to this agenda and the only right path to achieve it is by following the courageous lead of survivors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4T75DDWB3JDURM3PMBK5NV7HXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677789},"content":"Mary Van Lieshout is deputy chief executive and director, external relations, Goal and co-chairwoman of ICGBV.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Mary Van Lieshout"}]},"description":{"basic":"Rite & Reason: Funding for gender-based violence remains critically low, accounting for just 0.69 per cent of total humanitarian aid"},"display_date":"2025-01-12T00:30:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Brutal reality of todayâ€™s world is that a woman is killed every 10 minutes ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MQP5KCMQQUBMAEVU6TNQHSFWEM","auth":{"1":"9fa605278514960842e604788e0ae08c4cc10ed1ebc0db9d123fab0a6a7de75d"},"focal_point":{"x":2080,"y":1137},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MQP5KCMQQUBMAEVU6TNQHSFWEM.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/12/brutal-reality-of-todays-world-is-that-a-woman-is-killed-every-10-minutes/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"2DT3H2J5JZDHTG3MPMXEZXY5MQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":373,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/fea10b81-60b1-4edd-993b-87b0034ebf5f/versions/1736520001/media/ee1f16b679b6caa68a121e33b954ec51_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/dundrum-apartments-decision-a-symptom-of-broken-planning-system/","content_elements":[{"_id":"NMKP6WYRCRAMHDX2QCE5J4F2CI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736509911202},"content":"News that An Bord PleanÃ¡la had turned down a proposed development of 881 apartments on the site of the old Dundrum shopping centre follows an all-too-familiar pattern. A lengthy and complicated process has a project shot down due to objections and the decision of planners that rules had been contravened. Initial plans to redevelop this site go back as far as 2004, with the latest decision relating to an application process that started towards the end of 2021.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VASX6NWBKFETXBM5HKGL5QPARI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736456514286},"content":"I am not qualified to give an opinion on the reasons the scheme was turned down, which ranged from height to the nature and scale of the residential plans, to flood planning and transport concerns and a view that it did not fit within planning guidelines. Reading the decision gives an insight into the complexity of factors involved.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AUOQ5CGHCVBZPJ2KZTLK5C3J3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836614},"content":"But what is clear when we stand back is that this is another example of the planning and development system not acting in the wider national interest. There is, after all, a housing crisis. Here is a site that is ideally suited to development. It is in an urban area where, on the basis of all the national and local plans, development is desirable. National guidelines underline the vital goal of more â€œcompactâ€ living â€“ developing sites near city and town centres and transport links, necessary to achieve climate goals. This site is 50m from a Luas stop, beside a host of bus services and near schools, shops and other services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PCUG4ULTOFDRPKZW7XV5FOL25E","additional_properties":{"_id":"C5IY6T2DYBH3PCYTZEVP7DJCFE"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"TJHJFCSR2ZBDJMOGR6CI7MHXME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836616},"content":"Yet somehow the developers and planners cannot come up with a scheme to get it done. In a logical scenario, the two sides would sit down at the start â€“ based on clear planning guidelines â€“ drawn up after local consultation and offering appropriate rights to objection and agree what could happen. Once the developer stayed within the rules, it would happen.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IPDPDXB47VBFDNJVGMOQ2Z7RNQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736456514289},"content":"Instead, the Irish system looks back to front and upside down. Developers face delay and uncertainty. Planners are trying to guard against their decisions being legally overturned. The courts rule on narrow matters of law and this is not always in line with the wider interest. The odds are stacked against progress being made, particularly in the case of complex infill sites such as Dundrum.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W3KBW7MNHZAJ3PEEMDZDFFQAJE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736513274677},"content":"Reading Dundrum, it is clear that the local and national guidelines are not always completely aligned, or at least leave room for significant interpretation. There was a pre-planning meeting between the developers and the planners in late 2021 designed to scope things out. But, in the light of this, reading the planning judgment leaves you mystified about the gap between, on one side, a developer who felt their scheme was fully justified and, on the other, a planning authority who felt the exact opposite.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6YRW7SVN4VDUFPESBA25QUARLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736456514290},"content":"Difficulties in developing urban sites are common, though reasons vary. Just down the road, the site of the old Central Mental Hospital has also been through the planning hoops, held up by an objection from another developer to a scheme approved by An Bord PleanÃ¡la. A joint venture between the local authority and the Land Development Agency may finally get the vital provision of more than 800 social and affordable houses started. But with years of delay.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GRG4GYJWB5AV5NGYYUJ3BZVXD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836619},"content":"Two build-to-rent schemes in Blackrock and Dublin 18 proposed by Cairn Homes were turned down by An Bord PleanÃ¡la after lengthy consideration â€“ one due to an â€œover-proliferationâ€ of such schemes in the area. Cross the river to the north side of Dublin and you find the Supreme Court ruling against the planning approval for more than 1,500 apartments on the old Clonliffe College site, because enough consideration had not been given to potential damage to the adjoining lands and structures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MR4FD5VUCVASHOKNIU5AFTN7IQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"Y6TWWUD2V5BWLNKRP7MN7ZYA3U"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"E6SABXN25RBYDG3BPGWIE5UXXE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836620},"content":"And a scheme to redevelop an old pitch and putt course beside the Cadbury factory on the Malahide Road was turned down by An Bord PleanÃ¡la because it ruled that an assisted living element to the site did not go far enough to meet â€œmixed-useâ€ guidelines (meaning that sites should comprise more than just housing), concerns about light in a minority of the apartments and a finding that the developers had failed to adequately consider the impact on Brent geese. A survey had shown no evidence that the geese â€“ a regular feature of appeals in north Dublin â€“ had used the site at all in recent years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QDGQ65ENOJDA7EGXZ3X2UNXGXM","additional_properties":{"_id":"UHRQWP5BB5BMNOFD7BZL4VXQ4E"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-93104","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"V56N3H7VWZCTLJ6UZGF5VBLUIE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836621},"content":"This is not an argument to allow proper planning and vital environmental rules to be ignored. But if compact living is the goal of national policy, then Ireland needs to get a lot better at this. The Strategic Housing Development scheme introduced in 2017, designed to speed things up by allowing developers to bypass local authorities (and under which the Dundrum application was made) has been a disaster, spurring a host of legal challenges. At least its replacement seems better. Meanwhile, in some aspects â€“ such as the designation of new urban development zones â€“ the new planning act may help, though its implementation is going to take time and planning experts warn about the impact of some provisions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NBV22ZTQAJCHXNMHNA7EQU42QQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736513274682},"content":"The Sinn FÃ©in housing plan, meanwhile, had sensible suggestions about just how developers and local authorities could co-operate more effectively to get redevelopments on â€œbrownfieldâ€ sites such as the one in Dundrum planned and delivered more effectively. And the Commission on Housing has a good analysis of the particular planning and financial challenges in redeveloping these sites and how to address them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GFHCSSZMIBH35FGSSDHPMEE6KQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836622},"content":"At the moment nobodyâ€™s interests are served â€“ except the lawyers and planning consultants, of course. Or maybe, quietly, it all suits some people quite well. A number of the objections to rental housing schemes refer pejoratively to the creation of a â€œtransientâ€ community or one that is not â€œstableâ€. Developments for renters, in other words, are not welcome. Local homeowners and businesses often have legitimate concerns, but the better-off use any legal tool to maintain the status quo. And local politicians quoted in the case of Dundrum, for example, were happy to support the idea of development, but also to repeat the objections of constituents to this scheme.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KDLDDEU47BA3HBFB7CJ3GZ2HJY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836623},"content":"A malign mind might argue that rather than this all being seen as a problem that goes to the heart of national spatial, social, economic and climate policy, a lot of people are happy enough with the way things are. And to see lack of supply keep the value of their house on the up.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Cliff Taylor"}},"name":"Cliff Taylor"}]},"description":{"basic":"If compact living is really the goal of national policy, then Ireland really needs to get a lot better at this. Our planning system rarely acts in the interests of renters"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T07:15:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Dundrum apartments decision a symptom of broken planning system ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4SL23CHCOFCQHKGXKDHUWU2JLQ","auth":{"1":"e96d98660807fa77146f246424dcb45b17a92b08cc06f5ebc6efe038f3d99158"},"focal_point":{"x":1830,"y":1184},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4SL23CHCOFCQHKGXKDHUWU2JLQ.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Business"},{"name":"Economy"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/dundrum-apartments-decision-a-symptom-of-broken-planning-system/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"YUORR75KO5BMXIMHJCSA5H7K4M","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":352,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/0ba11f52-4c2c-4261-afe8-3ed5dd0f50b5/versions/1736518607/media/5fe7c8df02aa9a7840f1c575c5b6e9bd_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/enoch-burkes-lonely-vigil-at-the-school-gate-has-not-been-entirely-pointless/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RGQ2FIIMTRFL7BOYGZKYT4K7M4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126948},"content":"Anyone who professed themselves astonished to see Enoch Burke leave his warm bed in Castlebar and trek across the country in sub-zero temperatures to take up his lonely vigil outside a school in Westmeath as the new term resumed canâ€™t have been following his story too closely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YJEQAPDRGNAB7PMKULS7ESNDMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126949},"content":"Burke was released from jail before Christmas, having spent 500 days there because he refused to comply with the terms of his suspension from the school where he taught, and from which he remains on full pay pending the conclusion of a disciplinary process. This followed an alleged public confrontation over the wishes of a 15-year-old pupil to be referred to as â€œthey/themâ€ and his subsequent refusal to comply with a High Court interim injunction preventing him from attending the school.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KWIDBB6SNFD5NAN6ROVYBZHTII","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126950},"content":"In the High Court in December, Justice David Nolan described this as one of those very rare cases where imprisonment should stop, at least for the moment, but added that the school could return to court to seek his return to prison â€œor any other appropriate measureâ€ if he refused to stay away.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P7MR4D25EJFQVMYVODFUOC2JXE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126951},"content":"It now seems inevitable that, for as long as he is not incarcerated, Burke will keep turning up at the school gate as he did all week. The more impediments he faces â€“ ice, snow, orders of the court, the threat of being returned to Mountjoy, public opprobrium, the despair of parents and school authorities â€“ the more his religious zeal seems to harden, and the more his conviction that he is a righteous martyr crystallises.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZP6QXMRUXFFBBPEF3TZARKVN7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126952},"content":"So what is to be done? The threat of imprisonment has not deterred him. Nor have the rapidly mounting fines, now hovering around the â‚¬200,000 mark, and recently doubled to â‚¬1,400 for every day he attends the school property.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q36WKFU2WZGT7P5UNQM66MLJ2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126953},"content":"As I wrote here two years ago, my personal views on Burke â€“ or anyoneâ€™s views on his views on transgender people, LGBTQ+ people, womenâ€™s reproductive rights or what he calls the â€œdepravedâ€ school curriculum â€“ are not the point. The notion that the courts can send someone to jail indefinitely for civil contempt â€“ refusal to obey an order of the court â€“ is one that should make us baulk, particularly when imprisonment for the more serious matter of criminal contempt â€“ behaviour calculated to prejudice the due course of justice â€“ has a clear end date. The reason for this is that civil contempt is primarily designed to be coercive, whereas criminal contempt is meant as a punishment. But the line between the two has become increasingly blurred.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CMLDHLK46NAAZKGOUAC3BFWA34","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126954},"content":"In practice, coercion only works if the threat of jail is actually a deterrent. As Chief Justice Donal Oâ€™Donnell noted in 2016, there are two basic problems with civil contempt â€“ the first is how to get the individual involved to jail and keep them there, and the second is how to get them out, so that they donâ€™t end up incarcerated â€œfor an unconscionable amount of time ... creating [a] stalemate which is often more awkward and embarrassing for the court than for the individualâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2WYPCH4C4NGZJJVPTXTCNCGFDA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126955},"content":"Burke presumably doesnâ€™t relish being in Mountjoy, but in his mind the stakes are far greater than any earthly punishment can deliver. He answers to a higher power. Short of the Lord himself ordering Burke away from the school â€“ and perhaps not even then â€“ heâ€™s going nowhere. This is why the effort to coerce him to behave has been an abject failure.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DMVVD2F2WNFMPNHVLVHAK2DE5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126956},"content":"All of which means there are now more serious issues at stake for the school, for the courts and for society generally. The first are the rights of the children in the Westmeath school. He may not be directly interfering with their ability to come and go from school in peace. But his presence at the gate isnâ€™t benign either â€“ otherwise he wouldnâ€™t bother being there. He is there because he wants to keep his row over the rights of transgender pupils and what he calls â€œbowing to every form of sexual perversionâ€ in the spotlight. As long as he continues turning up, so too will the photographers and journalists and occasional bands of sign-wielding wellwishers. Over time, he may become a magnet for international far-right activists.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SS3IBPK47JDLBHOD3KQUG26A3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126957},"content":"So while little good may be served by returning Burke to jail, beyond increasing the chances of consolidating his position as a martyr for the culture wars, the courts appear to be left without much choice. There are risks to the integrity of the judicial system if an individual persistently refuses to comply with an order. Unfortunately, our law of civil contempt, which has evolved in a fashion the Supreme Court judge Peter Charleton recently described as â€œa thicket of contradictory and uncertain rulesâ€, leaves little scope for more imaginative solutions. Rather, as he points out, â€œin practice, judicial experience has been underscored by an increasing number of courtroom disruptions, abusive attacks on the judiciary going unanswered and, in civil cases, instances of those who refuse to purge their contempt of court orders ... There may be circumstances where no form of coercion, no matter how long a stay in prison it may be, is going to induce a civil contemnor to change his or her mind.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"EYZH5MJ5DBGI3P235DKATTZRUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126958},"content":"Twenty years ago, the late barrister Paul Anthony McDermott wrote about the need for more â€œcreative remediesâ€ than prison in cases where â€œlitigants may pursue their imagined grievancesâ€ with â€œobsessive zealâ€. There has been no move since to reform the laws of contempt. And so now, short of the courts being able to come up with a more inventive remedy â€“ an order to make deductions from the wages that he continues to receive from the school, for a start â€“ Burke might end up back in jail.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MEVK3A3GYVA2FNJGOFIGOEFA5I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126959},"content":"His lonely vigil at the school gate has not been entirely pointless â€“ it has at least served the purpose of underlining the urgent need for reform of the law of contempt of court.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Jennifer O'Connell"}},"name":"Jennifer O'Connell"}]},"description":{"basic":"It now seems inevitable that, for as long as he is not incarcerated, Burke will keep turning up at the gates of Wilsonâ€™s Hospital"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T07:05:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Enoch Burkeâ€™s lonely vigil at the school gate has not been entirely pointless","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"XPQCNAFS5LZ4XIWATFDPUKXIYQ","auth":{"1":"6dc49a0715f1fc3d6913481668207c95d4ee877770165b79de526452f5018f18"},"focal_point":{"x":2792,"y":1054},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/XPQCNAFS5LZ4XIWATFDPUKXIYQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/enoch-burkes-lonely-vigil-at-the-school-gate-has-not-been-entirely-pointless/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DUFDEPFMJBE7TDQ6JGHXNYTROI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":440,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e915502f-8c90-4c09-bfa4-f313f0929a12/versions/1736504668/media/5b0e1498a4c9b9de08a10619b1269e8e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/moves-by-elon-musk-and-mark-zuckerberg-set-the-scene-for-confrontation-between-the-eu-and-the-us/","content_elements":[{"_id":"KG2JIYA3DBHELOBVJQOIKZIECE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838468},"content":"Four years is a long time in the social media industry. On January 7th, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg suspended Donald Trump from Facebook for â€œusing our platform to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected governmentâ€. On January 7th 2025, Zuckerberg apologised for â€œtoo much censorshipâ€ and announced that he wanted to â€œwork with President Trump to push back against foreign governments going after American companies to censor moreâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WOGIGHRVTBCPZFAGG3YBRFAUIA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838470},"content":"This volte-face is part of a swathe of changes across all the Meta platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Threads.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UFDE67YTHNBT5DVN27AF6LZPWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838471},"content":"The Meta fact-checking system is to be abandoned in favour of a crowdsourced â€œcommunity notesâ€ system such as that used by X. This means removing the key restrictions on fact-checked content: misinformation and disinformation will no longer be demoted in the algorithm, nor trigger a warning page before you see a post. While we donâ€™t yet have full details, it will presumably also eliminate other fact-checking safeguards including the ban on ads which have been debunked and the rule preventing misinformation repeat offenders from monetising their Facebook pages.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G2XGLB6DKBE6RA4PU2Y2VYYQCI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838472},"content":"While Zuckerberg now describes this as â€œcensorshipâ€, in its reports to the EU, Meta has previously said that fact-checking is â€œthe basis to prevent the spread of large-scale misinformation and disinformationâ€ and was a key part of its approach to election integrity during the high number of EU elections in 2024.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZU67EQRNPBCMFJ7OG3NWTKC7E4","additional_properties":{"_id":"S4ARVRFMLZC2LGWEK5WB6654TY"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-82181","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"XCL7GSL6MZGJZAURG6IKA4YLTM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838473},"content":"Meanwhile, the hateful-conduct policy has already been changed to cater to the far-right by loosening restrictions on hate speech targeting women, migrants, and transgender people. For example, the policy now allows â€œallegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientationâ€, allows â€œinsulting language when discussing transgender rights, immigration or homosexualityâ€, and no longer bans describing women as â€œpropertyâ€ and â€œhousehold objectsâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FKD5B2GVOBGXDGQ6FFZDMGYTGQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838474},"content":"The nakedly political nature of these changes is highlighted by Zuckerbergâ€™s announcement that content moderation roles will be moved away from (liberal) California to locations such as (conservative) Texas because of â€œconcern that biased employees are overly censoring contentâ€. As it happens, research does confirm that pro-Trump accounts are more likely to be restricted or suspended on social media â€“ because they share more misinformation and are more likely to be bots. However, this has not got in the way of the conservative narrative of victimhood and grievance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6KPETQNJ2RDKLF4K3ZQKSY3SGA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838475},"content":"There is probably opportunistic cost-cutting also. Meta will save on payments to third-party fact checkers, shift US staff from California to low-wage states, and reduce its overall reliance on content moderators by cutting back on moderation and relying more heavily on crowdsourcing and AI moderation. Meta is facing worldwide litigation by moderators who say they have suffered serious psychological harm from being exposed to violent and graphic content such as beheadings, suicide, and child abuse images, and these changes might reduce its liability in future cases.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ACTL5UTLCFEM7CA5UB7UOGASUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838476},"content":"What are the implications for Europe and Ireland?","type":"text"},{"_id":"W3FE67FIDRCVNPJIC2QPFH2NAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838477},"content":"Zuckerbergâ€™s capitulation to Trump must be seen in the wider context that a small number of foreign entities control European social media. Public discourse is largely in the hands of two billionaires aligned with the far-right, and one Chinese-founded firm (TikTok) that is under formal investigation by the European Commission on suspicion that it allowed Russian interference in the 2024 Romanian presidential election. We should be very worried about what this means for election integrity and the growth of the far-right in Europe in the coming years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"54Y6FT47UFHGZIWSFAZ74URT3A","additional_properties":{"_id":"4DCYJXB6U5HEPAK3RMVVZIJBGQ"},"content":"Musk says â€˜things will get much worseâ€™ for Germany unless voters rally behind far-right party","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"BMWALXVO2FGQ3NV23RAKCT5Y5A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838478},"content":"Meta claims it has no immediate plans to end fact-checking in the EU. However, this is probably only a temporary reprieve. Zuckerberg has accused the EU of having â€œan ever-increasing number of laws institutionalising censorshipâ€ and said that â€œthe best way to defend against the trend of government overreach on censorship is with the support of the US governmentâ€. This endorses Elon Muskâ€™s project to use American power to dismantle EU controls on social media, exemplified by the incoming vice-president JD Vance, who has threatened to withdraw US support for Nato if the EU imposes penalties on X.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QHIADLLZCZAQNHNHLNCBHZF5IY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838479},"content":"The scene is set for a showdown between the US and the EU over social media regulation, though the flashpoint will come with the increasingly manic Musk rather than the more cautious Zuckerberg. Musk has heavily promoted the far-right across Europe, including by attacking the then taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, in the wake of the Dublin riots. In the last week alone Musk has been accused of interfering with the German elections by hosting a live-stream with the radical Alternative fÃ¼r Deutschland party, has promoted the UK anti-Islam extremist (and imprisoned criminal) Tommy Robinson, and has set out to undermine the UKâ€™s Labour government through misinformation about child sexual abuse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z7UIUOEBUNA7FLSW6CSD6F4PWA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838480},"content":"As a purely legal matter, the European Commission is already investigating X for multiple breaches of its obligations under the Digital Services Act, and these new provocations very likely also breach Xâ€™s obligations regarding algorithmic transparency and disinformation. These should ultimately result in significant fines. However, enforcement will depend on whether there is political will within Brussels to stand up to US pressure. National governments are split on this issue with some, such as the Italian government of Giorgia Meloni, choosing to cosy up to Musk instead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DBO5NQKRXRBFLOPJLZJRH6QFVY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838481},"content":"At the moment Ireland is largely on the sidelines. While X and Meta have their European headquarters in Dublin, enforcing the Digital Services Act against these very large platforms is primarily the responsibility of the European Commission rather than the Irish CoimisiÃºn na MeÃ¡n. Meanwhile, politicians have been distracted from responding to current developments by government formation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IZKJG4QXQZDITPF6JZTTWELRVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838482},"content":"Nevertheless, there are several things we must do. First, the Irish government should vocally support action by the European Commission against X and any other firms that choose to break the law. Second, it should immediately revisit the hate-speech offences that were dropped from the Hate Offences Act last year in order to get it passed before the election. Third, it should fully implement the Electoral Reform Act 2022, which will address online political advertising and electoral misinformation but has not yet been brought into force. Finally, we need to move Irish government bodies off platforms such as X that promote the far right and on to decentralised alternatives instead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXCMPMGWSFGFLJOTXHPRKWIVVQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838483},"content":"Dr TJ McIntyre is an associate professor in the UCD Sutherland School of Law, consultant solicitor with FP Logue Solicitors and chairman of Digital Rights Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"TJ McIntyre"}]},"description":{"basic":"Meta will now allow â€˜insulting language when discussing transgender rights, immigration or homosexualityâ€™, and no longer bans describing women as â€˜propertyâ€™ or â€˜household objectsâ€™"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Moves by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg set scene for confrontation between EU and US","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"TPQU7CAORNBJBIR46WA4VCYG5A","auth":{"1":"4e020fc6eaeaada46c19a8f5b6239a49298f6ff23cd27f8aa16ce377255b7050"},"focal_point":{"x":734,"y":333},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/TPQU7CAORNBJBIR46WA4VCYG5A.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/moves-by-elon-musk-and-mark-zuckerberg-set-the-scene-for-confrontation-between-the-eu-and-the-us/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"PVCK2O6NJBBPDFSPYMOVIXHVLA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":407,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/dd6e95c4-be86-42a3-b0f8-0ba1f7b7c08f/versions/1736430934/media/c30c9e216b32dc9930cd1508e47a0aed_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/an-irish-economy-that-caps-its-airport-traffic-leaves-everyone-worse-off/","content_elements":[{"_id":"AM4TP2ZHAJEP5G5WDSK3QTWLQE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035029},"content":"Dublin Airport over New Year, who doesnâ€™t have their story? The nation of emigrants coming home and going back, the airport buzzing. For the past few weeks, the airport has been ground zero for returnees. It was not just busy with Irish people, it was also full of the enormous immigrant community heading back to Ireland after Christmas at home. And the airport isnâ€™t only jammed at this time of year, it seems to be rammed all the time.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SP3X2PMPBZHSTEFZVFSO22TGX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736453377796},"content":"No single location on the island captures the global nature of the Irish economy more than Dublin Airport and fewer public spaces are more democratic, because these days all creeds, classes and ages fly. Dublin is one of the most connected places on Earth, with more flights to more locations than almost any other similarly sized city.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QPNOALK4KNBSLPTT7LPU3N2ELU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427917952},"content":"Connectivity is key to a small, open economy. The more connections the better. At a time when many are worried about Irelandâ€™s exposure to a global economy that may be hurtling headlong towards protectionism, be reassured that the airportâ€™s myriad of destinations is a sign of strength, not weakness. The number of flights coming and going is the single best indicator of economic and commercial vibrancy. Perhaps more than any official statistic, the airportâ€™s traffic offers a snapshot of what is going on.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D6CKHOPZBJGLRDESCTJNVW2MXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035031},"content":"Letâ€™s have a look at the figures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MQQWMDCCEVBHJL5V75R3K4Z5UU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035032},"content":"In total, Dublin Airport offers flights to some 194 destinations across about 42 countries served by about 45 airlines. This diversity is a testament to the strategic importance of Ireland as a hub for global travel and business. According to data up to the end of October, 28.7 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport until that point in 2024, a 5 per cent rise on the same period in 2023. At that rate it was likely to accommodate more than 33 million passengers for the whole of 2024.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TK4TYX57MBD7TGP227DJKUDL6M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736545947032},"content":"In October alone, 2.9 million passengers came and went, making it the busiest October ever in Dublin Airportâ€™s 84-year history.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TP5BOM3QJESDFRQYOEYK2WOI4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035033},"content":"Travel is trade, and Dublin is distinguished not just by the volume of passengers but their varied destinations and numerous carriers. Ryanair is the largest airline, with about 763 take-offs each week, followed by Aer Lingus, with Delta, United, American Airlines and JetBlue. Lufthansa flies 28 times weekly to Frankfurt, Germanyâ€™s business capital, which prioritises corporate connections. KLM operates 21 weekly flights to Amsterdam, a crucial European business hub. British Airways runs 10 daily flights to London Heathrow and City Airport (LCY), catering to thousands of commuters travelling between two of Europeâ€™s financial hubs. Emirates and Qatar Airways operate 14 flights weekly to the Middle East, itself a hub carrying people further to Asia and Australia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QZKCMA76UVHWVD3ZC2RPHKGNRM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736453377801},"content":"Naturally given our climate, sun destinations remain a key feature, with loads of flights to the likes of Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife and Faro. Ryanair alone operates 234 weekly flights to Europeâ€™s sun destinations. From a macroeconomic point of view, the vast range of traffic in and out of Dublin reveals an economy which is deeply plugged in to the world economy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AWK3LCJIXFDCRMTYF5BQQEVJRY","additional_properties":{"_id":"ZY5CW6NW2NAFDHUHTZBG2AVYRE"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"PAI5XT4TNFFHJIGBLWXOHL6YTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035034},"content":"I recently visited Glasgow and couldnâ€™t help noticing the difference between both citiesâ€™ airports. If we compare Dublin Airport with Glasgow, Scotlandâ€™s largest city in a similarly sized economy, we see completely different travel patterns. The vast majority of flights from Glasgow are to sun spots rather than business centres.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VCIU4QQQ6NCKHKS7PLGAOO2ALM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035035},"content":"The reason being connected is important for economic growth is that connectivity reveals commercial diversity â€“ meaning the number of different things a country does with different people. And diversity is the key to economic resilience. In a diverse economy, if one industry, company or sector goes through a retrenchment there are other, unrelated ones to take up the slack. For example, finance is different from pharma, which is different from construction, which is different from biomedics, which is different from tech, which is different from agriculture and tourism. The more diversity, the more innovation and the more people coming and going, the more ideas are percolating and the more innovation is likely. A diverse region is a resilient region.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QD23JC3BB5HGBLNNSNZCSH52DQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035036},"content":"The more diverse an economy, the more interactions, people, networks and capital moving in and out, the more ideas, products and services are produced. A healthy economy is vibrant and international, the more exuberant and international the better. As the economy evolves and grows, rolling with various punches, the most diverse region succeeds because it doesnâ€™t become over-dependent on any single thing. For the essential process of innovation, diversity offers more options, combinations and novel possibilities for commercial cross-pollination. New products are usually fashioned out of things that are adjacent or close at hand, so the personal computer leads to innovations in microchips, leading to the mobile phone, on to the smartphone and it spawns an entire new series of social-media apps that change the way people consume information.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7WCUHDGMRREXHJDW66ONGXHMWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736453377806},"content":"No one could have predicted this chain of events. This is how economic growth happens â€“ unpredictably. But what we know is that dependency on one product or one region is never a good idea. As your granny would say, donâ€™t put all your eggs in one basket. The economy works best on the same basis.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QRI45FUZYBDNVFDRVKCHDTWHD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035037},"content":"The next time you are flying out of Dublin and scanning the flight information board, just take in the number of destinations, the number of regions, countries and continents and think of all the people coming and going. Consider all the ideas, schemes and plans, the commerce, the deals and the dreams.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TSTU3ZNBF5EMVI5QTCXCWKD3PE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736453377808},"content":"(Iâ€™m aware of the environmental arguments against flying, but that should probably be the subject of another column.)","type":"text"},{"_id":"4LZQRT3MNJFKBL7QDDCXPM7MZM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427917960},"content":"The economy is driven by humans, our endeavours and our projects. The more of us who are coming and going, interacting with others, the more likely this economic energy will create new products, new ventures and new opportunities. A small, open economy that caps the growth in traffic from its airport is not simply capping numbers but limiting the number of connections between the country, its people and the wider world, leaving everyone worse off.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KC7XDN7FV5ENPJ2AEE6XYKWVXI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427917961},"content":"When assessing the dynamism of the Irish economy, forget the official data, look up at the screen in the airport and marvel at just how plugged in Ireland is to the globe.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"David McWilliams"}},"name":"David McWilliams"}]},"description":{"basic":"Look up at the screen in Dublin Airport and marvel at all those destinations and what they mean. Think of all the people coming and going. Consider all the ideas, schemes and plans, the commerce, the deals and the dreams"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"No single location captures global nature of Irish economy more than Dublin Airport","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"NUFAET762NC3BFHJ4KRT653PTA","auth":{"1":"5327de74ad5b20e009dc88bba45308275a787e0b75b6e710df61ff8c02878656"},"focal_point":{"x":2398,"y":1842},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/NUFAET762NC3BFHJ4KRT653PTA.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Economy"},{"name":"Business"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/an-irish-economy-that-caps-its-airport-traffic-leaves-everyone-worse-off/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"OZOEKTSNLREXXBWLKMIGJI7FS4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":339,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/7aaa3e13-582c-46e7-830d-ce81ebf54388/versions/1736502136/media/873a2651a084e0ad4027529b642f4510_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/how-will-the-contradictions-in-trumps-policies-play-out/","content_elements":[{"_id":"IHUUZDSTWBGTJPKJTY5YAJZ7RU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598489},"content":"Donald Trumpâ€™s policy contradictions are legion and have been well-publicised in advance of his inauguration. In understanding and responding to him it helps to analyse how these conflicting goals and interests might play out between his strategic priorities and his own political will.","type":"text"},{"_id":"37EHEZ2VAZAELDYYFBEMON3J2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598492},"content":"The policy contradictions are firstly economic. Trump wants to eliminate inflation but also intends to impose 60 per cent tariffs on China and 25 per cent ones on Canada and Mexico, which will raise import prices. Economists say these goals are irreconcilable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ABLQCW2AOFCCXAK2OMPQ54GPZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598493},"content":"Trump wants to maintain the dollar as the worldâ€™s primary reserve currency, but weaken it to promote US competition, despite much evidence that tariff increases raise the dollarâ€™s exchange rate. The US trade deficit would be reduced by tariffs, according to Trumpâ€™s team; but he also wants to maintain capital inflows and outflows, which is very hard to do. This is the contradiction between reduced and continuing globalisation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OYF3WJAQVREJLPCBUW7ELAPPKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598494},"content":"Such economic and international tensions feed into the social basis of Trumpâ€™s electoral coalition. He wants higher tariffs, harder borders and lower taxes to protect poorer and less educated white Americans; but he attracted more support from black and Hispanic minorities, who also felt their lives had not been improved by Bidenomics (even though their number was dwarfed by the 7.1 per cent of Biden supporters in 2020 who failed to turn out for Harris). This is more a case of dealignment than realignment of working-class votes, which remain evenly split between the two main parties.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IUBYHJGLVG3DJ4YIJUACVJH3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598495},"content":"Tax cuts will hit the public programmes Trumpâ€™s rural and poorer base relies on, as will the public expenditure efficiency cuts to be led by the worldâ€™s richest man, Elon Musk. That conflict between popular votes and billionaire deregulatory interests is manifesting in the argument within Trumpâ€™s team between Steve Bannon, JD Vance and Musk over who should have priority. How can you make these Americans great again without reducing the USâ€™s huge wealth inequalities, which have doubled since 1980?","type":"text"},{"_id":"FY4OEGRTDVA4ZFHAALLMCWQEGY","additional_properties":{"_id":"TI2SNNXM6BBZJEDYPVJIIKEGRI"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"SYCGGRWTRJCPVPSQ77CHB6HNFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598496},"content":"This echoes the contradiction between Muskâ€™s interests in relatively open trading and investment relationships with China and the hawks determined to close them. Similarly, falling domestic birth rates require immigrant labour; skill shortages and cheaper labour costs encourage immigration against workers who insist their interests are best served by expanding trade union rights and stronger social protections â€“ conflicts of interests playing out over the H-1B visas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BHYED2KUSRGN5A2EKOE2EWJFZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598497},"content":"Contradictions reveal conflicting goals and interests and can be interpreted in several different ways. This may mean the goals and interests cannot be realised simultaneously, or are logically inconsistent. Contradictions can forge historical change; they are not static but dynamic and express conflicting, yet interdependent, forces at play in a society. They show up social dysfunctions and a lack of â€“ or a yearning for â€“ social stability and normality. The precise balance between such interpretative considerations and actual social practice informs critical social theory. But it passes over into political and social action too. Contradictions are not simply objective but need to be articulated into subjective public awareness and consciousness. They can then be asserted or actualised in alternative political programmes on goals and interests in social struggles and political conflicts. They may produce moments of crisis demanding far-seeing political leadership and power to resolve by systemic change. If this does not happen, prolonged impasse can result, when in Antonio Gramsciâ€™s celebrated formulation, â€œthe old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appearâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIEO342UUVHVBCMUG327JW7B74","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598500},"content":"In light of such reflections on the varying role of contradictions, what can we say about how they might play out in Trumpâ€™s second term? A few elements in the forthcoming US political process will be worth watching closely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYR35T3ECJEVXOB74RNZMFARTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598501},"content":"Trump says, firstly, that the US is in a crisis, one that he intends to resolve with strong leadership and regime change to take power away from its coastal liberal elites. His cabinet appointments value loyalty above competence, so much revolves around his own role. He will have to prioritise and phase goals and interests rapidly; most evidence points to him opting for deregulatory policies favouring the super-rich in this calculus. That will disrupt his electoral coalition and challenge his liberal and left-wing opponents to exploit such divisions. It will be a testing time in the creation of a new US left-liberal bloc beyond identity politics in social protests and conflicts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WEKSUVB6RZDYJJJEAZD5YLVM44","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598503},"content":"Trumpâ€™s authoritarianism will respond harshly and viciously to any such resistance, using State security and surveillance to enforce immigrant expulsions and target opponents. How the economic and international contradictions play out will determine whether he can claim transactional success in the medium term.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O5CKUI7VXZCKDPM2DB754IHNVM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598504},"content":"Many such impasses are therefore likely to appear over these four years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Paul Gillespie"}},"name":"Paul Gillespie"}]},"description":{"basic":"Worldview: With his economic and policy goals often irreconcilable, how these economic and international contradictions play out will determine whether the US president-elect can claim success"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"How will the contradictions in Trumpâ€™s policies play out?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"DEVQORE55U227W3E3HCOHCQOH4","auth":{"1":"44f204721e59f68876c741f2354f647342bbd939d1f7fb0767054621ae4c70c9"},"focal_point":{"x":2145,"y":746},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/DEVQORE55U227W3E3HCOHCQOH4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/how-will-the-contradictions-in-trumps-policies-play-out/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"2IB453WFAVGVTD5POM7FVKRGWM","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/11/martyn-turner/","content_elements":[],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Martyn Turner"}},"name":"Martyn Turner"}]},"description":{"basic":"Saturday, January 11th, 2025"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T02:52:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Martyn Turner","native":""},"label":{},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BWQXJ44DONEP3MAX36XEXB74QE","auth":{"1":"fdd3a668f659f394d87d1d46606cfd0beba805fc4f7cf4c9663a56f9262eb5c1"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BWQXJ44DONEP3MAX36XEXB74QE.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Cartoon"},{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/11/martyn-turner/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/cartoon","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Cartoon"}}}},{"_id":"BGJC2NWAF5EJPAM7GVMHT6H554","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":420,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/b7b59d25-164b-49d7-b420-08458338ecae/versions/1736435562/media/6d662b8ed41af26bd20cb2c927ae27e6_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/lara-marlowe-once-called-the-devil-of-the-republic-le-pen-died-knowing-his-ideas-are-gaining-currency/","content_elements":[{"_id":"KUQZKU6C2FGBBJI73ZWUKXPQR4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819144},"content":"Jean-Marie Le Pen, the extreme right-wing leader who died on January 7th at the age of 96, was the granddaddy of post second World War nationalist populist politicians.","type":"text"},{"_id":"A35ADSA4TFEE3A3O43A5J73Z2A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819146},"content":"Donald Trump and a gaggle of like-minded leaders â€“ several of whom have received Elon Muskâ€™s imprimatur â€“ in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden and the UK, may not have taken direct inspiration from Le Pen. But the man known to detractors as â€œthe devil of the Republicâ€ died knowing that his goals of mass deportation of immigrants and discriminatory â€œnational preferenceâ€ have gained wide currency on the far right in Europe and the US.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IV42OFSD6FHLRGJXWJZVNT6V2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819147},"content":"The xenophobic, anti-immigrant and racist politics which Le Pen pioneered since he cofounded the National Front (FN) in 1972 have been labelled the Reactionary International. It is on the rise throughout what was formerly called the civilised world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XTT4YW6QUFCBDEG6LICT5OAEHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819148},"content":"In France, Le Penâ€™s daughter Marine may succeed president Emmanuel Macron. Marine Le Pen â€œundemonisedâ€ her fatherâ€™s party by publicly disowning his oft-repeated statement that the Holocaust was â€œa detailâ€ of the second World War. But she did not address his more outrageously racist claims, for example that the intellectual growth of Muslims is stunted because their religion does not discourage masturbation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C3EWCQDHN5HDRF5HUTIKSGMKUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819149},"content":"Despite his extreme views and erratic behaviour, Trump was able to take over the Republican Party. Le Penâ€™s anti-Semitism made him a pariah, shunned by mainstream French conservatives. By expelling her father from the FN, rechristening it the National Rally (RN) and renouncing anti-Semitism, Marine Le Pen won over much of the conservative, neo-Gaullist Les RÃ©publicains party. Yet hatred of immigrants and Islamophobia remain an integral part of the RNâ€™s DNA.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X63OZFHN4BFULPM6KDGRTHGWJI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819150},"content":"Back in September 2001, party workers at what was still FN headquarters broke out the champagne on the night of the 9/11 atrocities. The subsequent, decades-long spate of Islamist attacks in the US and Europe, and mass migration sparked by wars, famine and global warming, fuelled the rise of the far right.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z3HQKWADNNCMXI7OCZ3LOMCDTY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819151},"content":"Le Monde newspaper called Le Pen a â€œTrumpist character before his time,â€ because he â€œshamelessly exploited the fears which torment the popular and middle classes in the era of globalisation: immigration, the lack of security, the spectre of declineâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DQLY67VMIZELHF6KE3G7YA5NM4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819152},"content":"Le Pen and Trump resembled one another: truculent, boastful, vengeful, unrepentant and deliberately provocative; they filled a need for bread and circuses. They dismissed criticism with tirades against political correctness and woke-ism. Both turned politics into a family business. French media likened the life of the Le Pen clan in a mansion overlooking Paris â€“ which Le Pen inherited in dubious circumstances from a supporter â€“ to the television series Dallas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PYZPTTE75VCHHMDDLOVHL4SHPE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819153},"content":"Le Pen was as polarising as Trump. While supporters this week eulogised him as â€œle Menhirâ€, after the megalithic stones found in his native Brittany, hundreds gathered in Paris, Lyons and Marseilles to celebrate his death.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MHM5PECECZ7KYLXB2JE4FVRV3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":"O5RGEH2TFVHNTHEUW6DILT22FQ"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"HDZYKUJEVVEGHLPKKW7XWL4KSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819154},"content":"Le Pen was convicted more than 25 times for defending war crimes, provoking hatred and discrimination, anti-Semitism and public insults. By election day, Donald Trump had racked up 34 felony indictments, one conviction, two impeachments and six bankruptcies. Like Le Pen, Trump claimed the justice system was rigged against him.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DEFM2FTLLJGBZICQZ5CZT3U2JI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819155},"content":"When his political career stalled in the late 1960s, Le Pen temporarily became a record producer. One of the records he published, entitled The Third Reich: Songs of the German Revolution, led to his first conviction for defending war crimes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WAEZS4475RCW5KCLW53D325Z2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819156},"content":"Le Pen told the far-right newspaper Combat in 1962 that, as a paratrooper in the Foreign Legion during the Battle of Algiers, he tortured members of the FLN liberation movement â€œbecause it had to be doneâ€. Though he later retracted the statement, a Nazi dagger engraved with Le Penâ€™s name and found in a torture room in the Casbah led to the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Le Pen for defamation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBR4OPMDBNGYLEEQMP6KFBLCHA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819157},"content":"Two weeks before the US presidential election, John Kelly, the retired Marine general who served as Trumpâ€™s chief of staff from 2017 until 2019, told The New York Times and The Atlantic that Trump met the definition of a fascist and that during his first term, Trump suggested that Adolf Hitler â€œdid some good thingsâ€. Kelly also quoted Trump saying that he needed â€œGerman generals . . . Hitlerâ€™s generalsâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4FHVWOPZHFBFHDRSVYOAF3S2BU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819158},"content":"Le Pen, like Trump, evaluated women based on their sexual attractiveness. And he could be every bit as lewd as Trump. Over lunch with a handful of journalists, including this correspondent, on the eve of his qualification for the runoff in the French presidential election in 2002, Le Pen judged then first lady Bernadette Chirac â€œun-f**kableâ€ and denigrated political adversaries as â€œmen who could no longer honour their wivesâ€. Le Pen later blamed the demographic decline of the West on â€œsexual egalitarianismâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KHLDG22ZXBEEVEYQDK2W36YDX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819159},"content":"Who could forget the â€œAccess Hollywoodâ€ video in which Trump advised Billy Bush to â€œGrab â€˜em by the pussyâ€? A US federal appeals court on December 30th upheld Trumpâ€™s conviction for the sexual abuse of E Jean Carroll and denied his request for a new trial.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F3OZNWJIRJCQDNXXQZNPMA3H3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819160},"content":"In both men, large, heavy frames and jutting chins created an impression of powerful physical presence. When Trumpâ€™s ear was grazed by a would-be assassinâ€™s bullet last July 13th, his facial expression and defiant, clenched fist constituted a pose reminiscent of Le Pen.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D3JAUBGHDFFQZEMRZNDYO2KS3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819161},"content":"Le Pen used to boast that â€œI say out loud what others think in silenceâ€. That sentiment is echoed by Trump and users of Elon Muskâ€™s X â€“ except that far right followers have been freed of their inhibitions. Trumpâ€™s denigration of Mexicans as rapists and murderers did not prevent him winning a substantial portion of the Hispanic vote in November.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GK5NOESANJF6BDT23K7CVJYWMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819162},"content":"Le Pen considered Charles de Gaulle a traitor for giving up lâ€™AlgÃ©rie franÃ§aise. He had fought in the last gasps of French empire, in Indochina and Algeria and in the failed Anglo-French attempt to retake the Suez Canal in 1956. Trump too displays colonial longings. On the day of Le Penâ€™s death, the president-elect told journalists at Mar-a-Lago of his designs on Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Lara Marlowe"}},"name":"Lara Marlowe"}]},"description":{"basic":"Le Pen used to boast that â€œI say out loud what others think in silence.â€ That sentiment is echoed by Trump and users of Elon Muskâ€™s X"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Once called â€˜the devil of the Republicâ€™, Le Pen died knowing his ideas are gaining currency","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"AIG3GTGDQHIW3QR6KLWWKTI6YU","auth":{"1":"3b18adbd5bbe4d4fd0c89e07185588c607d5f592098796a2bb52e2cc6a873dae"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/AIG3GTGDQHIW3QR6KLWWKTI6YU.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/lara-marlowe-once-called-the-devil-of-the-republic-le-pen-died-knowing-his-ideas-are-gaining-currency/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"LFSYAJABRVHNXFVTQIT434KGUM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":299,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/45fee48d-74a5-44c4-ac4b-30b0ce674610/versions/1736425487/media/b873daeff715b1080ed0f40b2a6ba6ba_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/stephen-collins-sinn-fein-is-mistaken-if-it-thinks-conor-murphy-in-the-seanad-will-inch-us-closer-to-a-united-ireland/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RS6XIJZIKZAK7FHOO23BHNCOZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658905},"content":"The decision by Sinn FÃ©in to transfer one of its leading Northern politicians, Conor Murphy, from the post of Minister for the Economy at Stormont to a seat in the Seanad is a reflection of just how serious a blow the party took in the November election.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JZX7NYXV2NFKNA5VBJIB5DP35E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658906},"content":"Much of the media consensus in the aftermath of the election was that it was a boring contest that changed nothing. In fact, it was a highly consequential election in which voters emphatically rejected the radical path offered by Sinn FÃ©in, including the demand for a Border poll as a stepping stone to a united Ireland. The partyâ€™s commitment to a united Ireland is its overriding objective. The strength of this commitment has been widely underestimated in the Republic, where the partyâ€™s emphasis on housing and other social issues has dominated the coverage of its activities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WY2AEXAL3JH5PAUPGF7J77AUZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658908},"content":"However, the drive for a united Ireland has always been the underlying motive force behind everything the republican movement does. The Provisional IRA did not wage a campaign of violence for more than 30 years to change housing policy. The strategy of the armalite and the ballot box was an adaptation to changing circumstances, but the old Fenian goal of a 32-county republic remained as the core ideology of the movement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7N33BCOBB5HCFBPKTAZJD24NDU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658909},"content":"One of the individuals who facilitated meetings between top Sinn FÃ©in politicians and leading Irish businesses, including the multinationals, over the past three years told me of his surprise at discovering the importance they attached to a united Ireland. â€œI felt they were prepared to make sensible compromises on economic policy if they achieved power but they were clear about one thing â€“ a united Ireland is the prime objective and they will never compromise on that,â€ he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DQY2BMYFANEPXMJCQO72LCKM2A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658911},"content":"Up to last spring there was a widespread assumption that Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s march to power on both sides of the Border was inexorable, hence the willingness of some business leaders to engage with the party. Opinion polls suggested it would be by far the biggest party in the Republic after the election, and that its demand to lead the government would be impossible to resist. The decline of traditional ruling centre-right and centre-left parties across Europe fuelled the view that Ireland would follow the trend, particularly as Sinn FÃ©in had succeeded in keeping the housing crisis at the centre of political debate since the election of February 2020.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CVNPPPVXGBB2DLDQWQTHX3IMSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658913},"content":"Instead, what happened was a sudden and precipitous decline in Sinn FÃ©in support, which manifested itself in the local and European elections in June and continued into the general election. The old firm of Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael held steady in the face of pressures from left and right and are now in a position to form a government without the need for a coalition deal involving a smaller party.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2EZTNTVUCNETFPKW3WMOYPSPLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658914},"content":"The failure of Sinn FÃ©in to make the breakthrough into government in Dublin is a severe blow to its unity policy and the demand for a Border poll as soon as possible. Murphyâ€™s move to the Seanad is regarded as an attempt to get some traction for that policy in the Oireachtas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HROHKBPDVRB33H4KIAFDKUHEU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658915},"content":"However, the Seanad is hardly the place to go about it. The upper house gets very little media coverage and, in any case, it is doubtful if the voters in the Republic will pay much attention to a politician who parachuted in from the North, particularly as his initial comments appearing to condone the IRA murder of Paul Quinn in Louth in 2007 have already come back to haunt him.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UDSK5JJUYBDPNFBFOALV7VPRJY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658916},"content":"Of course it may well be that the primary motive for the Belfast leadershipâ€™s decision to move Murphy south is not to persuade the public about the virtues of a united Ireland but to focus the attention of the party in Leinster House on the goal, given the failure of its social agenda to drive it into power. Another factor could well be Murphyâ€™s health. He suffered a minor stroke last year and while he insists this is not his motive for the move, it may have influenced it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R7YSTWHPNVGL5BGZAOEX4PCPT4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658917},"content":"Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s vision of early Border polls followed by a united Ireland stands in stark contrast to the outgoing Governmentâ€™s shared island policy devised by MicheÃ¡l Martin. The new government will certainly not be putting any pressure on the British government to hold a Border poll in the short or medium term.","type":"text"},{"_id":"256FFH2NEND53EMXMBMZRU2U4M","additional_properties":{"_id":"UC64HTH5QJEG7O77QFPE6F6SFI"},"content":"Newton Emerson: Conor Murphyâ€™s puzzling move to the Seanad crystallises sense of an unsettled Stormont","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"5XYB3SGD4ZCVFERYY2PHD3BWRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658918},"content":"John Humeâ€™s dictum that the future of Ireland should be about people and not territory is what underpins the Governmentâ€™s strategy. It is arguable that the structures established by the Belfast Agreement actually provide for the realisation of that vision in a way that the Sinn FÃ©in ideal of a unitary state run from Dublin does not.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RQLIZDCOORG2HNBXPJACIXPZDQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658919},"content":"While opinion polls have shown a consistent majority in the Republic in favour of a united Ireland as an aspiration they have also revealed a clear majority against measures such as changing the symbols of the State like the national anthem and the flag, never mind the extra taxation that would be required to make it work. Sinn FÃ©in faces a stiff uphill battle to get its united Ireland agenda to the centre of political debate in Dublin and it is doubtful if the arrival of one the partyâ€™s leading figures from the North will achieve it.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Stephen Collins"}},"name":"Stephen Collins"}]},"description":{"basic":"Partyâ€™s vision of early Border polls followed by a united Ireland is in stark contrast to the new governmentâ€™s approach"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Sinn FÃ©in is mistaken if it thinks Conor Murphy in the Seanad will inch us closer to a united Ireland","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"LGI2CIJ6WAZEKRIPHGSSWWH3FE","auth":{"1":"9a6dd171d2b936f99905d058fcae548707a79a069cc2acd2ef972f06775b6736"},"focal_point":{"x":3040,"y":833},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/LGI2CIJ6WAZEKRIPHGSSWWH3FE.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Politics"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/stephen-collins-sinn-fein-is-mistaken-if-it-thinks-conor-murphy-in-the-seanad-will-inch-us-closer-to-a-united-ireland/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"NSHODYIT2ZBFZDABV2YYKEKLFE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":310,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/2089c82c-9a29-4be0-9507-7b73ab49218a/versions/1736446125/media/e4f51516c0441ddfa22d78dc485e6e60_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/diarmaid-ferriter-forget-pandering-to-the-independents-these-are-the-issues-the-new-government-needs-to-deal-with/","content_elements":[{"_id":"YA5T3QEWXFG6ZNIA7IJPAEINQI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961743},"content":"Those pondering participation in our next government should make it their business to visit the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in the RDS this weekend. Rightly celebrated at this time of year, the exhibits always do much to showcase how young, inquisitive and motivated students choose to frame the challenges, not just of their generation, but of all of us, including in relation to climate change, artificial intelligence, sustainability and health.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYKPTQRRSJEA7KYCVMGZRCWN3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437408749},"content":"Significantly, the exhibitors are also adept at highlighting evidence-based solutions â€“ something to be particularly commended during an era when deriding evidence has become such a destructive political tool.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OPX5SLTALZC2VAGDPNYBO2LUOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961744},"content":"While many of the Young Scientistsâ€™ projects have a local focus, they are far removed from the myopic nature of constituency champions who, it is likely in the coming weeks, will celebrate their â€œvictoriesâ€ in cutting deals to make up the numbers for the new government.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G5WULATACZG7HOIG36EAHFID64","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437408751},"content":"The ghost of one of the most voluble of the Independent TDs from 25 years ago, Jackie Healy-Rae, will loom large; he boasted he had â€œdeliveredâ€ Â£250 million for his Kerry constituency from 1997 to 2002 for supporting Bertie Ahernâ€™s coalition government. The Independents that supported this government, dubbed the â€œpillars of clientelismâ€ by the political correspondent Dick Walsh, were marvellously indulged, with weekly meetings with government chief whip SÃ©amus Brennan, a civil servant in the Department of the Taoiseach assigned to deal specifically with their concerns and Cabinet ministers made available to them to discuss legislation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LSZYGYJFJJETJEQE44NVAE5ANA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961745},"content":"The deal was simple: give us your shopping list and we will buy your government supporting vote for five years. Roads featured prominently. And it delivered longevity for the coalition, which became one of the longest-serving Irish governments. As one of the Independents, Donegalâ€™s Harry Blaney, recalled: â€œI remember that there was nothing we asked for that they didnâ€™t say was okay.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"BNPWKIDHEFAKPOENTAH55J466A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437408753},"content":"As recorded in Liam Weeksâ€™s 2017 book Independents in Irish Party Democracy, the former Donegal TD Thomas Gildea, who was another Independent who supported that government from late 1998, said he â€œsaw it as an opportunity to be able to derive more benefit for the constituency, because at the end of the day, that is what it is all aboutâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PXGVOOF3DJGVVGTOTSHJYCWPHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961746},"content":"Gildea also noted that the commitments given to him by Ahern were not formally written down, but taken â€œon trustâ€ as â€œthe other parties could find out through the Freedom of Information Act what I was looking for if it was in writingâ€. That pesky irritation of transparency about taxpayersâ€™ money could be conveniently surmounted.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YLBHIU2H2RE2XPTNNDVPMA3DZM","additional_properties":{"_id":"Y2BKUBZOPRHILH7NK3Y7G4GO7A"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"UDY7M7JSPFBMXH2MDNDTJJF2JM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961747},"content":"Before the recent general election, Prof Brian Ã“ GallachÃ³ir, associate vice-president of sustainability at University College Cork, suggested that for future governments â€œthe longer they hold off grasping the nettle, the more the climate system will progressively warm and the bigger burden theyâ€™re leaving to our future selvesâ€. And that was before the Green Party was decimated.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TDNA6HXBCVDCNGRXK6DYWYIZAU","additional_properties":{"_id":"2CAMDUHBVBH4HPPFP4IMFYX3PM"},"content":"Political science must not trump climate science. Here are the key tests for the new government","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"HQHNW2JRYVEQ5I4HYTFZIRGU3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437408758},"content":"Ã“ GallachÃ³ir listed the pressing issues pertaining to climate change that needed to be acted on: car dependency, electrifying transport, decarbonising industry, investing in wind, solar and the grid, retrofitting and heat pumps. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AT2Y466APZEDJHCD5JBYLCW4NI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Also highlighted were the warnings of climate scientist Joeri Rogelj: â€œPolitical decisions that disregard evidence ... will be harshly course-corrected by the hard physical reality of climate change.â€ Recent months have brought a series of worrying reminders of that physical reality, but it looks doubtful such concerns will penetrate the politics of government formation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZAUW5TGK73RAUBCKJLH45MLDTY","additional_properties":{"_id":"RQBOIT43HFCSPDFGVUNJGRYYLI"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"WGIK2ZTSXNG4NCGSKJDSJGFTVE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961748},"content":"Are we back to the future, even as the consequences of business as usual are ever more frightening, especially in relation to the extreme consequences of climate change and even though eco-anxiety is so prevalent among our youth? Research last month from ECO-Unesco in partnership with SpunOut.ie found that 73 per cent of young Irish people aged between 14 and 29 are stressed about the impacts of climate change.","type":"text"},{"_id":"25TXTVACZFCOBC5YHDK54VPMKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961749},"content":"To counteract such worry, how about this for a list of issues a new government could address instead? The differential impact of climate change in regions of Ireland. An intervention to reduce eco-anxiety and increase climate engagement in teenagers. Water purification. A biological solution to heavy-metal pollution. An investigation into the concealed effects that chemically treated wood has on biodiversity and nature. Microbial fuel cells as an alternative energy source. Vertical-axis wind turbines: the new way to save energy. Harnessing tannins and food additives to clean up slurry tank emissions. The impact of the school run on air quality. The sustainable and renewable harvesting of Donegal seaweed. A novel solar desalination method to extract clean water, fertiliser and biochar from our coastal resources.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EW2LEJYH25EZLMZMDAPZCZCHUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961750},"content":"These are just a small selection of this yearâ€™s Young Scientistsâ€™ projects, representing schools in Wicklow, Limerick, Westmeath, Wexford, Carlow, Clare, Dublin, Cork, Donegal and Sligo. But who represents them? And how will their priorities and questions be addressed if we move backwards to the politics of constituency deals?","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Diarmaid Ferriter"}},"name":"Diarmaid Ferriter"}]},"description":{"basic":"The consequences of business as usual are ever more frightening, particularly in relation to climate change"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Forget pandering to Independent TDs, these are the issues the new government needs to deal with","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"YN34EAYFTNBPVPGJE2BCNROHTE","auth":{"1":"2def1eeb81ff4ea9f29d952c0da122d41e1a48a0eaf68c87dd26696aab03d719"},"focal_point":{"x":5710,"y":1793},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YN34EAYFTNBPVPGJE2BCNROHTE.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/diarmaid-ferriter-forget-pandering-to-the-independents-these-are-the-issues-the-new-government-needs-to-deal-with/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"GTPUAQ4TX5FYZPZVZU5QQT5C2I","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":304,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/c66759e8-e6f4-469e-a4d6-b9482fb4192f/versions/1736443532/media/42ec14a83d0619b37705e4bd351d04e5_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/01/10/xi-jinpings-anti-corruption-drive-needs-a-strong-judiciary-independent-oversight-and-an-active-civil-society-china-has-none-of-these/","content_elements":[{"_id":"J6SEFIADWJAKDNJAI4G3MWNI7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914088},"content":"With an economy on the brink of deflation and Donald Trump threatening to start a trade war, China starts the new year with an abundance of challenges. But for Xi Jinping, the greatest risk to the Communist Partyâ€™s authority comes from within its own ranks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TMP3PWGCNNC2JNRX34RJ5MAHLE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914090},"content":"â€œCorruption is the biggest threat facing the party, and countering corruption is the most thorough form of self-revolution,â€ he said this week.","type":"text"},{"_id":"35DK3MWJAJBRZCIKELNPQCQGLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914091},"content":"â€œThe current situation in the fight against corruption remains grave and complex. The existing amount of corruption has not been eliminated and new cases have continued to occur.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YJ24SIWL2ZEIFMSX3PVOBUBL5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736442868835},"content":"â€œThe task of eradicating the breeding grounds and conditions for corruption remains arduous and burdensome.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"NTZ3XW3O5NBQNBXNAOCVKZKDYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914092},"content":"Xi was speaking to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the partyâ€™s top anti-corruption body, which later promised to step up its efforts to root out graft among the 99 million-strong membership. They would take tougher action not only against those who accepted bribes but also against those paying them. They could face up to 10 years in prison.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HIDGCKLC5RE7LDLK72DV65MIDU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914093},"content":"When Xi started his anti-corruption campaign in 2012, many observers inside and outside China saw it as a ploy to target rivals within the party. It has certainly helped to tighten his grip on power as even current and former members of the politburo, who previously enjoyed a tacit immunity from prosecution, fell into its net.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IRXRQJ5OW5GSTFCIXEKYTJVHQM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914094},"content":"More than four million officials were prosecuted on corruption charges between 2013 and 2021, including almost 400 at or above the provincial level. Last year alone saw 596,000 cases of corruption and misconduct investigated, with 462,000 individuals penalised, according to official figures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GHC6JNENSXYPD65AVI6ONCBM3A","additional_properties":{"_id":"G2N7IIDGCJAFHPXSTIMDHAHFYI"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"WQDVIJJTCJHORIGCULAV235SV4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914095},"content":"At ministerial level, 58 officials were investigated. In a continuing crackdown on corruption in the military, two defence ministers and almost 20 generals were fired. High-profile figures, known as tigers, make the headlines, but most of those accused of corruption are low-level officials, known within the party as flies and ants.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K4NWQ3E3VRGILOPJU7HHM4KQCA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914096},"content":"In most cases, the investigation starts as an internal party disciplinary procedure, an extrajudicial process during which the accused is not entitled to legal representation. Those under investigation can be detained for weeks or even months before their families are told where they are and before any criminal charges are brought.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BOLWCSDIFNCRRCMVHTHHCRIWMU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914097},"content":"Xiâ€™s rationale for the anti-corruption drive is that low standards among officials were undermining the partyâ€™s legitimacy among the people and thus represented a threat to its position. In official statements, corruption is characterised as disloyalty to the party and its century-long struggle as well as a personal moral failing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPSMNWFSXXA4T667KQD4XFVFKM","additional_properties":{"_id":"PMNKSDRL65BXJOMNOGHTQABWCE"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"NXIOZXHXQBG3HECKDNASEBLWMM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914098},"content":"â€œFor party members and cadres, when faced with temptations and enticements, they must reflect on the partyâ€™s revolutionary ideals, think about the countless revolutionary ancestors who have sacrificed their lives and shed their blood, the weight of the party and people in their hearts, think about the consequences and harm of corruption, and think about the different fates of Marxist parties around the world,â€ the Peopleâ€™s Daily wrote this week.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MTBDW3UFD5FKLCHAUXKPBON3RY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914099},"content":"Party figures avoid conspicuous consumption nowadays and the expensive sports cars that were common in Beijing a decade ago are now a rare sight. Some egregious practices such as paying bribes to secure public service jobs are less common than in the past, but corruption remains endemic throughout Chinese society.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y7RAF53JKNHVFIG7WT37XSD4MU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914100},"content":"The crackdown has made officials and those who bribe them more careful, but money still oils the wheels of business, public procurement and the justice system. Police and prosecutors have broad discretion in dealing with some offences and some are susceptible.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QCUPWWDNZZHTXOZ474KVDXKY4Q","additional_properties":{"_id":"7F62RWC3ZJCZZMCEOTU6E5JOVU"},"content":"Trump invites Chinaâ€™s Xi to Jinping to his inauguration","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"DJDWNVZSUZATHP4WTBCVECYS4U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914101},"content":"The transaction often involves an intermediary so that the one paying the bribe will often not know the name of the official who will receive it. Some bribes are made in cash and others are paid to family members of the recipient, sometimes by paying college fees for children studying abroad.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QNZJLDAOYNCGVLFWL5EWGUINBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914102},"content":"The anti-corruption commission said this week it would use new technology including AI to take a more proactive approach to spotting suspicious behaviour or financial patterns. Inspectors are taking a closer interest in the family members of senior officials, tracking their financial transactions and watching what they bring through customs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"74EPKM3SJ25QPMIOI4NFU5SYPA","additional_properties":{"_id":"CDAT7GBUX5CXNLO7Z5CMBHWZNY"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"FY3V7L7AUFAQRGJ66AZAQLJEKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914103},"content":"International experience shows that most successful anti-corruption campaigns require institutions like a strong judiciary, an independent oversight agency and an active civil society to make the exercise of power more accountable. China has none of these, and Xiâ€™s campaign is a top-down exercise in party discipline involving the surveillance of officials and their public humiliation and shaming if they are found to be corrupt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T67H7B3K5VAJTMBAXN2YVXRVO4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914104},"content":"â€œFounded in 1921, the party, with its experience of ruling the most populous country in the world since 1949, must always remain vigilant to ward against degeneration from within,â€ a commentator wrote this week in China Daily. â€œIt must not forget the lessons of history and must not be slow to respond to its own problems to ensure that it retains its vigour and vitality.â€","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Denis Staunton"}},"name":"Denis Staunton"}]},"description":{"basic":"The Chinese leader is redoubling his efforts to stamp out graft, but many suspect he has a dark motive"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T05:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Money still oils the wheels of business and justice in China, in spite of Xiâ€™s corruption clampdown","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ETURXEFMPLF6KI7FYBQIM4XZPY","auth":{"1":"1ca916aed1b3fc1f504a2ddb01d60f1d3ec00630b1027173f63056c9063720a2"},"focal_point":{"x":3055,"y":886},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ETURXEFMPLF6KI7FYBQIM4XZPY.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/01/10/xi-jinpings-anti-corruption-drive-needs-a-strong-judiciary-independent-oversight-and-an-active-civil-society-china-has-none-of-these/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"WRJGXYZJENA6TBBFVP4TOJKBTY","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/10/martyn-turner/","content_elements":[],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Martyn Turner"}},"name":"Martyn Turner"}]},"description":{"basic":"January 10th, 2025"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T03:08:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Martyn Turner","native":""},"label":{},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PFK2XE2TK5FX3EWFAJI7ZOT6A4","auth":{"1":"a1746b951743d6ca7ab5705d886e94f5f7efaf2aa107c08ffef22e0eff78f3d8"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PFK2XE2TK5FX3EWFAJI7ZOT6A4.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Cartoon"},{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/10/martyn-turner/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/cartoon","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Cartoon"}}}},{"_id":"4EHI5YTAFFHJLCAFQ2OUU4DFAQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":230,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/f1a50872-2e37-4129-bb1f-31dd7a1d5556/versions/1736434229/media/d822a17f862e2e241adec1ce584539ec_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/why-has-ireland-joined-the-icj-case-against-israel-is-it-simply-that-its-the-right-thing-to-do/","content_elements":[{"_id":"56XQFNTIONDIDOBKFZYBMRRILM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439529},"content":"There are 193 member states in the United Nations. All of them are entitled to bring cases against other member states to the International Court of Justice. Just 10 of them, including Ireland, have joined the action being taken by South Africa against Israel, accusing it of genocide in Gaza.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UQPFCPK72FA4VL5ALHPJYSFKTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439530},"content":"If you were an Israeli sitting in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, it would be hard not to see the world as falling into two camps: those who support, or are neutral on, the war in Gaza; and those who are against it. If you had any doubts about which of the two camps Ireland falls into, these would have been scotched on Tuesday when Ireland officially joined the South African case.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S3XQBMZBWFDNVKEC3BXDKHJG3U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439531},"content":"Yet the Government remains steadfast in the assertion that Ireland is not anti-Israel. Squaring this circle has required a display of verbal gymnastics by various politicians over the past 15 months, for the most part along the lines of â€œlove the sinner, but hate the sinâ€. Israelis could be forgiven for thinking Ireland is engaged in some sort of diplomatic gaslighting: we are your friends, but we are also taking you to court for a heinous crime.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W6V42MXUHBFN7AZAME7DAOFPSI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439533},"content":"The row took a turn for the worst in the run-up to Christmas when the Israeli foreign minister linked Irelandâ€™s attitude to latent anti-Semitism. This provoked a robust response from President Michael D Higgins.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMRCP37F6JABRNP64YW7K5FUHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439534},"content":"Leaving anti-Semitism aside, the question as to whether we can really still say we are not anti-Israel is a valid one. Perhaps we would be better off owning our position rather than denying it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SJPDBSKVBBG27FN7VSAJ7APRWE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439535},"content":"There is one obvious reason we should not do so, which is our economyâ€™s deep links to the global technology sector, in which Israeli investors, and investors sympathetic to Israel, have huge influence. As Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave found out the hard way, it is not a sound business strategy to antagonise these investors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZGPFMR7SR5EO7DL3CR2FIA7OOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439536},"content":"This raises a question: why risk standing out from the crowd in supporting Palestine when you donâ€™t have to? The answer is, of course, that it is the right thing to do morally, but sadly that is rarely the rationale for government policy, particularly foreign policy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YDCVZ4SBAZD23IXDXNMAR6DFP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439538},"content":"A more compelling explanation for why we have put ourselves in this position is the unlikely conflation of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination with what might be called late-stage Irish republicanism. The political wing of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation has a long connection to Sinn FÃ©in. From one perspective they were natural bedfellows. Representatives of the PLO were regular attendees at ardfheiseanna and its military wingâ€™s connections with the IRA are also well established, but that is less relevant in this context.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZQPN64NSTNGDVFOEONTETX7CWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439540},"content":"As Sinn FÃ©in embraced the peace process and moved into the political mainstream, it did not â€“ to its credit â€“ ditch its Palestinian friends. If anything, they turned out to sit well in the context-free and romanticised republicanism that makes Sinn FÃ©in politically attractive to many younger voters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZHF4MCGUG5HZZG7US3AEYD5AME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426985038},"content":"Could this have a bearing on Fine Gael and Fianna FÃ¡ilâ€™s decision to go the extra mile politically for the Palestinians and the partiesâ€™ apparent determination to press ahead with a ban of products made in the occupied territories?","type":"text"},{"_id":"R3Q7AGXHPJBJ7CB3RNQL3X4JTI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426985039},"content":"It is not a complete explanation but might be a clue as to why the deep empathy Ireland â€“ in common with most of its European counterparts â€“ has for the Palestinian cause has not been tempered by the pragmatic realities of international diplomacy, as it has elsewhere.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V5DDMA7P7NBHRDDAOXESJ5PBBI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439543},"content":"When the dust settles in Gaza and the true extent of what happened emerges, we will know if we were on the right side of history.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"John McManus"}},"name":"John McManus"}]},"description":{"basic":"There are several reasons why our sympathy for the Palestinian cause has not been tempered by the pragmatic realities of international diplomatic relations, as is the case elsewhere"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T15:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Why has Ireland joined the ICJ case against Israel? Is it simply that itâ€™s the right thing to do?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"D3AKSDSLHU23JKGIBBOUWUBQ2E","auth":{"1":"f4ad24545ecb699cc50c846e916380c30e39a4a4d8bab56036320d6faa9705f4"},"focal_point":{"x":1928,"y":1726},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/D3AKSDSLHU23JKGIBBOUWUBQ2E.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/why-has-ireland-joined-the-icj-case-against-israel-is-it-simply-that-its-the-right-thing-to-do/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"4TJO7W6ASRFJ5GCF45QMWZNUSM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":323,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/43c9348b-13e3-4451-9e4f-b17f4ff8f7ea/versions/1736349838/media/1c2a1ab9cea1c7351392bb6da8c62c81_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/finn-mcredmond-ireland-cannot-rely-on-a-soft-and-woolly-international-reputation-anymore/","content_elements":[{"_id":"GOZQXF4IP5FJ3PP62AET2HMNBA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424179},"content":"In 2020 Ireland was riding high. Phil Hogan held one of the most powerful portfolios in Europe. Joe Biden â€“ whose love of Ireland was genuine, his desire to court the Irish American vote even more so â€“ was about to be elected president. The European Union had accepted the Irish view on Brexit negotiations. And the unpopularity of Irelandâ€™s policy of neutrality had not yet come to the fore on the Continent either.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UKH234LBDVFMTHEV5RFIDAUJUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424180},"content":"As Irelandâ€™s ego was inflating at a dangerous rate â€“ with Paschal Donohoeâ€™s presidency of the Eurogroup also bolstering the countryâ€™s international influence â€“ the Economist turbocharged things when it made the case in July 2020 that Ireland had â€œgood claim to be the worldâ€™s most diplomatically powerful countryâ€. A fair assessment then, perhaps.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVUBJRH2PRG7DGPNBO76DXQYOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349188422},"content":"But nearly five years on, Irelandâ€™s stock â€“ in Europe mostly â€“ has fallen rather precipitously. And now the prevailing view on the Continent is of a country that has squandered reams of goodwill earned over the Brexit years. Recouping it will be no easy task.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S6H4LY6ETFB5BGJEJLVY56EYKI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424181},"content":"Reputation management for an entire nation is an important task at any point in time. When the trajectory of the West is as precarious and unknowable as it is at the beginning of 2025 â€“ with capricious presidents starting their terms, collapsing centre grounds, highly disruptive technology and ongoing ground wars â€“ it could not be more urgent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XUHAO4PS3RCNVIT45TADVEZFJU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349188424},"content":"The greatest task facing the incoming administration, however it may be formed, is restoring Irelandâ€™s standing. And the most serious Cabinet appointment made over the coming weeks or months will be Minister for Foreign Affairs. The government should think with great caution, and no reflexive impulses, about who is offered the title.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C5M6V7AF6VGGBDKKKEENJHJBNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424182},"content":"It is remarkable to consider all the steps it took to get here. Perhaps it was in August 2020 â€“ when Ireland embarked on a major kamikaze mission against its own influence â€“ that the countryâ€™s poor instinct for realpolitik revealed itself. In the midst of a fit of national hysteria, Phil Hogan resigned his position as the EU trade commissioner â€“ hardly a more important portfolio for Ireland to hold at the time â€“ after the backlash to â€œgolfgateâ€ grew too noisy and distracting. This was an instance where Ireland prioritised its distaste for minorly-flouted Covid regulations over the diplomatic and political health of the entire country. The monumental foolishness (and self-righteousness) required to forsake the trade portfolio at such a critical juncture caused a lot raised eyebrows in Brussels. And Irelandâ€™s influence only waned from there.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C5RWWQQW2JFRTONP2GSFRILY5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424183},"content":"And now look. As Eoin Drea pointed out in these pages last September, Ursula von der Leyenâ€™s allocation of the democracy, justice and rule-of-law portfolio to Michael McGrath â€œshows just how far Irelandâ€™s stock has fallen in Brusselsâ€. The broad consensus on the Continent is becoming harder and harder for Ireland to dodge: a defence freeloader, a tax haven, an unstable economy too dependent on the whims of Trump, and a country that takes sometimes hardline and off-piste stances on foreign affairs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AV6KXHBP4ZH5LAJVYZROI2N6YU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424184},"content":"Take, for example, soon-to-be-outgoing president Michael D Higgins. During his presidency, Justine McCarthy wrote last week, he â€œ infuriated a smorgasbord of EU officials, the Israeli government ... critics of Fidel Castro ... Northern Ireland unionistsâ€ among others.","type":"text"},{"_id":"57QHNDE2NZDS7BYEN4QMUEHXPA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349188428},"content":"I would venture that none of this is a good thing for a country whose standing in Europe has tanked (â€œIreland gets â€˜screwedâ€™ as EU influence ebbs,â€ Politico reported on Monday, while this newspaper reported that Irish influence is â€œdecliningâ€). The same applies to Higginsâ€™s letter to the president of Iran (and his subsequent accusation that the Israeli embassy circulated it), not to mention the presidentâ€™s website playing host to a letter suggesting peace be brokered with Russia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SSSCNHGMLRGWXHUEZ77YDFNQCI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736347800499},"content":"And now thereâ€™s a president who has the power to totally upend the entire economic model waiting in the wings in America.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S4W4L3ZGS5HL5OED7RVBHNOFKM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349188430},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"GNLTBEVFI5CPNNX4MXEYCTSQNQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424185},"content":"Ireland may bask in its reputation for being a peacenik, and plenty adore Higginsâ€™s creative approach to the supposed impartiality of his office. And perhaps at peacetime none of this would matter so much. But Ireland no longer holds a central position of influence in the European Union, and the politics of the entire Continent have been thrown into disarray by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If Ireland wishes to foster and hold on to its policy of militaristic neutrality it has to face up to the material consequences of such positions: these include increased unpopularity in Europe, less and less control over the levers of the bloc, and in turn greater reliance on other partners.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VGAVLMG7YRARVEBNDO4ZYODUEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424186},"content":"None of this is a foregone conclusion. Simon Harris has explained his plan to engage with Trump. Donohoe also has the skills and intellect to steer Ireland through these choppy international waters. But first a dose of self-awareness: Ireland cannot rely on a woolly and soft reputation any more, as the gentle land of peaceniks, saints and scholars. The world is coarser and the country needs to adapt.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Finn McRedmond"}},"name":"Finn McRedmond"}]},"description":{"basic":"Greatest task facing the new government is restoring Irelandâ€™s standing in Europe and the world"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ireland cannot rely on a soft and woolly international reputation anymore","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ID7RQ2RPEVEONKJXPSH3GHAZ6Y","auth":{"1":"7eba058884128f7325e89a6560ddeb1ac8142e628f988ed8883633cf685edde5"},"focal_point":{"x":3660,"y":692},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ID7RQ2RPEVEONKJXPSH3GHAZ6Y.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/finn-mcredmond-ireland-cannot-rely-on-a-soft-and-woolly-international-reputation-anymore/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"3BLJPJU2JFCFLKJOZSOTCQBEPA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":373,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/a6200ca6-1b47-42a6-937a-1da7fccd2c1b/versions/1736351083/media/112cef89b267c637f4addb4741422a47_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/ireland-is-not-immune-to-the-wave-of-foreign-state-espionage-and-threats-sweeping-europe/","content_elements":[{"_id":"S3AY3POVRVEX3GPKC6FYKWC4OE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296350},"content":"In the coming months, the government will have to make a number of critical national security decisions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OINA7J5B2JG3VPIHFSPQCVKPZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296351},"content":"The first will be how to persuade the incoming Trump administration that Ireland is not a soft touch when it comes to industrial espionage â€“ that hostile states such as China and Russia are not stealing intellectual property for potential â€œdual-useâ€, military purposes. There have already been concerns raised by the outgoing Biden administration that Ireland lacks an advanced vetting system. Without such a system, Irish nationals and residents risk being excluded from working on private sector projects that US intelligence services conclude are sensitive to national security.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVHAQXUUVBAOPLI4EEA2ND3QWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296352},"content":"A severe thaw in relations between the US and Europe also has a potential impact when it comes to European defence. It is no accident that the United Kingdom has taken an ambitious lead role in a new non-Nato defence initiative, the Joint Expeditionary Force, a key component of which is to protect subsea cables in northern Europe â€“ Operation Nordic Warden. European countries such as the UK, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands know that they will have to look increasingly to their own defence capabilities, easing an excessive reliance on the United States, to deter and defend against Russian or other threats to European security. Ireland, severely lacking in naval assets, will have to decide whether it wants to join this or another European initiative to actively monitor and protect the critical infrastructure off the Irish coast that enables transatlantic communications.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HYVBU3ZI4FBBHD5CVNOE7TJFBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296353},"content":"Ireland is also facing a significant European-wide increase in far-right and Islamist extremist radicalisation. The horrific violence in Gaza and in Lebanon has been drawn upon by Islamic State and al-Qaeda to foment grievance and generate recruits. The director general of the UKâ€™s domestic intelligence service, MI5, recently reported an alarming increase in incidents of radicalisation of children under 18, individuals with â€œwith only a tenuous grasp of the ideologies they profess to followâ€, and in some cases viewing Islamist extremist material as well as far-right conspiracy theories and disinformation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X2DJZALEHNF5ZB5EQDBGEOS2MI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296354},"content":"Ireland is not immune to these trends. Michael McElgunn, the assistant commissioner in charge of the Garda national crime and security intelligence service, has warned of the myriad rising threats he and his officers face, especially from extremist actors and the spread of disinformation. Last year a teenager, whom gardaÃ believe was exposed to Islamic State-linked material online, was charged with the attempted murder of Defence Forces chaplain Fr Paul Murphy. The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that the boy be sent forward for indictment at the Central Criminal Court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ODARFCP7KRH3NHQG535Y32S7ZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296355},"content":"Europe is experiencing a wave of foreign state espionage. Much of this, as McElgunn observed, emanates from Russia. Moscowâ€™s intelligence services increasingly subcontract acts of sabotage and assassinations to criminal gangs in a range of European countries. However, Russia is not the only threat â€“ Iranâ€™s security services have cultivated links with the Kinahan organised crime cartel over many years. In recent years a wave of Chinese overseas police stations â€“ aimed at influencing and controlling its diaspora â€“ were uncovered in a range of European cities, including one in Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3HVSYC7IHRBFVKPKJ5KFHANVCA","additional_properties":{"_id":"YXU7XDPZAZDZHD2SCHXRDWAINY"},"content":"Itâ€™s a mistake to dismiss the Cobalt allegations as Carry on Spying","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"H64CB5WPNNHQVCZFIA46HHUEUM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296356},"content":"At the end of December the Sunday Times reported that an unidentified member of the Oireachtas allegedly recruited by Russian intelligence â€“ given the name â€œCobaltâ€ â€“ was suspected of having access to â€œhighly sensitive information on defence policy from serving and retired military personnelâ€. Taoiseach Simon Harris has not responded directly to the allegations, except to comment that Ireland was â€œnot immuneâ€ to hostile Russian intelligence activity. MicheÃ¡l Martin told that DÃ¡il that as Minister for Defence he had â€œ never received a security briefing stating that there is a spy in the Oireachtasâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AELZBY3OJEH7BT33DBZLE6SMU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296357},"content":"The Cobalt claims underline a number of critical security vulnerabilities that will only increase over time if not addressed. The first is a lack of advanced vetting and other counter-intelligence capabilities. Vetting and the proper classification of government material are integral to the security of any democracy that wishes to protect itself from unwanted intrusion by foreign intelligence services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4L7SCZBTG5B7NIZFL5DYMGLRCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736355402833},"content":"The public deserves some reassurance that the Cobalt allegations are being addressed. As in other European countries, it is possible to put some information into the public domain about intelligence threats without compromising operational security. A new government should state whether the Cobalt allegations, as reported by the Sunday Times, are accurate. Second, depending on the verification of Cobaltâ€™s alleged activities, some indication should be offered as to whether significant damage to national security has occurred.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KWZTVIGISZDN7EOWWIP3HSOIOQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296358},"content":"Finally, the government should offer an assessment of whether current legislation is fit for purpose when it comes to espionage offences. If not, it should commit to remedying this national counter-intelligence deficit. Public representatives or officials recruited as agents by foreign intelligence services may still cause significant damage to democratic institutions even if they do not gain access to secret information. Ireland is now increasingly a target for diverse and complex foreign intelligence activity. In order to build resilience, public confidence and awareness of threats to national security, the government should also announce a wide-ranging review of intelligence structures and capabilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GKD3VMJYLFFXRLDN4OCWLXEFFI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296359},"content":"Dr Edward Burke is assistant professor in the History of War since 1945 at University College Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Edward Burke"}]},"description":{"basic":"One of the first tasks of the new government will be how to persuade the incoming Trump administration that Ireland is not a soft touch"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ireland is not immune to the wave of foreign state espionage sweeping Europe","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VY2F25M4HJKMP565QBZ57TLOCE","auth":{"1":"2c6df1d58edbb1f141eaeee34e3c63f033ba5662a95f2f55f1766e05b25f3398"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VY2F25M4HJKMP565QBZ57TLOCE.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/ireland-is-not-immune-to-the-wave-of-foreign-state-espionage-and-threats-sweeping-europe/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"G7EAHLAYABEVLAJ2WR4UWDYAYY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":305,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/211f1f46-322b-429c-bf26-0adfdced8c64/versions/1736329648/media/95b46760bdb169be5d96ddab0b886dc0_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/conor-murphys-puzzling-move-to-the-seanad-crystallises-sense-of-an-unsettled-stormont/","content_elements":[{"_id":"2XAQWHTI7JFMZGYLVNQJWYCMTI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640488},"content":"Stormontâ€™s Minister for the Economy, Conor Murphy, is one of Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s six nominees for the Seanad, where his election is effectively guaranteed. This unexpected announcement is causing some head-scratching, North and South.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H365TSVSVNDJHL6WQIMRXPB7YM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640489},"content":"The party says Murphy will use his new position to advance â€œthe Irish unity debate in the Oireachtasâ€, yet he has vastly more scope to do so as a Stormont Minister. Among the Department of the Economyâ€™s responsibilities are universities, tourism, the labour market and inward investment. Murphy has been developing cross-Border polices in all these areas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3ZJSWQMBYVGP5JN2IRYXG6HH5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640490},"content":"No doubt his successor will pick up where he left off, but there is no meaningful way to assist from the Seanad backbenches â€“ at least, not one that justifies moving a senior figure from Northern prominence to relative Southern obscurity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"56FIUFM6HZFTHNF2PY7QSFKD4Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640491},"content":"Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s claims would make sense if Murphy planned to remain at Stormont after his election to the Seanad. This is permitted by law in Northern Ireland, provided the senator does not chair an Oireachtas committee.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WPAEJ6XGXFCG5MYIFQSBWXPNSI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640492},"content":"Attempting such a move would cause a sensation and be enormously popular with Northern nationalists. Murphy has ruled it out, however, saying he sees the Seanad as a full-time role and will resign his Executive and Assembly seats.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZPVJM4XN7JHY7IZUMGMFYMC554","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640493},"content":"Murphy had a minor stroke last year. He says this has played no role in his decision, but it is fair to suspect the Seanad is a step towards lighter duties. Sinn FÃ©in may simply be claiming the move advances a united Ireland because it makes this claim about everything.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I5O3DLNRJZDD7OVHBYKJYZTVXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640494},"content":"Amid the speculation on motives, the impact of Murphyâ€™s departure on Stormont has been overlooked. It crystallises a sense the Executive is unsettled, even if there is no apparent risk of a collapse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TAIX5XIRIVDZPGR4UYNU3IDOAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640495},"content":"Sinn FÃ©in had a strong team of Ministers and a cohesive set of policies on finance, the economy and infrastructure â€“ the three departments it chose when devolution was restored last February. The puzzling loss of its most experienced Minister suggests a degree of disorganisation behind the scenes. It follows growing complaints that Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s Executive performance is more spin than substance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2MLR4UMNWVBORABXTU7GDPQ6XM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736331690987},"content":"At the notoriously unmanageable Department for Infrastructure, veteran Minister John Oâ€™Dowd has been under fire over traffic chaos, planning delays and underinvestment in the sewage system. He has devised an innovative policy to fund investment through a levy on housing developers, avoiding the politically untouchable topic of domestic water charges. But his proposal is still contentious and Sinn FÃ©in is mysteriously reluctant to promote it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2EJ7K5JXYNDO7HF73INT3MCHUU","additional_properties":{"_id":"HX3XIIAYJNERFF2OZYIGH5WW5I"},"content":"The real danger now is of Sinn FÃ©in quiet quitting in Northern Ireland","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"IA26UNMN7NBTTBVLJWH36OO2VY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640496},"content":"At finance, first-time Minister Caoimhe Archibald made an impressive start, but criticism from the SDLP that she kicks decisions into the long grass looks increasingly warranted. The Opposition party has mocked Archibald for a much-heralded reform of property taxes that will increase revenue by less than 1 per cent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IEOZV43SWNHL3MU4F7PRVWZAGU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640497},"content":"Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s cohesive policy platform is more impromptu than widely realised. The DUP had been expected to take finance under the back room deal that usually precedes the formal allocation of departments, with Sinn FÃ©in taking education.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FGJAOWWVKZEVZA3X4USVYYU4MA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640498},"content":"The unionist party reneged on this at the final moment, presumably having baulked at the budgetary challenges involved. It chose education and bounced Sinn FÃ©in into taking finance, leaving the republican party with two economy-focused departments â€“ a narrower remit than it wanted. Any mistrust this caused was glossed over, but the Executive got off to an awkward start.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TT25E3GA6JCZFNOPTYCMR6KVUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640499},"content":"Sinn FÃ©in was polling at about 30 per cent in the Republic when Stormont was restored. It will have made plans in the hope of imminent office in the Republic, choosing departments with potential for all-Ireland policies, while pushing contentious decisions back until after the election. Stormontâ€™s lengthy process to agree a programme for government provided cover for inaction.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTPGE7AEN5AILECKJ6XXQTJLZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640500},"content":"Within days of restoration, the partyâ€™s polling went into decline. North-South harmonisation plans have now been delayed by years. Ultimately, Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s electoral setback in the Republic makes it more dependent on Stormont, but it appears a little stunned by the sudden requirement to deliver in the North if it is to deliver anywhere.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F4E3VA7HGZA7HE75X5JHCMNJ3A","additional_properties":{"_id":"6ZSC62RADVDMJHYA7ZDNDNTE6M"},"content":"Politicians need to decide if Northern Ireland is desperately poor or so rich it requires no help","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"5G366DRGX5HLPMLSG566AN5KJQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640501},"content":"The DUP also looks uncomfortable. It controls education and communities, the latter a catch-all department with responsibilities from arts to welfare. Having fallen to second place at Stormont, the party is trying to find more popular positions on social and economic issues. Its two departments are not bringing much clarity to this already-confused endeavour.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FTYQHO4RUZB33PG4PD6R7LHRMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640502},"content":"Sinn FÃ©in and the DUP both declined to take health, Stormontâ€™s largest department and greatest challenge. It was dumped once again on the UUP, which has so far used it mostly for Westminster electioneering and grandstanding against Archibaldâ€™s budget. The smaller unionist partyâ€™s boast of taking on a job other parties feared rings ever more hollow.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y4R3RHMO3ZFA7BSLC5O4E6ORD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640503},"content":"Replacing Murphy will give Sinn FÃ©in a chance for a mini relaunch of the Executive. It could do with one.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Newton Emerson"}},"name":"Newton Emerson"}]},"description":{"basic":"Sinn FÃ©in says Murphy will use his new position to advance â€˜Irish unity debate in the Oireachtasâ€™, yet he has vastly more scope to do so as a Stormont Minister"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Conor Murphyâ€™s puzzling move to the Seanad crystallises sense of an unsettled Stormont","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2OBKXFTE4W6IKYCY2DKVUHMDOY","auth":{"1":"6d065c462c986473e5af617da7949260fc3924f3e5451fd6476ca18016249451"},"focal_point":{"x":2072,"y":1175},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2OBKXFTE4W6IKYCY2DKVUHMDOY.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/conor-murphys-puzzling-move-to-the-seanad-crystallises-sense-of-an-unsettled-stormont/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"NV7AVAXYDBEB5EKPY65S2SQ724","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":372,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/dc8dfe2f-11de-4664-a092-adc67286c47f/versions/1736267787/media/bd1efd80ec881d3a8c27b246302cdf71_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/eamon-ryan-political-science-cant-trump-climate-science-here-are-4-key-tests-for-the-new-government/","content_elements":[{"_id":"LOW6RB24QJBDPMNF6FQMCIEATI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355429},"content":"Parties negotiating the new programme for government are â€œopen for discussionâ€ on weakening some of the key elements of our existing national climate plan, according to reports in The Irish Times on Monday. Taking such a course would be a terrible mistake. The exit poll after the recent election proves that the silent majority of Irish people, who want us to act on climate, would be rightly appalled. It would not only be morally bankrupt, but would cost us all in the long run. We would miss out on the clean industrial revolution that is already taking hold and all the new green jobs that are already coming here.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RPSQCOBLDZDKNDWDP7BKIH7A2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355430},"content":"Stepping up is not easy. The scale and speed of change required is unprecedented and is not always immediately popular. Fine Gael will miss some of its best climate leaders from the DÃ¡il and Fianna FÃ¡il has not had to grapple with the issue at ministerial level for almost two decades. Some of the Independents have also made a great name for themselves by opposing every measure. That cannot be a reason for steering the country in the wrong direction. It is vital that the programme for government gets the climate commitments right.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NJG2NDCQBVFXTF6P2OTBMSLNHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355432},"content":"Firstly in transport, any weakening of investment in active travel and public transport, or failure to implement the Moving Together sustainable transport strategy, which was widely supported in public consultations last year, would make it impossible to reach our targets. The recently revised National Planning Framework commits us to delivering compact, low-carbon and balanced regional development. Everyone in Government agreed that a large proportion of the new growth would have to be centred around public transport developments, creating social, safe and green local environments. That is the only way we are going to be able to provide the high-quality and affordable housing we need. Going the other route only makes us more car dependent and adds to the cost of housing. It inevitably ends in congestion and it leads to road deaths and injuries, which bring such terrible loss.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VK3I5QGZFRH45BVRFYE22VLWYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355433},"content":"Yes, we will have to spend a lot on new roads, prioritising those badly-needed bypasses of our most congested towns. However, if you switch the 2:1 ratio of spending on public transport and roads, as is apparently now being considered, there will not be enough funding for what we need, even with all the corporate tax money to hand. It would mean fewer metropolitan rail and BusConnects in Cork, Limerick or Waterford. No reopening of the Western Rail Corridor or light rail in Galway. No Navan rail line, and no way of making it safe for people to walk and cycle, which is where all the best international transport plans are going.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5I55OYD52JHC3EMZMAOO66AHZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":"27VEIE5QP5CKNDESSGTVUPDHZE"},"content":"There is something delusional about your frantic trips to the recycling bin","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"D4FBMGS3QRDVRBWD6XLTTWPBFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355434},"content":"The second test will be in finance. Some politicians depicted the carbon tax as the greatest burden known to man, but in truth it is the best way of protecting our most vulnerable people from the high costs of imported fossil fuels and poorly insulated homes. Rather than weakening our commitment to the tax, the new government should put the already agreed allocation of the revenues into social welfare, domestic retrofitting and funding for small farmers to restore nature, on to a legislative basis, so everyone can clearly see the benefits that the tax is delivering.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CXDEWT2D7RCPJHIZPUAHCIUF3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355435},"content":"Third in energy, a key question will be how the new government invests long-term funding in our electricity grid while avoiding the imposition of undue costs on the Irish consumer. And whether it can do this while attracting industries here, who will be looking for countries they can rely upon for clean, secure and ethical power. I donâ€™t believe there will be any rowing back from the new Green Deal in Europe. We will never be more competitive by relying on burning imported fossil fuels.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IEDXJJABF5HSPNEBEXFJK2JQKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355436},"content":"Fourth, it will be vital for the new government to complete the work of the Land Use Review taskforce that is due to report shortly. The aim of the review was to see how we could optimise the use of our land to support rural development, food production, the storage of carbon in our soils and forests, the return of pristine rivers and lakes and the restoration of biodiversity. The taskforce report could then be used by the newly established Just Transition Commission to consider how we make that complex series of developments happen in a fair and sustainable way. No doubt that is also going to require funding, which is one of the reasons why the programme for government should outline the proposed allocation from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, which needs to start flowing as early as next year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2QDDWNONENGLZPFM7JVZ7SXWW4","additional_properties":{"_id":"4SMTC4BOZRA65PFMB7DCCPQCJQ"},"content":"Letâ€™s get real: Irelandâ€™s data centre boom is driving up fossil fuel dependence","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"ZKTYMT5OARHQFAGNIIA5O6Q4YA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355437},"content":"Last but not least, the new government needs to recommit to the science-based targets that were enshrined in our climate law. It puts it up to every relevant Government department and minister what they have to do. Any watering down of the resolve would undermine the whole approach. The new government should collectively agree to what was promised in the Fianna FÃ¡il manifesto and join those countries willing to target a 90 per cent reduction in emissions by 2040. It is no doubt a massive challenge, but no harder than it will be to deal with the ongoing climate destruction that is increasingly happening before our very eyes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F3DORPBK4FH6DCIWX6XHP47UBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355438},"content":"I have no doubt that the Taoiseach, TÃ¡naiste and other future ministers have a real understanding and commitment to the climate issue, but for too long it seems that political science trumps climate science when it comes to delivering the change required. Perhaps in the negotiations they might draw some strength from the question that Pope Francis put to politicians in his letter, Laudate Deum, two years ago: â€œWhat would induce anyone at this stage to hold on to power, only to be remembered for their inability to take action when it was urgent and necessary to do so?â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Eamon Ryan"}]},"description":{"basic":"The scale and speed of change required to tackle climate issue is unprecedented and not always immediately popular"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Political science must not trump climate science. Here are the key tests for the new government ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"X6MSAHLE7BBGJJKX3EXJYASILQ","auth":{"1":"1490849e0d5f8fe73c21e90d21c2d62a6777789d518d690dd7f1e71ced68223f"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/X6MSAHLE7BBGJJKX3EXJYASILQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/eamon-ryan-political-science-cant-trump-climate-science-here-are-4-key-tests-for-the-new-government/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"33FPWPCWXRHD3BSK7LWMPAHAKU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":371,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/7f7e0e0f-4257-47a8-8eb4-c0a980402422/versions/1736259093/media/630345b1f5b633041d20eb29e7b2ec81_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/sucking-up-to-trump-and-his-coterie-of-billionaires-will-not-leave-us-on-the-right-side-of-history/","content_elements":[{"_id":"VXRPPTA7NJGN3PGTJY5XWSDHNU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445144},"content":"Some of us are old enough to remember the regular edgy inquiries 10 years ago as to why this paper was so damned preoccupied by the activities of one Donald Trump when we had plenty of our own problems to reckon with. That free-range anxiety currently hovering in the ether may help explain it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EWCBFXU5V5CEPPHZVJTHK4627Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445145},"content":"In previous years images of President Joe Biden awarding the Medal of Freedom to people such as Liz Cheney, George Soros and Bono might have looked like another clatter of wealthy privileged folk slapping each othersâ€™ backs. Last week it felt more like Bidenâ€™s last desperate message to an apathetic world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VJMKR57O4BDNHJ5FSV4MLU5DKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445146},"content":"â€œYouâ€™re like a dying wasp you are,â€ said Dublin criminal Gerard Hutch to RTÃ‰â€™s Paul Reynolds in November when the journalist doggedly challenged him at the election count. It was the first and worst insult the crime boss could think of and all the more stinging because it contained a germ of truth. Criminal reputations, corruption and crass ignorance are now badges of pride. That didnâ€™t begin with Trump â€“ weâ€™ve had plenty of our own examples in politics, banking, property and elsewhere â€“ but Trump gave it a public swagger that spawned imitators like flies. His latest notions about annexing Canada, Mexico or Greenland like a pound shop Putin are just what the Maga faithful expect â€“ but only because the notions come wrapped in the flashy power of his wealth. To everyone else they sound psychotic.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CKXHRVWU4FFJZP7U7K6M3FMQJ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445147},"content":"Wealth is not just a means of living in luxury but a way of changing perceptions of its owner.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X2WIBDSWMJDLHASQQZVSI24SOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445148},"content":"It allows Hutch to own properties around the world while simultaneously basking in the persona of Robin Hood, winning admiration and gratitude for his inner city philanthropy. It enables Conor McGregor to hire expensive legal services for himself and his co-accused, James Lawrence, in a civil rape case and to shrug off the juryâ€™s â‚¬250,000 damages award against McGregor as â€œmodestâ€. The jury found Lawrence had not assaulted Nikita Hand.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZJI3QH4DANE35CAKJOLUR4SCLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"JH66CG26INAZJOOGGQMSK5NNPM"},"content":"â€˜I know what happened in that roomâ€™: the full story of the Conor McGregor case","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"VJ5OB6DFF5BVBGTUA663FHYHGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736249758077},"content":"It empowers Trump to hire legions of lawyers, advisers and PR people to deny and delay the scores of legal actions against his lifelong frauds, bankruptcies, lawbreaking and sexual violations. Above all, it has catapulted Elon Musk to Trumpâ€™s right hand. â€œ F u retardâ€, Musk replied on Monday to a Twitter/X poster who was urging the EU to take action against Muskâ€™s global misinformation rampage.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XOTVLWG7WRHKZKYEVR2BGSIREM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445149},"content":"If that response suggests that all is not well with him, the fact is that he would be gone long ago, were it not for the inoculation of wealth.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JM2O4Z6ZZFFEFDB7UUMQLCFZDI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445150},"content":"McGregorâ€™s dismissal of the civil rape trial as a â€œkangaroo courtâ€ echoed the Trumpian petulance of men unaccustomed to pushback. Rich men will always have helpers like Gabriel Ernesto Rapisarda, an Italian self-described entrepreneur/celebrity agent/professional brand builder who recently declared that sales of McGregorâ€™s Forged Irish Stout were booming in Italy and predicted a further sales â€œexplosionâ€ once the hotel CCTV footage of Hand, McGregor and Lawrence â€“ shared with the parties solely for the trial â€“ is aired this month. Presumably Gruppo CR, an affiliate of the giant Conad consortium of retail co-ops and warm family-first ethos, is aware of Rapisardaâ€™s classy marketing tactics.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LFF3573UOVB47LRRCEIH2C2ZOA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445151},"content":"But for wealthy men like McGregor, the sales are incidental. It is about vindication.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HMLV7YV4MFD3ZE7G32KLBREWOU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445152},"content":"â€œOne of the biggest risks of wealth/power is no longer having anyone around you who can push back,â€ the US billionaire investor Chris Sacca wrote about Musk a couple of years ago. â€œA shrinking worldview combined with intellectual isolation leads to out-of-touch s**t ... Iâ€™ve recently watched those around him become increasingly sycophantic and opportunistic ... agreeing with him is easier, and there is more financial and social upsideâ€. He could have been talking about Trump or any wealthy bully with a fragile ego.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W3GV3GLAVBDX7KQR4TKWQHTLW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445153},"content":"Itâ€™s 14 years ago since young Occupy Wall Street activists spent 59 days protesting against economic inequality, corporate greed and money in politics. Eleven since the IMFâ€™s Christine Lagarde and others were questioning the sustainability of capitalism itself. Eight since Trump was first elected on the promise of corporate tax cuts and deregulation (and carried it through). Six since Bono argued at a Davos World Economic Forum panel that â€œcapitalism is not immoral â€“ itâ€™s amoral. It requires our instruction ...â€ It has taken more people out of poverty than any other â€˜ismâ€™, he said, but it is a wild beast that if not tamed can chew up a lot of people along the way. Who was listening?","type":"text"},{"_id":"HHYQQXAEXRDPDMXHZ4EPQXZ3DQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"LWO5W6BCINEBFOYXE5FBIGNHGQ"},"content":"Elon Musk fights Battle of Britain on two fronts as he clashes with Nigel Farage and Keir Starmer","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"GPO7X42D2ZBMXBDCTZ457REXIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445155},"content":"The 13 billionaires tapped for Trumpâ€™s Cabinet alone have a combined net worth of â‚¬340 billion at least. Five of Silicon Valleyâ€™s finest including Google, Amazon, Meta, Tim Cook and Sam Altman have donated one million each to Trumpâ€™s inaugural parties. Trump himself will be the richest US president in history.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7E2XIBCPCJADNMOLX3I4R74R2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445156},"content":"When the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead (allegedly by the scion of a wealthy family) last month and stunned every boardroom, the New York Times reported that 75,000 of the 80,000 reactions to the companyâ€™s sombre death announcement were laughing emojis. â€œThe crisis for [big US] business is that it doesnâ€™t understand quite how hated it is by millions of people,â€ commented former editor of The Sun turned corporate PR specialist, David Yelland. Mark Zuckerberg already spends about $30 million a year on personal security, according to Yelland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZEHDJBAZYBBUZGYTAS7F42BFMY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445157},"content":"That anxiety in the ether may be a useful reminder that wealth and its uses are rarely benevolent; that capitalism requires our instruction. And that sucking up to Trump will not leave us on the right side of history.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U4UVRYMRJRF3PLGP2S7CBE3VAM","additional_properties":{"_id":"J6PNMMMZD5GRPBMMBSGPQMCR7A"},"content":"Trumpâ€™s alt right edgelords will inevitably come for Ireland. We canâ€™t take the bait","type":"interstitial_link"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Kathy Sheridan"}},"name":"Kathy Sheridan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Wealth and its uses are rarely benevolent â€“ itâ€™s not just a means of living in luxury, but a means of changing perceptions. Just ask Conor McGregor or Elon Musk"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Sucking up to Trump and his coterie of billionaires will not leave us on the right side of history","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VHHVVOLJYJZPCVB2LZSQUSY5MU","auth":{"1":"f85f88f9ab2f1a85f42d80cd90d69708ca9b0c57422ecd5c1c9bf272989587cb"},"focal_point":{"x":2001,"y":1466},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VHHVVOLJYJZPCVB2LZSQUSY5MU.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/sucking-up-to-trump-and-his-coterie-of-billionaires-will-not-leave-us-on-the-right-side-of-history/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"FDIMUJMEHBCT5KKFOKBYCKAQPM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":286,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/9e3db4b1-1c10-484f-a906-5d175ffc9155/versions/1736270148/media/ea5610cd09c2a35e16b3e2fc810d216b_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/michael-mcdowell-musk-trump-effect-has-the-capacity-to-destabilise-irish-democracy/","content_elements":[{"_id":"7HQP4NE6FFH3LDIZPVUG3G6FUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739446},"content":"I imagine that many people in Ireland are quietly hoping that some of the more pessimistic forecasts of what the Trump presidency could mean for this country prove to be wrong and that somehow the old adage that politicians campaign in poetry but govern in prose will turn out in practice to mitigate those forecasts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UXRFN4ZSZRAGDGGLHN4RRO2YYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739448},"content":"Newspapers here recently reported that the Taoiseach was launching what was oddly termed a â€œdiplomatic offensiveâ€ â€“ a contradiction in terms if ever I saw one â€“ in the US designed to counter the risks to our economy of full-blooded implementation of Trumpâ€™s campaign promises.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ABBUERKAANG3TAHK6O3O5A6WJ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739449},"content":"It seems increasingly clear that Elon Musk is actively pursuing a campaign designed to polarise European politics and to support hard-right European politicians, many of whom are hostile to centrist government in EU member states.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VOED7SUKW5C2JECRIVJA3MIMGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739450},"content":"While Musk is not Trumpâ€™s nominee for secretary of state â€“ a position marked out for senator Marco Rubio â€“ he seems to consider that because he may have personal or corporate business interests in Europe, he has some role or function in using his wealth to influence political processes and debate in European states.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZG3JOWTEBRA4FDPGA55YWDH6HM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739451},"content":"His personalised criticism of Keir Starmer and his seeming endorsement of demands that there should be a national investigation of the UKâ€™s failures in detecting and preventing sexual abuse and rape of young and under-age white girls by rings of Muslim men predominantly from Pakistan, are a case in point. Is he really concerned at a personal level at that terrible pattern of abuse that has been exposed in many parts of the UK? Is he anxious that the perpetrators should be brought to justice and punished? Or is his point that there has been some form of conspiracy of silence or tacit cover-up for fear of fanning racial tensions? Or does he see an opportunity to conflate immigration with crimes against women and to strengthen that Trumpian trope? Or does he simply see a clear opportunity to discredit Starmer with a view to removing Labour from office? Is this part of his strange campaign to persuade King Charles to dissolve the House of Commons to bring about a reversal of the Labour landslide majority elected last summer?","type":"text"},{"_id":"JV3Z4RMLEBCXNCANBUEPU4WNIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"7SO6JDYBMZH4XD4WBRMFWRWNQE"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-3034","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"4IJLSJ4KZ5BNZDDPBAKUPJ3RTY","additional_properties":{"_id":"IMV7QMY4OFE43AP2ZNSCF5WZRE"},"content":"Elon Musk fights Battle of Britain on two fronts as he clashes with Nigel Farage and Keir Starmer","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"KVBNA7MVXBEN7KJJ46WSSCP6BY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739453},"content":"Stranger still is his behaviour in relation to the UKâ€™s Reform party. After signalling his intention to give Reform massive financial support in the form of a $100 million donation â€“ presumably to be routed through one or more of his UK companies â€“ he has since decided that Nigel Farage is not up to the job of leading Reform. This change of heart is apparently caused by the refusal of Farage to admit Tommy Robinson to membership of Reform.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VNYAAMXM2VFK3IEIETA7LCDFVU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739454},"content":"Robinson â€“ previously known as Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon â€“ is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court for breach of an injunction restraining him from libelling a young school-going refugee after being found liable for Â£100,000 in damages for the same defamation. Robinson had previously been imprisoned on four occasions, including assault and mortgage fraud.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YZLCNI4T5JGMFC4ZGYSGZ6AZSI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739455},"content":"Ironically, Robinson had entered the US as an illegal immigrant in 2013. He appeared on the notorious US Infowars newscast seeking political asylum in the United States.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U45EY5MXFNEBNLXF5AZTPTTAA4","additional_properties":{"_id":"CC2MKINPSVBRTIPFO627EBD56I"},"content":"Tommy Robinson profile: Convicted criminal is one of UKâ€™s most prominent far-right activists","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"RLFYO5LCARA3HAIDK34QA4PBXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739456},"content":"Infowars was the medium controlled by Alex Jones to publish and propagate the grossly untrue myth â€“ subsequently believed by 18 per cent of US citizens polled â€“ that the massacre of schoolchildren at Sandy Hook had never occurred and that the parents of the victims were themselves inventing and lying about the false claim of their childrenâ€™s murders. Jones was adjudicated for libel damages in amounts close to $1 billion by a Connecticut jury and the jury verdict was largely upheld on appeal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYZWHYGROREWNM3VNCAED5HU2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739457},"content":"After acquiring Twitter and renaming it X, Musk restored Jones as a user on the site from which he had been barred in 2018 after many yearsâ€™ propagation of false conspiracy theories. Now Musk wants Robinson released from prison and admitted to membership of Reform. Musk has also urged German voters to support the AFD party. In Ireland, he attempted to champion opposition to the Governmentâ€™s Hate Speech Bill.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SU63E423TND7PPCKCAY5SF6ERI","additional_properties":{"_id":"HUZQBJZSUJERLKZD2LZBYBXR4A"},"content":"Why are Elon Musk and Donald Trump jnr so concerned by Irelandâ€™s new hate crime legislation?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"LDI6K2BZYZCWDMMULB7AM2DJEQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739460},"content":"Those of us who successfully stymied that ill-considered and oppressive Bill from becoming law as proposed were quick to disown Muskâ€™s unwelcome and constitutionally mistaken efforts to become involved in the controversy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2T2SY3ATJJCUDD4SZN2LLMQM6Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739461},"content":"For us in Ireland, the role of Musk and the influence he has in the Trump camp must remain seriously problematic. Is he to be an outlier or an insider?","type":"text"},{"_id":"GK37G7SLSVGOXL6TELYC5662R4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739462},"content":"The Trump effect is not simply likely to be felt in taxation, tariffs and trade wars. Nor is it only relevant to relations with Putin and European democracy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B4XX22WKM5E6ZDUFE5GSQACEXU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739463},"content":"Its full blast has the capacity to destabilise Irish democracy and to radically polarise the political discourse on this island. Who does Reform support in Northern Ireland? Have we our own Tommy Robinsons waiting in the wings for Muskâ€™s support? Food for thought.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Michael McDowell"}},"name":"Michael McDowell"}]},"description":{"basic":"Musk seems to consider he has some role in using his wealth to influence political processes and debate in European states"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Musk-Trump effect has the capacity to destabilise Irish democracy","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PXTDXEVQA74NMC7EI32ABDS564","auth":{"1":"2430d1787c80c80b53ca7e0919cba9386c5f8b5bd942c0f5fb3932f765c3b946"},"focal_point":{"x":1945,"y":992},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PXTDXEVQA74NMC7EI32ABDS564.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/michael-mcdowell-musk-trump-effect-has-the-capacity-to-destabilise-irish-democracy/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"PL2DE2HHCJHNTDDCXRBPX6ZEAA","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/08/martyn-turner/","content_elements":[],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Martyn Turner"}},"name":"Martyn Turner"}]},"description":{"basic":"January 8th, 2024"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T03:18:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Martyn Turner","native":""},"label":{},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"QNP34K5UHFHHFNPF2OQOAHKE4Q","auth":{"1":"04cb85868e91f184d3cc22333d5e9deffb3a32a92786d236ec75af4deb1bf0b5"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/QNP34K5UHFHHFNPF2OQOAHKE4Q.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Cartoon"},{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/08/martyn-turner/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/cartoon","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Cartoon"}}}},{"_id":"J7IQODSXQVHBXCFFNM3L5B6EN4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":364,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/59e1272f-9870-45ba-916a-2ecf98329252/versions/1736173509/media/9bbfd5987fe5ee93c4c95341cca60328_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/liz-carolan-trumps-alt-right-edgelords-will-inevitably-come-for-ireland-we-cant-take-the-bait/","content_elements":[{"_id":"TILLZBSL6VEWBPF7XFVW26FKA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272519},"content":"At some point in the next four years Ireland will become the target of a culture or meme war attack from Donald Trumpâ€™s â€œalt rightâ€ allies. The pressure will feel immense but we cannot afford to take the bait.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZLUVTH6MVNBTTLGOFS2PNDQWOI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272520},"content":"In his first electoral victory and presidency, Trump relied on the religious right to build and maintain his winning coalition, appointing ultraconservative Mike Pence as his vice-president and committing to promote anti-abortion supreme court justices. Promises made, promises kept.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CGUF4NERYNHVXEMIYTMYZ6AWIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272521},"content":"This time around he shifted his core alliances, moving from the religious right to the â€œalt rightâ€, from the puritans to the memelords. Again this is embodied by his vice-president pick, the â€œextremely onlineâ€ JD Vance, and his lucrative strategic partnership with provocateur Elon Musk. Both Vance and Musk have demonstrated their ability to weaponise internet culture and humour to rally a younger, digitally engaged base, reshaping conservative politics.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YETXYHC5LBHPVL3MM6WJPNNMVI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272522},"content":"Trump bringing them into the fold helped to cement his win, but it also now positions them as architects of a strategy that ratchets up culture wars and viral spectacle as a cover for extractive policymaking. We see this in the naming of a new body Musk will lead to slash government spending as D.O.G.E., a name synonymous with an internet meme about a dog.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LMAQVFLKVFHZJPO6AHL4AM6XOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272523},"content":"Both Trump administrations will equally rely on theatrics, provocations and manufactured crises that distract from the core aims of those governing the US, and there are already some indications that foreign policy will be a key arena for this new era of ramped up government-by-sh*tposting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UTH667K6AFFLRAYV7JOUHOTCSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272524},"content":"Over the Christmas break, Trump asserted on his own social media site that the US should purchase Greenland, â€œfor purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the Worldâ€. Eric Trump, the president electâ€™s son, followed up by posting a meme of an Amazon shopping cart that included Greenland in the basket.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YXHTO3Q7ABEQLEJWPSUCSZBIWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272525},"content":"This is just one of many comments on US imperial expansion, with the president elect also making various statements about seizing the Panama Canal and annexing Mexico and Canada. Governments are forced to respond, news outlets cover the story and opinion pieces proliferate. The New York Times declared that the comments about Canada have a â€œtrolling jocularityâ€, while those about Greenland and Panama are â€œnot a jokeâ€, though they add an important qualifier: â€œthis timeâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5K6ZFUZR2NCULPF6XQ3EC7Q2ZI","additional_properties":{"_id":"ZHHNUFTOBRELTKAUUZKM5CHTBU"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"IEL5S24VEBGJ5BMO26UQ7ZBVTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272526},"content":"These types of statements are sent out into the world as trial balloons of Hindenburg proportions â€“ tossed like grenades that will either cause real world devastation, or explode in a Jackass-style farce of silly string, leaving braying bullies to LOL at your humiliation. The blurring of online jokes and declarations of intent by the worldâ€™s most powerful man is deeply destabilising, and our turn is coming.","type":"text"},{"_id":"77TO5LZ4L5F6LIHINZQRZUBZ5I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272527},"content":"What Greenland and Panama have in common is that they are seen as posing strategic impediments to the â€œAmerica Firstâ€ project, Greenland with its underexploited rare-earth resources, and both with their role in shipping and commerce. Many within the new Trump administrationâ€™s appointees also see Ireland as a problem. Trumpâ€™s trade tsar Robert Lighthizer has said â€œIreland gets a substantial part of the tax revenue that would normally be due to the US governmentâ€ and this is a â€œtransfer of wealth from us to themâ€. Howard Lutnick, nominee to head the US commerce department, said â€œitâ€™s nonsense that Ireland of all places runs a trade surplus at our expense ... When we end this nonsense, America will be a truly great country again.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"HB32WTTLINFFZIXEXVJASDJT5E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272528},"content":"Add to this the fact that Ireland has already found itself in the crosshairs of US culture wars, notably in the recent hate speech Bill debates. Musk, Trump jnr and Vance all engaged in online discourse criticising that Bill. Musk in particular has been engaged in a long-term feud with the Irish State, which perfectly blends his â€œanti-wokeâ€ politics with his business interests. He was formerly doing this as the worldâ€™s richest man and owner of X. He is now doing it as both of these things and as a senior representative of a Trump administration that has its eyes on Irelandâ€™s economy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJW4DY3Z3NEZDGQJMBTD2O75CQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272529},"content":"It will be tempting, and probably smart politics, for Ireland to keep its head down. But anyone who has dealt with online bullies knows that this is not a long-term strategy; the edgelords will come for us at some point, whether we sit on our hands or not. What we need now is to work out how we will react when the spotlight inevitably comes on us, how to integrate the art of avoiding online baiting into the craft of diplomacy and the politics of statecraft. And we need to start planning for the risk of weaponisation of our presidential election later this year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XSX2LQZFFJF5BFGYLV4TM4T3EY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272530},"content":"The extra layer of challenge we face is that the trolls have real tools to threaten our economic stability. Our business model of foreign direct investment has served us extraordinarily well over the past 30 years but it has become golden handcuffs chaining our national stability and economic wellbeing to the whims of tax and trade policymakers, and ultimately to the vagrancies of oligarchs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VEW3XCTQJZGE5HVJKYWIZOF3ME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272531},"content":"The best way to beat trolls is to defang them of any real ability to hurt you. In this new year, with a new government with a fresh mandate, it is finally time to build a real alternative vision of Irelandâ€™s economy without our extraordinary reliance on mobile capital. Failing to do so will leave us with no leverage and could end up threatening our economic sovereignty.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WBD3JOENMVAWBAKIV7WCZUTQTY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736170629053},"content":"Liz Carolan works on democracy and technology issues, and writes at TheBriefing.ie","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Liz Carolan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Blurring of online jokes about Canada and declarations of intent - such as buying Greenland - by the worldâ€™s most powerful man is deeply destabilising. Ireland could be next"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:15:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trumpâ€™s alt right edgelords will inevitably come for Ireland. We canâ€™t take the bait","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PWWXWXNX2JVUCJBPK3JRBA5FUA","auth":{"1":"097bea9e1ee0dd69ca385bb436a3ebd11e4c1dcbf3894d0e480b25e56cbfb4a3"},"focal_point":{"x":1210,"y":824},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PWWXWXNX2JVUCJBPK3JRBA5FUA.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/liz-carolan-trumps-alt-right-edgelords-will-inevitably-come-for-ireland-we-cant-take-the-bait/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"KXGNWAO33VDPVER3EBEJQRN75E","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":362,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/2895a32f-af33-4089-9bae-00753cae0db4/versions/1736171085/media/1f4b31c07cd720fe1f7b5bf6ba1be89b_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/fintan-otoole-its-a-national-indignity-that-new-government-will-rely-on-the-grace-and-favour-of-michael-lowry/","content_elements":[{"_id":"DKIQIPFRRFEVBC6SAJ5ALOVVWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464844},"content":"In 1944, when France was liberated from the Nazis, its restored republic faced a dilemma. The normal process of law could not deal with the tens of thousands of public officials who had collaborated with the occupiers. So the French invented a new category of judicial chastisement: indignitÃ© nationale. It is generally translated as â€œnational unworthinessâ€ but â€œnational indignityâ€ has more of a ring to it. Those found guilty of it were recognised as bad citizens, unfit to hold office.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4WSRUH4LBD2PCZWC4JQB2BI4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464845},"content":"We too should have instituted the offence of indignitÃ© nationale. It would have saved us from the national indignity of having our new government formed by the grace and favour of Michael Lowry.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R3JQVWWA6ZH6FCDEL6LHOWTQNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464846},"content":"The third pillar of our republicâ€™s government is to be the man who Fine Gael felt morally obliged to remove from ministerial office and from membership of the party â€œin keepingâ€, as its then leader (and taoiseach) Enda Kenny told the DÃ¡il in 2011, â€œwith the partyâ€™s desire to maintain probity and standards in politicsâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TMNV7JLTKNEH7CYB4MTEUCJUN4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464847},"content":"And the man who Fianna FÃ¡ilâ€™s then (and present) leader MicheÃ¡l Martin pronounced, in that debate on the findings of the Moriarty tribunal, unworthy of membership of the DÃ¡il itself: â€œWe ... believe that Deputy Lowry should consider his position and resign from DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann.â€ Martin supported an all-party motion (passed unanimously) that â€œthe DÃ¡il believes the conduct of Michael Lowry set out in the tribunal report was completely unacceptable and calls on Deputy Lowry to resign voluntarily his membership of DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"LNROEUXFXJHZXME5XF7675L4H4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464848},"content":"The modern history of the State is not remotely like that of occupied France. I am emphatically not suggesting any parallels between the behaviour of Michael Lowry or any other office holders in Ireland and those in the collaborationist Vichy regime. The parallel concerns, rather, the legal and political dilemma: what do we do with office holders who have brought shame on the republic?","type":"text"},{"_id":"VJBBSLUNJ5EG3PT7M6QRINY4MA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464849},"content":"In our case, the problem is impunity. From the 1990s onwards, it became unavoidably obvious that we had an embedded nexus of political corruption in both Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael. The harm it did was characterised accurately by Kenny as â€œincalculable damage [that] has already been done because of a culture of â€˜thanks very much, big fellaâ€™, walking-around money, whip-rounds, luck on the horses and a taoiseach degrading our nation and this office by trousering after-dinner tips. It is a culture typified by arrogant, mercenary and immoral politics that almost ruined our reputation and made a mockery of character itself. When that culture included business and banking it contaminated our country, divided our society and diminished our republic.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"4L6RQVD2YJAMJGPBYCRJOG2QHU","additional_properties":{"_id":"E3YMJXUUH5ERNK5SX5I2GZ4NTE"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"UMXRPXBSSJCRZCW7QESJFOOU6U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464850},"content":"The problem is that this insult to our republic and the immense injury it inflicted on the lives and livelihoods of ordinary citizens was never expiated. The presiding deity of the kleptocracy, Charles Haughey, was wrapped in the Tricolour and given a State funeral. Very few of those responsible for the â€œincalculable damageâ€ ever saw the inside of a courtroom, let alone of a jail cell.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AZNQRGW3FRFZPCHGCVRFLGMVBU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464851},"content":"We therefore have, albeit for vastly different reasons, something like the French postwar problem. The republic had been debased and demeaned. It needed at least a public gesture of revulsion, a mark of shame to be branded metaphorically on the foreheads of those who had behaved so shamelessly.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DJ6ALTVTIJGPFCJDXLP4TZK2OQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464852},"content":"Lowry himself has never betrayed the slightest awareness of ignominy. â€œMy conscienceâ€, as he has put it, â€œis clearâ€. The tax amnesty he availed of washed away all his sins of omission in neglecting to pay what he owed to the Revenue. The findings of the Moriarty tribunal that he â€œ not only influenced, but delivered, the resultâ€ of the supposedly independent competition for the Stateâ€™s second mobile phone licence; that he engaged in a â€œcynical and venal abuse of officeâ€; and that his conduct in relation to a rental property owned by Ben Dunne was â€œ profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtakingâ€ â€“ all of this is, as far as he is concerned, cruel calumny against a blameless man.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQ4PVSQR3BHBPJDTL536N4UWRQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464853},"content":"But not as far as his fiancÃ©s in Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael are concerned. Both parties are fully on the record as accepting these findings. Both parties believed that Lowry should be excluded from government, from the DÃ¡il and from membership of a democratic political party, in order, as Kenny put it, to â€œrehabilitate the idea of civic virtue and the idea of the duty and nobility of public serviceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"44L7LZ4DYBD5VEHYJ7NKKQNH2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464854},"content":"Yet there is apparently a statute of limitations on civic virtue. Lowry is now openly embraced as the power broker of the new government. He is the lead negotiator for the eight-strong Regional Group of Independents who will give Fine Gael and Fianna FÃ¡il their governing majority.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZWD5TQRRJFBGHGCJKCFRJZHPYE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464855},"content":"Why is this okay? Because, as Simon Harris explains it, â€œyou have to remember the public voted for Deputy Lowry in very large numbers in Tipperaryâ€. This is self-serving nonsense: in 2011, when Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael were condemning Lowry to the status of a political pariah, he had just received 14,104 votes in Tipperary North. In November 2024, he received 12,538 votes. If he was unfit for office when he got more votes why is he fit to be the kingmaker when he got fewer?","type":"text"},{"_id":"REI5FKXHPNAC3AFLIN5CE7LUTQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464856},"content":"Of course, this has nothing to do with votes in Tipp North and everything to do with votes in the DÃ¡il. Lowry is reliably transactional. He does deals and he delivers what he promises. So feck civic virtue.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AHUBSJ7HBA7TLWGCKLORPQKBM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464857},"content":"And he has been proven to be prophetic. In 2011, when MicheÃ¡l Martin was deeming him unfit to serve in the DÃ¡il, Lowry predicted that â€œin regard to the kind of posturing practised by ... Deputy Martin, and his clean-cut, Steve Silvermint image, it will not be long before the wraps come off ... And when the wraps come off I do not think they will be smelling of mint for Deputy Martin or his party colleagues who were so anxious to condemn me.â€ The wraps are off now and the stale perfume of indignitÃ© nationale is once again in the air.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Fintan O'Toole"}},"name":"Fintan O'Toole"}]},"description":{"basic":"There is a statute of limitations on civic virtue as Lowry is openly embraced as the power broker of the new government"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Itâ€™s a national indignity that the new government will rely on Michael Lowry","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"NVDAJJC5NFBDHCTBU7FIP4IMRE","auth":{"1":"e610e90cdc42e583911ca2ed8a4de37aa2f9cced2fa263c2967cb8d595e14d71"},"focal_point":{"x":3562,"y":1509},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/NVDAJJC5NFBDHCTBU7FIP4IMRE.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/fintan-otoole-its-a-national-indignity-that-new-government-will-rely-on-the-grace-and-favour-of-michael-lowry/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"5N6HM7NWHJBZDNBSHWOTD6NPJA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":370,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/b0c3339c-44bd-46b0-bbfc-0e18ba5852e6/versions/1736177180/media/49665701e77ba57920021349a7e7d694_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/recycle-sportsgear-eliminate-party-bags-four-easy-climate-resolutions-for-every-household/","content_elements":[{"_id":"V6VCE7IRTZCD3CDYN547WSLOLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879136},"content":"Our green bin was full even before Christmas Eve rolled around. I joined my husband outside, where he was stomping down its contents to create more room. In the then still-unseasonably warm air it was hard to imagine a sleigh crossing the night sky. Going back into the sweet warmth, the clementines had attracted fruit flies and a three-week-old non-shed tree was finally yielding its scent, the gifts and floor under it strewn with promise-breaking needles. I was already counting the hours until this week, when I could take it all down.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZX3WN6PAAZHDHPD3GDIRZCNKRI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736192735713},"content":"Call me Scrooge or the Grinch, I donâ€™t care, my favourite part of Christmas is now â€“ when itâ€™s all over. I make no secret of finding Christmas oppressive, and I donâ€™t mean two-hour carol services or the delicious collective pause. Itâ€™s mostly the pressure to consume, when buying is such a burden for many, and when so much of what we buy is not needed or wanted and soon discarded.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TULIYXBSMZB2BLCCR7NLQXDLVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879138},"content":"The Environmental Protection Agencyâ€™s Circular Economy and Waste Statistics and Highlights report published last December underlined that Ireland produced 15.7 million tonnes of waste in 2022. Packaging waste alone was 1.2 million tonnes. Further, our circularity rate (a measure of recycling versus consumption that reflects our efficiency at dealing with waste) is just 1.8 per cent. The European Union average is 11.5 per cent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XLLIC4L7ZZE4PO37KNUQWDK7BU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879139},"content":"We made an incredible recycling stride in 2024 with the launch of the deposit return scheme. But we also need to consume less and reuse more. With Christmas finally over (*leaps for joy*), itâ€™s time to consider how as individuals we can make our new yearâ€™s resolution a circular revolution. And, as with any resolution, you should start small but tell everyone. So hereâ€™s my shortlist of four ideas every household can adopt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XFQPLLA3VFC6ZEBLRWPGT6TYBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879140},"content":"1. Reuse. Try a gear exchange. In Ireland we discard 164,000 tonnes of textiles per year. This is the second-highest rate of per capita textile waste generation in the EU, according to the Circularity Gap Report by Circle Economy Foundation, commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication and published last October.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7KRBJH7ADFC2JL5BJ55VO2U6XQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"S5T4VTH2DJHSLC3A5SNG3DHSEA"},"content":"There is something delusional about your frantic trips to the recycling bin","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"FDYP2RXKRBGCNFXANB3ROSG7IQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736192735718},"content":"In our local scout troop, parents are encouraged to select uniforms from a bag of hand-me-downs. Gear exchange is one of the ideas given a mention in the GAA Green Clubs toolkit. If every sports club in Ireland made gear exchange the norm, this could save hundreds of thousands of plastic-based garments and shoes from needlessly being produced, to be worn for just one season, destined for an overflowing clothes pod or some well-intentioned clothing drive for Africa. Before you say it, no, named sponsors wonâ€™t mind â€“ most clubsâ€™ lead sponsors are static from year to year, and what matters to them is not a new jersey but a commitment from the club to regularly talking up the support they give their community, which can easily be promoted on social media.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7NT4MI3QG5EZZMRW3OTWUZL4NU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879142},"content":"2. Reduce. How about a â€˜no party bagâ€™ pledge? Our children donâ€™t need to be sent home with twizzle-me-bobs of plastic and packets of sugar, and parents donâ€™t need the additional hassle or cost of procuring them. The party bag habit got its toe in the door playing up the etiquette of gift exchange and watched the money roll in. As a class, as a school, we can easily reset everyoneâ€™s expectations and benefit the environment too.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BNTDGFCYOBE7FC7DG3X7V7GGYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879143},"content":"3. Collaborate and campaign. Alone youâ€™re a killjoy, an evil nerd or a grinch, and not just in the eyes of the under nines. Together, the members of a club, workplace or school can undo decades of disposable habits in the space of a season, a half year or a term. Figure out who has skin in the game and share your ideas with them. The parentsâ€™ association at our school recently introduced a voluntary smartphone pledge. A super win for the sustainability of our kidsâ€™ mental health. They achieved it through a careful gathering in of opinions and non-judgmental figuring out what would work for the majority. Where social media has failed our children, online tools such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms can help build a mandate, while WhatsApp groups can easily spread a sustainable revolution.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OZ7K2BYDT5AWVK6A24HA3GHOXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879144},"content":"4. Say no to excess. Sometimes itâ€™s about nudging changes in behaviour; sometimes itâ€™s just calling out unnecessary waste. At the beginning of December, for instance, the Santa Dash fun run in St Anneâ€™s Park in Dublin attracted more than 1,000 entries, handing out disposable costumes â€œmade from 100 per cent virgin polyester felt in plastic packagingâ€. As part of its â€œsustainabilityâ€ commitment, participants were encouraged to â€œuse them again at homeâ€. When life is as frenetic as it was in 2024, itâ€™s tempting to let it all go â€“ whether itâ€™s another coffee cup, party bag or reusable Santa suit. But sometimes you just need to make the point and others will follow.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BELOWMC4ZFGXJILFI5P64QLFP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879145},"content":"You can find everything you need to make your 2025â€²s new year resolution a circular revolution on Green Schools from An Taisce; the GAAâ€™s Green Clubs. For more resources for communities and households try CRNI, My Waste, StopFoodWaste.ie, Voice and the Rediscovery Centre.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OWOKMAXW6VDPFG5JYVQ6BU76UM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736173680219},"content":"Angela Ruttledge is a former restaurateur who writes about food and sustainability","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Angela Ruttledge"}]},"description":{"basic":"Call me Scrooge or the Grinch, but my favourite part of Christmas is now - when the season of excess waste is over"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Recycle sportsgear, eliminate party bags: four easy climate resolutions for every household","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"IX5JTMEY4K7RWGBSN36ZAVBUQ4","auth":{"1":"1aefaef445304126414a8d3873e7cc4168140a1993bf52ff40a6a18a5fff68a6"},"focal_point":{"x":1574,"y":1502},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IX5JTMEY4K7RWGBSN36ZAVBUQ4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/recycle-sportsgear-eliminate-party-bags-four-easy-climate-resolutions-for-every-household/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"A7AGVTJEIVHR5CIN5H56564NAQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":242,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/259a912a-cd94-4553-bf9e-361f6c014002/versions/1734515066/media/2b805bbc6f3c246ccc99416f9f4cfc96_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/life-style/people/2025/01/04/theres-a-clear-generational-distinction-between-those-who-grew-up-having-their-photo-taken-and-those-who-didnt/","content_elements":[{"_id":"H6YEEE7UXJBFVKMVFN6EM5KVWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734452773818},"content":"My friend and I are guiltily wondering together why we both find it easiest to look after ourselves, to eat well and sleep well and focus properly on what weâ€™re doing, when weâ€™re alone. Although I sometimes long for solitude, when I get it the first day is blissful, the second is fine as long as I can have a long phone conversation and on the third I need real human company.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ESVYT2N7OFASFLJWBR7RNR7JZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1735550826038},"content":"As writers go, Iâ€™m a crap introvert. But I do like to have the house to myself, to cook what I want to eat when I want to eat it, to get up and go to bed when I feel like it, to stay out or in exactly as long as suits my mood. In reality, no one in my house actively prevents any of this when theyâ€™re there. One of the things I enjoy about being the family cook is that mostly we eat what I feel like making, and mostly the others are happy to be fed. Theyâ€™re not watching me. The voices in my head criticising a late rising or early (or late) bedtime, too long indoors or outdoors, are coming from another country in another century, but theyâ€™re still quieter when thereâ€™s no one watching.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LKABOAOFHZCX5EYOJGZOKJIJFU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734452773819},"content":"Itâ€™s like mirrors, my friend says, Iâ€™m just happier without them, itâ€™s not that I hate the sight of myself, I just donâ€™t want to have to think about it. Me too, I say, one by the door to check that weâ€™re respectable before we leave the house, otherwise best not. I remember a dark Victorian house in England that we tried to brighten with mirrors opposite the windows, hoping to bounce sunlight into an unnaturally cold and gloomy place. The mirrors just made me slightly nervous as well as cold and gloomy, always catching myself unawares, always half-glimpsing something or other that might have been just a person walking down the road outside. I donâ€™t need to see myself. I donâ€™t wear makeup, most of my clothes are old friends and I know how to braid my hair. Thereâ€™s enough self-surveillance in my head without putting it up on the wall.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YMWNMJIALFEGRJFLC4DOIHHBTA","additional_properties":{"_id":"GV3IHJSQLBFVLACU5Q3HJNFDXE"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"LDUT6T7ZPFENRB6JSVDQSRUUYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734452773820},"content":"We talk about how much we dislike photos of ourselves, and I wonder again how differently people thought of themselves in all the centuries before there were clear mirrors or even flat glass in every house, when the sight of oneâ€™s own face was rare and almost always distorted.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SKQPY3D5XBCN3GNVHZCXCOHISU","additional_properties":{"_id":1735550826042},"content":"When someone takes a group photo at a book event, I often notice a clear generational distinction between those who more or less grew up with social media and phone cameras that look both ways, and those who came to this kind of solipsism in adulthood, who are less likely to know what to do with their faces and bodies in front of a camera.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MT5PBTOZT5ACFAB44IJZING2RM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735550826043},"content":"I have never used social media and was always the family photographer, firmly behind the camera. When I am photographed I look awkward, wooden, smiling like someone who just wants this to stop now (see above). But still, I remind my friend, older photos are fine, when I look at the ones we took at university I canâ€™t imagine why we thought ourselves anything but young and lovely, maybe in another 30 years itâ€™ll be the same. But neither of us really believes in ourselves or the world in another 30 years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RALCVM3KDBHPVE7OU66FGDILDY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734452773821},"content":"Weâ€™re talking, I realise, about reflections, the similar discomforts of mirrors, photos and the gaze of others. Both of us live pretty well-examined lives, and also both of us want more windows than mirrors in our material and metaphorical homes. We aspire to look out more than in, to meet the world frankly, from behind our eyes, between our ears, with our hearts and hands and feet, not through the uncanny reversal of the mirror and the turned camera. And one of the obstacles to that frankness is the tendency to imagine other people as our own mirrors, to see in their faces and hear in their voices the fears and fantasies we bring from early life. We canâ€™t get away from our own shadows, nor meet others without bringing ourselves, but I think as my friend and I pay for our coffee and go out into the city that it is important to keep trying.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Sarah Moss"}},"name":"Sarah Moss"}]},"description":{"basic":"Unlike the generation which has grown up with mobile phone cameras, when I am photographed I look awkward, wooden, smiling like someone who just wants this to stop now"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Thereâ€™s a clear difference between those who grew up taking photos of themselves and those of us who didnâ€™t","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"AS6MQMN2MZFSJAZD3UT7YOO4U4","auth":{"1":"0e5afc4b01d081ce07a1a26f9f478ba9c57bcc576263b5e829d1015d9b167934"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/AS6MQMN2MZFSJAZD3UT7YOO4U4.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"People"},{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Life & Style"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/life-style/people/2025/01/04/theres-a-clear-generational-distinction-between-those-who-grew-up-having-their-photo-taken-and-those-who-didnt/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/life-style/people","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"People"}}}},{"_id":"G2DEVAPRZJG2HPJUNO75F6HPAM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":318,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/1342ef10-76bd-48fe-b871-1c12ac797c3e/versions/1735914443/media/32e46c0d2f2d5a7059e412c14e9a542c_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/una-mullally-ireland-can-make-the-world-a-better-place-but-first-it-must-look-in-the-mirror/","content_elements":[{"_id":"EKDC2KO7A5G7PFY43MRA542UCQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250295},"content":"What should Irelandâ€™s new year resolution be? Itâ€™s a bit of a daft question, but I think this is the year we should collectively make one, and hold ourselves and our new government to it. This year will be a test. The headwinds are strong; war, the growth of authoritarianism, and the strange actions online and off that are designed to undermine democracy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AVRXTTZSWRFSPPJYJBNOO7ZABA","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250296},"content":"So how should Ireland show up? Itâ€™s obvious: be a force for good in the world. National pride can be a strange thing. Nationalism even stranger. But there is patriotism to be generated in a country that tries to do the decent thing, to stand on the right side of history, however small that country might be and insignificant its impact may initially seem.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GJLXDHJ75ZAOLHAHZCIXX2F354","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250297},"content":"The idea that Ireland doesnâ€™t â€œmatterâ€ in a geopolitical context is not true. If, to paraphrase Margaret Mead, one should never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world, then one should never doubt that a small country can either. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YN66EMWV2BHWZCSFW4U3OKPIXM","additional_properties":{},"content":"For one, a principled stance offers hope to others in places where principles are lacking. The knock-on effects of hope are vast. In a practical sense, adding our voice along with our diplomacy, legal expertise and peacekeeping personnel where all of those things are most needed also matters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NG467EAW2ZDM7HISN7POGMSCLU","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250298},"content":"This also means continuing to be a country of influence within the European Union when it comes to contesting the wrong-headed actions of other states. It means upholding international law, championing human rights, freedoms and civil liberties. It means protecting the flame of peace throughout the darkness of war. Our military neutrality matters. Our reputation matters. Our morals matter.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RV6ODEJAHBED7FLERASMJALT54","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250299},"content":"Our history informs all of this. But we canâ€™t claim historical exoneration from imperialism, colonialism, or warfare if it is not practised in a contemporary context. The aspiration to be a force for good in the world must also be turned inward. There is little integrity, decency or honesty in being the geopolitical version of street angel and house devil.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JU4IHYEPSFCMLBDNBUCXXGHRMI","additional_properties":{"_id":"CLZFK5K3INA4PA7IVO2VWCUGIQ"},"content":"The rise of anti-immigrant â€˜community watchdogsâ€™ across Ireland","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"LH632OKDQZGCNPIH2GT4KBXISU","additional_properties":{"_id":1735912399601},"content":"It would be easy to attribute the racism and outbreaks of racist violence we have been experiencing in Ireland in recent years wholly to a contemporary era of digital disinformation, external agitators and the importation of nihilistic narratives and playbooks from elsewhere. Certainly, it is no coincidence that at a time of rising authoritarianism and far-right movements, and political entities gaining traction in various jurisdictions, some of that would rub off in Ireland. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"M76AATQ3TRG4ZDJVJBRB5KY3AM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Our own society has a tendency to operate on something of a time delay when it comes to global social and political trends. But thatâ€™s not the whole picture. What weâ€™ve been experiencing is also a continuum. This continuum is rooted in ethnonationalism, a meanness and cruelty, and a misplaced desire to blame â€œthe otherâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TYQLVXRRZBAYZDCG37WAKVWM24","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250301},"content":"The myth that Ireland doesnâ€™t â€œdoâ€ the far-right or its ancillary bigotry born from insecurity and an authoritarian mindset is just that â€“ a myth. Itâ€™s a convenient story we tell ourselves. It ignores how the Irish 20th century actually played out, a period during which many people who expressed any â€œdifferenceâ€ were oppressed, where women who sought independence and autonomy were marginalised and denied their rights, where LGBTQ+ people were demonised and criminalised, and where people who were not white were victims of vicious racism.","type":"text"},{"_id":"72T32GCXMREX7IFVEXSUTUVAP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250302},"content":"Other nations did not invent bullies. There are plenty of them in Ireland and there always have been. But we remain a small nation that can do things differently. With cop-on and empathy, good ideas can overcome bad intentions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QZSRZRWYDJAGLHH3NQ3VAWEPJE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735914219280},"content":"In an era of grievance politics, when people who have little power in society are demonised by others, where rage is currency and blame for everything â€“ from a shortage of housing to threadbare services and amenities â€“ is misdirected, a simple reality check is this: when you get off the internet, couch or bar stool, how do those you blame for your troubles actually negatively affect you on a day-to-day basis? Chances are itâ€™s not the refugee, the trans person or the immigrant who is responsible.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LLC55NV2VGJJD7DPC54MDFIUA","additional_properties":{"_id":"Z374IYVKXBBHBIC3MOFXA36A2U"},"content":"The far right is just a Farage away from breaking through in Irish politics","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"XO5WIYLYYNBSRKK7EMYH56BBLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250303},"content":"The pattern of pointing the finger at out-groups is tried and tested. When it takes hold, it can have devastating consequences. It can destroy lives and societies. It can start wars and genocides. It can cause people to live in fear and can tear communities apart. Itâ€™s not worth it. Fighting a spectre can be much more tempting than fighting a system. The former is simple, the latter complex. Hate doesnâ€™t need to be our narrative.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RFLDBKRRJ5HYFGI2A7F5VN53S4","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250304},"content":"Happy new year to all. Hereâ€™s to peace and good will. I think we all have that in us.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Una Mullally"}},"name":"Una Mullally"}]},"description":{"basic":"We canâ€™t exonerate ourselves from colonialism and warfare if we ignore sinister forces in our own society"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ireland can make the world a better place. But first it must look in the mirror","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"KU6GIQMLGZHXDAZ7IYDRHJCGKA","auth":{"1":"c863fee2a367e9e8407c0fd80218cfc0b9e5f40db5117c45775f07ed5307b907"},"focal_point":{"x":3848,"y":2819},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/KU6GIQMLGZHXDAZ7IYDRHJCGKA.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/una-mullally-ireland-can-make-the-world-a-better-place-but-first-it-must-look-in-the-mirror/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"RCQNDJOVVBGJ5GNNCNAN6XZXVA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":316,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/99967657-879d-4a72-9b1f-1bf05b073746/versions/1735917082/media/f0adf314a01d5096750032b62d92848e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/smartphones-are-an-easy-scapegoat-for-a-much-more-profound-unhappiness/","content_elements":[{"_id":"V6QJZU2NHZGUBLCP423GPN44AI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792259},"content":"What makes a human life valuable? Greg Epstein, a humanist chaplain at Harvard, recalls discussing this question with a group of students at the Ivy League university, many of them â€œdeeply anxious about their individual and collective futuresâ€ and seeking advice before graduating.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KF4KBUP4DBEIDGKVTLL3QCDWSA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792260},"content":"â€œWhen I suggested they view themselves as having inherent worth and value, simply for existing, as a baby would, one of the students responded â€“ with laudable honesty and forthrightness â€“ that she found that idea laughable,â€ he writes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JVCZ3ZYA4ZGV3BCSIFIPQY5MW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792261},"content":"Epstein has spent the last few years researching the impact of technology on our lives and the roots of modern anxiety. While it has become commonplace to blame the smartphone for all our woes, he believes our relationship with tech needs to be seen in the context of a deeper malaise, a malaise thatâ€™s encapsulated in that story.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S55BQQCEBZA7DEWPKYUGEQGTIA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792262},"content":"Many young people are led to believe â€œthat their entire worth as a human being is directly and inexorably tied to proving that they are exceptionalâ€, says Epstein, speaking from Boston by Zoom.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CBIHTBDCQFA45B7RXMMSN2UJ6U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792263},"content":"The psychotherapist Alice Miller called this The Drama of the Gifted Child. Parents praise their children for being â€œsmartâ€ or industrious, which may help to raise their standards. But it can leave a lifelong impression that your value as a human being depends on always being more than what you are.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZPNUY6PIAZHO3DVVVLNKITXEBA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792264},"content":"â€œTech has taken this idea that we are gifted children playing out a tragic drama and it has multiplied that exponentially across the globe,â€ says Epstein. â€œAlmost every minute of every day we are interacting with devices, applications, programmes, manipulations of data, with that notion in mind of trying to separate out the exceptional from the unexceptional.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"6NR6DKKMF5EALMEJ2GJOJBEEHA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734601208293},"content":"Epstein first became chaplain in 2005, a year before Twitter was founded, giving him a front-row seat for the so-called anxiety epidemic of modern times. Societal change in the past 20 years has had positive and negative aspects but the overall effect is â€œdestabilisingâ€, he says. There is much more diversity; there are more extreme rewards and penalties for winner and losers in the economy; and existential threats to humanity seem more immediate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QSAKGARBF5AR7CMFQVEULNJ7RE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792266},"content":"For students worried about the future, â€œtech is presented to them as the answerâ€. Epstein develops this argument in his book Tech Agnostic, which likens technology to religion.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CNDS6WICXJFAPHBC66CULVZKVM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792267},"content":"The parallels are manyfold. Utopian thinking, zealotry and intolerance of dissent are all well represented in Big Tech. There is also a love of maxims, such as â€œmove fast and break thingsâ€ â€“ a recipe for profit in Silicon Valley and now also â€œa popular theological answer to the question of how to liveâ€, Epstein points out.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T3KQZKIZXBDKHOQTSC4UVUNNMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734601208296},"content":"It is partly for this reason he shies away from â€œone size fits all solutionsâ€ to technological harm. Asked for any tips on responsible smartphone use, he says: â€œIâ€™m not trying to create the killer app for tech criticism, because I think the fervent belief that we are always one maxim away from salvation is a deeply religious conviction, and itâ€™s one of the reasons why tech is so religious.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVWPQHEGL5BVTFYRQX32MX5UIE","additional_properties":{"_id":"AQJIMJWCYNEIHCUBL4DJICZYOI"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"VFI57ZZNNBENTMNKUIMKDVFVVI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792269},"content":"â€œI want people who are anxiously feeling guilty that they arenâ€™t obeying the correct maxim or following the prescribed plan for techno-zen that thatâ€™s okay; that theyâ€™re okay.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"B2A352Q7CBGM5HRDM7YDXD4GCM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792270},"content":"He believes itâ€™s best to think of the treatment for tech addiction â€“ a fair description of what most of us have â€“ as similar to one of the ways you might manage an eating disorder. â€œA doctor wouldnâ€™t try to get you to stop eating as a way of managing your eating disorder. They would say: â€˜Letâ€™s take a step back and think about how you got this way, and letâ€™s think one step at a time and build a healthy relationship with food.â€™â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"COUZXZDIA5GQBKUAL3VSOQKQYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792271},"content":"With the smartphone, â€œitâ€™s not going to kill me to check more notifications one day. Itâ€™s more important to over the long term try to use the technology in the service of my own humanity and other peopleâ€™s humanity rather than devote my own humanity to the technology itselfâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D6VSWGZWRFEORFUNTCQEPB5WXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792272},"content":"Humanising technology is a big ask in the current political and economic environment. But we still have some control over how we use tech. Itâ€™s also within our power to challenge toxic philosophies that are being disseminated or amplified by technologies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"42XC455VKVFEDN2DXCLICB4NYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792273},"content":"That means, among other things, going beyond token measures such as locking up studentsâ€™ mobile phones in pouches for the school day (something Norma Foley said she â€œfirmly believe[s] ... will improve wellbeing, mental health and socialisationâ€ when she allocated â‚¬9 million for the scheme as minister for education) and instead reorienting our education system away from the competitive blood sport known as the Leaving Cert.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ROG6E5BU65EIXLKVNV3U6BSYMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736175448533},"content":"It means pushing against the idea that you need to be exceptional or â€œgiftedâ€ to be a worthwhile member of society. It means reassessing how we reward â€œtalentâ€ in our economy. At a fundamental level, it means bringing love to the fore of everyday conversations â€“ a love of others, just as they are.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M2VEWTKCR5AEXGWMKDNJI2XLP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792274},"content":"â€œItâ€™s so destabilising when you have all these young people jockeying for position to show how great they are,â€ says Epstein.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B7EHFPRROJAL3IOQJHAQ2LLTL4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792275},"content":"â€œIt places them in direct competition with their neighbour, their friend, their family member, their fellow human being and, in almost every case, relationships become transactional; studies [teaching and learning] become transactional; technology becomes transactional. If you donâ€™t solve for that you donâ€™t solve for much of anything.â€","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Joe Humphreys"}},"name":"Joe Humphreys"}]},"description":{"basic":"Children are led to believe â€˜that their worth is tied to proving that they are exceptionalâ€™"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Smartphones are an easy scapegoat for a more profound unhappiness","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"5Q7SHQBRLNELHL4OOXLZKG5NQA","auth":{"1":"dad8c92eb6e2b745d7044256a6ec7229397fe4f6ea51d68cb0529c5da7865f98"},"focal_point":{"x":3371,"y":1883},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/5Q7SHQBRLNELHL4OOXLZKG5NQA.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Technology"},{"name":"Big Tech"},{"name":"Culture"},{"name":"Books"},{"name":"Ireland"},{"name":"Education"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/smartphones-are-an-easy-scapegoat-for-a-much-more-profound-unhappiness/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"QKDANKYMVVCXTHLTQ5FMND26BM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":341,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6ffeeb95-ad80-416a-9c3b-b1582e7d2690/versions/1735916731/media/fb3439db9a21f47ceb9d10f4d97faa68_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/orla-oconnor-women-dont-want-a-rest-on-nollaig-na-mban-they-want-decent-childcare-equal-pay-and-access-to-healthcare/","content_elements":[{"_id":"HBVJLAHRPJEVHOWMSPLZ7PQSIM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559588},"content":"As government formation talks gather pace, many women will be marking Nollaig na mBan, also known as Womenâ€™s or Little Christmas, today. It is the day women traditionally take a rest, get together and celebrate their Christmas while men do the housework.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FR7SB5N74JEWXE2NVDH3BHXQEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559589},"content":"It is a well-earned break. Because never is the gendered division of labour more apparent than at Christmas. From the physical and emotional labour of managing a household to the extra care work involved at Christmas, it is far from a time of rest for most women.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SRPS36EQXRDCHE73XU5VILMIHY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559590},"content":"But unrecognised care work is not just for Christmas. According to research carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), from one end of the year to another, women carry out twice as much unpaid care work and housework as men.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z7ILE2S5URDARHI7E3E5PQURUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559591},"content":"And so the message today from many women to those negotiating the next government and its programme is clear: we need radical change over the next five years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EAUZXKBCHNDMPOBT2ILKMJUSLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559592},"content":"The deal breaker for the advancement of womenâ€™s equality in the next political term is public childcare. Currently, the lack of affordable, accessible, quality childcare means women are often forced into part-time, more precarious work. Some women feel they have no choice but to leave the workforce altogether. This results in a key driver of the gender pay gap: the motherhood penalty. Womenâ€™s earnings plummet after the birth of a child, while menâ€™s remain static or even improve. Research from Maynooth University in 2023 found a significant 27 per cent decline in womenâ€™s earnings after childbirth.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPYUP2L3SJH2PLPORGOBJRG5QU","additional_properties":{"_id":"VGBO7XQ2GZC6NKMVHYDQVCJWQI"},"content":"Is free, publicly funded childcare possible in Ireland?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"E3ZRXSXLMNFXDD3COJQHHQ3BLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559593},"content":"Delivering a public system of early childhood education and care would tackle this penalty and provide enormous benefit to children, women, families and early years educators. It would mean a guaranteed childcare place for every child, irrespective of their background, their needs or where they live. Combined with well-paid family leave, it would offer real choices to women and all parents to participate fully in every aspect of their lives. And it would mean better pay and working conditions for the mostly female early years educators, commensurate with their education and experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2RY5V7BPTZGR5JATUYETCV43IE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559594},"content":"Women are also calling for radical change when it comes to tackling the epidemic of violence against women. Fifty two per cent of women in Ireland have reported experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. In 2023 An Garda SÃochÃ¡na received domestic violence calls every 10 minutes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M2FSIP455JDSXAZPO3TWP2LQLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"VGYFIMPBYBFVXIQAYZFSMWMCEY"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-45283","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"AKKVWFHRLBBUFANOIQUSWPJKYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559595},"content":"The commitment to a zero tolerance strategy in 2022 and the creation of Cuan, the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency, represents important progress to tackle violence against women. The new government must now drive forward to a society where women can live free from violence, abuse and harassment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EWZK6HMRIRCQ7ODXOYS7QEHSZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687334},"content":"Cuan must be fully resourced to carry out its mandate and implement the strategy. Frontline services need secure multiannual funding so they can continue to provide their vital services. The courts and judiciary must be reformed to provide a more victim-centred approach which does not retraumatise women.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MMICDCG4ERADHBUZA24G5UM63I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687335},"content":"Finally, we must understand and tackle the serious impact of the housing crisis on women. The homelessness rate among women in Ireland is one of the highest in the EU. Women fleeing domestic abuse and violence and those caught up in sex-for-rent exploitation must be able to access secure housing and accommodation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MVXMOXITAJB5BNSH54P75B3FGE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559596},"content":"This Nollaig na mBan, women are demanding radical change in the area of womenâ€™s health. Marginalised women in particular face significant barriers in accessing the healthcare they need. The introduction of the free contraception scheme, free IVF and free HRT were important, positive milestones over the last few years. This progress must continue with a renewed focus on the delivery of a universal healthcare system and increased, dedicated investment in mental health services that meet womenâ€™s unique needs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TOF722UTTZAR3KF2L5BQC6ICHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687337},"content":"One demand that should be completely uncontroversial is the delivery of the long-awaited mother and baby unit. This unit is urgently needed to allow mothers experiencing very severe and complex perinatal mental health difficulties to receive in-patient care and support without being separated from their babies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WZPCAEWRCRFV5HE3VYOSXSYLOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559597},"content":"And with more than 1,000 women having to travel from Ireland to Britain for an abortion since 2018, we want to see a clear commitment from government to implement the recommendations of the independent review of abortion care by Marie Oâ€™Shea. This includes an end to the mandatory three-day wait and the full decriminalisation of abortion care in Ireland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UVZCCYW2UJGRPGWMLNQ5XUEE5M","additional_properties":{"_id":"5ANV34YKJZB7THZOJCRX2FQ6ME"},"content":"Taoiseach says abortion legislation review requires â€˜careful considerationâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UXDFUGIY3ZDSDB3CMEGOXSJHTE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559598},"content":"These are some of the calls from women to the negotiators of the next programme for government and all newly elected TDs, including a record number of 44 women elected. With significant resources available to tackle some major, structural issues for women, the time to act is now. Women deserve more than a rest for Nollaig na mBan; women need equality.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W7OBZTJFFRC3DFIVW6XBSG6IYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559599},"content":"Orla Oâ€™Connor is the director of the National Womenâ€™s Council","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Orla O'Connor"}]},"description":{"basic":"Lack of affordable, accessible, quality childcare means women are often forced into part-time, more precarious work"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T05:45:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Women donâ€™t want a rest on Nollaig na mBan. We want decent childcare, equal pay and access to healthcare","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"WCZHAVDCD5DCNO4T2Y5CLJVHGQ","auth":{"1":"9a54f16d62571a9d9fbd891f9490f2cd7f57297734aeefb1f7298405805924e2"},"focal_point":{"x":3009,"y":1477},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/WCZHAVDCD5DCNO4T2Y5CLJVHGQ.JPG"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/orla-oconnor-women-dont-want-a-rest-on-nollaig-na-mban-they-want-decent-childcare-equal-pay-and-access-to-healthcare/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"HEAOYWTBSFDXLPRR6DRYEFKXK4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":420,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/f8d5926d-077e-4178-84b1-ce2e65dce677/versions/1734967959/media/7b14c6f60ab4e99795e9bb9b7e3c2433_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/ben-tonra-europe-is-deluded-if-it-thinks-it-can-manage-donald-trump/","content_elements":[{"_id":"CI2N6POQO5AX5IMSSSXFKKPTME","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281048},"content":"The re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has profound implications for European security and the future of transatlantic relations. How worried should we be? Very.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7B5QM4PVPJDQ3FZNV57ECFPRNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281049},"content":"Trumpâ€™s previous tenure in the White House was marked by an innate contempt for the very premise of collective security, an intrinsically transactional approach to allies, a profound hostility towards the European Union and a preference for the company of autocrats. His worst impulses, however, were constrained by the so-called â€œadults in the roomâ€ â€” most of whom opposed his re-election.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SERSOQZYRZFLTHOXF63CO7OKBU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281050},"content":"Throughout his election campaign, all this was again on full display. According to Trump, Russia could â€œdo whatever the hell they want(ed)â€ in Europe â€” especially to those not paying their rightful Nato dues. His framing of Natoâ€™s 2 per cent defence spending target is that of a mob bossâ€™s racketeering scheme â€” pay for protection or lose protection. His running mate suggested that Nato protection would be withdrawn from EU member states if they threatened the business interests of big US companies such as Elon Muskâ€™s X. Musk is now, of course, a close adviser and cabinet member.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXI35T6TZRGBBMSWJD5IX5E22E","additional_properties":{"_id":"GUC6S4H3FZG7BGLXGRJHKXADYY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"46HIMQJ2IZCINNDIY67EHOFHFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734543056723},"content":"Trumpâ€™s economic policy calls for universal import tariffs which will inevitably spark equivalent tariffs from the EU and threatens a much wider trade war. Appointments thus far to Trumpâ€™s national security, foreign policy and economic teams suggest nothing if not a doubling down on these ideas and this â€œAmerica Firstâ€ strategy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JUDX33TW75HP5O3IQMNE6ZJAXA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281051},"content":"Many seasoned European diplomats extol caution in response. It was an election after all, they tell us. Things said in the heat of a campaign â€” especially from a candidate not known for his tempered restraint â€” can be at least partially discounted. Moreover, the laws of economic and political reality still apply, and US national interests are predicated upon strong alliances. Trump is also highly transactional and loves the â€œdealâ€ even more than he loves the excitement of shaking things up. In any event, they tell us, we survived Trump 1.0 â€“ why not the same for Trump 2.0?","type":"text"},{"_id":"6YL734BICFEV7EQEZWBLY2RICY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281052},"content":"Apart from the renewed ideological vigour of this second Trump administration â€“ to be found in his Project 2025 manifesto, from which he has distanced himself â€“ we have yet to factor in what lessons Trump himself has taken from his first government. As noted, his personnel choices are eliminating any prospect of checks and balances coming from within his own White House. He has also secured majorities â€“ and Maga [Make America Great Again] majorities at that â€“ in both congressional houses and he has a bespoke supreme court majority. He also has scores to settle. His nemesis Angela Merkel may be gone, but the kinds of European leaders he despises are all there. He also intends to take a scythe through the US military establishment, the senior leadership most attuned to the needs and strengths of Americaâ€™s military alliances. Trump has also forged close ties with many on Europeâ€™s right-wing populist front â€“ celebrating, for example, Hungaryâ€™s Viktor Orban. The bottom line: this isnâ€™t likely to be a rerun of Trump 1.0.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BAT7WUDHCVBQNBAPDC7ZZZJXTQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"JMZYOPNUUVFSHH7H46M7KFY6VM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"CLJOOYZ7RZGXZCN53GVQMAZE6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281053},"content":"From a security standpoint, itâ€™s also useful to remind ourselves that Natoâ€™s credibility does not rely on treaty text. Indeed, in drafting the treaty it was a US demand that Natoâ€™s response to any crisis would rely on what each state â€œdeemed necessaryâ€ rather than any automatic military response. Thus, there is no need for Trump to withdraw from Nato to destroy the allianceâ€™s credibility. He has only â€“ through his own words and actions â€“ to continue to disparage the US commitment to the alliance to allow Natoâ€™s adversaries to draw their own conclusions and to accelerate the kinds of hybrid attacks we are already witnessing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GJ45BAXCBGTZMZSVNOLZLHZZI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281054},"content":"The European strategy in responding to all of this is to trust in Europeâ€™s capacity to â€œmanageâ€ Donald Trump. This will be accomplished, we are told, by explaining how much Europe is contributing to Ukraineâ€™s defence, by pointing to the number of Nato members already meeting or far exceeding the 2 per cent threshold, by underlining Europeâ€™s potential role in leveraging China on issues of importance to Washington, and by serving up political â€œwinsâ€ to Trump that he can showcase as evidence of his deal-making genius. This is the opening European strategy â€“ but is it also European wishful thinking? Is it perhaps the diplomatic equivalent of whistling past the graveyard of the transatlantic partnership?","type":"text"},{"_id":"MK4X4LRAC5EZ7NPY75O6M27GRQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281055},"content":"If this second Trump administration makes good on what has been said and on what is said to be planned, the transatlantic relationship will enter a period of profound crisis and potential collapse. Options are limited. It is possible that the European Union will respond with the kind of collective power it evidenced in the euro and Covid crises. EU defence bonds may put hundreds of millions into national defence budgets and the bones of an EU common defence may come into being. Europe may fill much of the gap in helping Ukraine defend itself. Europe may even stand toe to toe with the US in the upcoming tariff battle, withstanding threats of blackmail. The United Kingdom, France, Germany and especially Poland may also rise to the occasion, creating a bold coalition of the willing, capable as a Euro-Nato or EU+European Political Community to forge the necessary will and deploy the resources required to thwart Russian imperialism and proxy Chinese adventurism via North Korea.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2NQJ2T442ZDYBNZLKO7N5THGUA","additional_properties":{"_id":"H4WDXNEM6NCVVAGKVUUCLGRKLQ"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"YAT5FKXN2VBR3ESDKZIHIRIH4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281056},"content":"Alternatively, European capitals will beat separate paths to Washington to supplicate at the court of Trump, and to secure whatever bilateral assurances and guarantees may be available. Trump may craft his own illiberal coalition in partnership with Orban, Le Pen, Fico and others, thereby collapsing the European Unionâ€™s foreign policy and drawing into question its own political foundations. Russia will keenly exploit Europeâ€™s weaknesses, possibly even creating its longed-for buffer zone of client or neutered states across its western borders.","type":"text"},{"_id":"426G4LMZWFDSJBTVKRLJLGBFEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281057},"content":"The lamps have most certainly not gone out over Europe, but there are now threatening winds blowing from the West and Ireland will inevitably be caught in some severe storm-force crosswinds.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EGULSKA6AVG6ZDPVXGYW5DG2CM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734543056731},"content":"Ben Tonra MRIA is full Professor of International Relations at UCD. A version of this article was published with the UK in a Changing Europe project","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Ben Tonra"}]},"description":{"basic":"If this second Trump administration makes good on what has been said, the transatlantic relationship will enter a period of profound crisis and potential collapse"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Europe is deluded if it thinks it can â€˜manageâ€™ Donald Trump","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BT6HP4N2MW5MAVHG2VEEKI4GEU","auth":{"1":"741a93a28a0ce70bb9d34bf22639cff164efccfb49b6259e0622115abb2f7485"},"focal_point":{"x":4525,"y":2171},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BT6HP4N2MW5MAVHG2VEEKI4GEU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/ben-tonra-europe-is-deluded-if-it-thinks-it-can-manage-donald-trump/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"ZVQGITB2GBCRTIKWV3YBHAZTA4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":421,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6dd86b15-6d1d-46cb-96ea-0bec55c2ef31/versions/1734447654/media/ce405307e18a052baebc6cca8e33620a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/planning-to-join-a-swimming-pool-in-the-new-year-read-this-first/","content_elements":[{"_id":"7QYV5QH74JD4RJUM47MFD4ZQT4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539620},"content":"It has been an incredible year for Irish swimming â€“ three Olympic medals, fantastic performances at the World Championships and short course Worlds, and national record after national record put to bed. If, like many, youâ€™ve been inspired all the way to the local pool, we warmly await your cap-clad arrival to the poolside of your choosing. But please, tread carefully.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNYAVT76IVEC3I56RQZWPCXAGY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539621},"content":"As a twice- or thrice-weekly lunchtime lane-swimmer, I have advice to help you glide seamlessly into this world without enraging your new colleagues. Swimming is unusual among sports for how close it forces you to be with your fellow athletes and it can involve some calibration to maintain a decent rhythm. But lane selection is perilously self-assessed. I see crimes at both ends of the spectrum â€“ fast people menacing the fine citizenry of the slow lane, and splashy slow swimmers disrupting the fast lane.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IP22TVV7HJCKNEJB5LTBXW5I7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539622},"content":"Often, I can see the latter coming. Theyâ€™re men in good shape, and they choose lanes on identity grounds (â€œIâ€™m just a fast lane kinda guyâ€) rather than swimming ability.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5J23YCTELFDCJN5LQIV7PHJBYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539623},"content":"The following happens frequently. Iâ€™m in the fast lane, swimming medium/fast laps of the pool (50m in under a minute, at least), stopping every 12 laps. Someone enters the lane, and just as I am, say, 4m from their end, about to turn and go again, the person takes off. Now, I canâ€™t just tumble-turn and continue, as Iâ€™ll swim directly into the back of them as I come out of the turn. So, I stop. Or rather, I am stopped. They canâ€™t see my reaction, which is visibly frustrated, so thereâ€™s nothing to stop this becoming a continuing theme in our shared lane experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3S5WYPYORZC73EXDUJ4GFWTK2Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539624},"content":"Occasionally, Iâ€™ve attempted a discussion, but swimming pools are terrible mediation spaces. â€œIâ€™m sorry but, I notice you keep just beginning as Iâ€™m about to turn. Could you please, em, just wait until Iâ€™ve turned or go when Iâ€™m at the other end?â€ They look genuinely confused or roll their eyes, and a weird mood captures the lane â€“ one heightened by all the inscrutable goggle-wearing. If, instead of talking, I respond by just turning anyway and immediately overtaking, they often speed up, and an exhausting, close-quarters race ensues.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJBXXHSOO5G7BGL246G3LZ6DN4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539625},"content":"The next point: if someone taps your foot, donâ€™t panic. When returning to lane-swimming, I learned the main rule was that if a swimmer behind taps your foot, thatâ€™s a signal they want to overtake, and you should respond by making that easy â€“ donâ€™t stop dead, but swim on slowly to allow them to get around you quickly. The one time Iâ€™ve attempted this recently, it was met with complete bafflement (they stopped and turned around, thinking I was trying to chat). Unfortunately, the intersection between the set of people who swim enough to know the rule, and the people likely to need to be overtaken, is vanishingly small. Thus, a foot tap in the wild is likely to be interpreted as anything from an unwelcome rogue tickle to an act of physical hostility.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DWPR47FRMJHYLHDM44K72262PM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539626},"content":"Iâ€™m no Daniel Wiffen. I find it intimidating when someone faster joins my lane. If thereâ€™s a free one, or another one thatâ€™s moving well, Iâ€™ll often switch. When I canâ€™t switch without sacrificing a good training session, Iâ€™m very mindful of not messing up their rhythm. Iâ€™ll swim four lengths for every six they do and slide to the corner, or up on to the edge, giving them lots of room to turn and overtake.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AFK2OVM66BAPXJ4U2564ZWUXFY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539627},"content":"This sounds neurotic, but I have come to think the neuroticism is linked to ways women have of perceiving their bodies and the space they take up. Itâ€™s why I get so frustrated when a person cuts me off. I avoid attributing malice where obliviousness is plausible. So, when I think about what it must be like not to be worried about blocking someone elseâ€™s way, to be so completely unconscious of the space my body takes up as to not see that Iâ€™m going to force someone else to stop, Iâ€™m both jealous and annoyed. For me, taking off just before a faster swimmer turns would be no less craven than chasing and then lying down in front of a jogger.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IJ4YUH2FBAT3HFY2RZ6Z4VXBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539628},"content":"Some philosophy I read recently illuminated my rage. Phenomenologists believed the history of western philosophy had relegated the body to a kind of shell that the mind, as the proper seat of consciousness, merely drags around with it. Descartes & Co prioritised the mental over the physical. For phenomenologist Merleau-Ponty, we are our bodies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TYTTRJTDQVHI5GDDKQNRGIMCNA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539629},"content":"In Throwing Like a Girl, Iris Marion Young uses phenomenology to explain how women can struggle to achieve a harmonious relationship with physical activity. According to Young, at our most primal, people are bodies, interacting freely with our environments. The body is capacity â€” a set of powers. But this can work differently for women. Young describes a corrupted version where the power is inhibited, its relationship with its surroundings flounders, causing feelings of incapacity, frustration and self-consciousness.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZOD4GOZ3FCBNGKAMMWYG4RPEQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539630},"content":"In laymanâ€™s terms, we regard our bodies in a way that interferes with the experience of them as primarily powerful. We think about our bodies as objects rather than subjects â€“ things that other people see or, in the case of swimming pools, things that may be in someone elseâ€™s way.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2SWIUISZJFHCJH4UVUD3KPFW7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539631},"content":"This is why, in addition to manspreading, we have womansquinching. Consider the shared armrests between public seats, like those on planes and trains. For those of us whose phenomenology has been beaten down by life, those armrests will always be about occupying space. The idea of freely engaging them simply to reduce the weight-bearing load of our arms, without a thought for the rival elbow is mere fantasy. Similarly, I overthink my lane etiquette, constantly worrying over the possibility of my body becoming an encumbrance to another. Itâ€™s a shame, because it is while swimming uninterrupted that I feel the most primal relationship with my body. I feel like the driver of a decent car, and less like a road hazard.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PX5T55FO3VFHZJXEGECLN23ZEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539632},"content":"So, if swimming is your new yearâ€™s resolution, and you are in the fortunate camp for whom your connection to your body is so natural that you donâ€™t anticipate when you come close to causing a two-body-pile-up, I implore you, try to pick the right lane.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3SVSYYW5V5CLFCJWQHJ5DGWOC4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539633},"content":"Dr Clare Moriarty is a Research Ireland postdoctoral fellow at Trinity College Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Clare Moriarty"}]},"description":{"basic":"Watch your lane etiquette; never take off just before a faster swimmer turns; and donâ€™t panic if someone taps your foot"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Planning to join a swimming pool this January? Read this first","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4WRUQ7ZSCFA2ZI4APCIE6P6QNU","auth":{"1":"a6f5d2782307d31e95c3b62d621a7f7fc4360bda3a0af6f2b569fd6312bbc9b7"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4WRUQ7ZSCFA2ZI4APCIE6P6QNU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/planning-to-join-a-swimming-pool-in-the-new-year-read-this-first/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"QF26E5SEPFAZNAMZDUPBXXGBAI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":330,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/9377f505-7e3b-49ae-bd72-4e032136f9b8/versions/1735572755/media/9190b09a554f21bd6a7480cdab77640d_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/when-luigi-mangiones-manifesto-was-published-the-most-surprising-thing-was-its-conventionality/","content_elements":[{"_id":"GHIX3K5EI5GBPJKEHFZJX2VXV4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894110},"content":"Living in the present era can feel a bit like falling slowly down an endless flight of stairs while trying to balance cups of hot coffee, or on a particularly discombobulating day, battery acid. We are constantly bombarded with competing stories about reality, all of which generally claim to be true. Most of them are directly targeting our attention in the way most likely to grab it â€“ through language and topics that will trigger concern, distress or self-righteous anger.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G5RFXDYGORA3ZMLINXGZC4NBZM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894111},"content":"It is normal to feel almost permanently destabilised and often suspicious of new information that comes our way. In December, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis unknowingly shared and condemned an AI image of Bono and Bob Geldof holding Israeli flags, purportedly pictured outside the Israeli embassy in Dublin. The replies beneath the tweet were half outraged agreement with Varoufakisâ€™s melodramatic ire and half people telling him to get a grip and learn to spot the tells of blatantly fake imagery online. The world is changing at a faster rate than we can reasonably keep up with.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XADPMVIOPJF6LH5XN3B3VWF4ZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894112},"content":"Itâ€™s normal to absorb conflicting narratives and, as a result, feel conflicted. The CEO shooter story was a fine example. Depending on the corner of the internet in which you found yourself and which media you opted to consume, accounts of Luigi Mangione, who was charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, varied widely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W4HXAEA5WVFM5P4OHFMMQF3VMQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894113},"content":"Heâ€™s a Batman-type symbol of ethical vigilantism, meting out justice on behalf of the victims of an irreparably broken and inhumane healthcare system. He is the egotistical, smug beneficiary of intergenerational wealth, puffed up by narcissism and a vague set of poorly considered, hypocritical values. He is the man to sound the opening salvo in a new war on corporate elites, whose self-interest and wealth hoarding exacerbate suffering and poverty among the working classes. He is a clever young man who had every chance in life but spiralled into mental illness and misdiagnosed the root of a social and political problem. He is a handsome hero. He is a victim. He is a credulous neophyte. He is a poisonous hypocrite.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPMEWI657NAJLEAN2JW6NW4M2A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894114},"content":"Thereâ€™s been a palpable shift in discourse and culture, not brought about by Mangioneâ€™s decision to â€“ allegedly â€“ shoot a man in the back with a 3D-printed gun but certainly articulated by it. Reified by it. It speaks to a frustration that millennials and Gen Z have been openly articulating for some time now. Mangioneâ€™s focus was the unique environment of the US healthcare system. In Ireland, while our healthcare system is clearly in terrible crisis, the differing model limits direct comparison but there is widespread distaste for what is routinely perceived as corporate greed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VMKSCJ7KVBAYDM5JWB33HCURQM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894115},"content":"There is a perception that among the young (and those described as â€œyoungâ€ by Irish politicians because they canâ€™t afford to buy a house or have a family, despite being far from youthful) that Irish people live in a gerontocracy, with those under 40 and their interests disproportionately unrepresented by those in power. That the disparity in wealth, security and quality of life between older generations and younger ones is intolerable, and a point of deep resentment. That the myth of hard work and merit that we were sold growing up grew stale even as we worked toward it and watched it wither out of being.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OZB3OUDASVHIFIF4IZBTU6JIBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894116},"content":"The result is a generational divide in home ownership, access to healthcare, the ability to have, feed and educate a family. Another exodus of young, educated Irish people to Australia, Canada and other countries has become inevitable. They arenâ€™t going quietly, either. There is no confusion about the sources of resentment that people are nursing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LNZF5EFPZRETXJMSUCDMWRLG3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894117},"content":"When Mangioneâ€™s â€œmanifestoâ€ was published by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, the most surprising thing about it was the conventionality of his views. Youâ€™ll hear similar sentiments around a lunch table in Dublin, or in the snug of a pub. Yet, most people are decidedly not assembling weapons at home and committing acts of violence in the name of radical politics. They are not channelling Emma Goldman or ThÃ©odule Meunier or popularising vigilantism and anarchy on Irish streets. If the riots of 2023 are anything to go by, it seems clear that Irish distaste for corporate greed goes hand in hand with disgust for public violence and flouting of the law.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HX5ZXIHYSFA5RGE26KQVCONXU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894118},"content":"Itâ€™s useful to consider this when we feel torn online or locked in the strange dissonance between our digital imprint and the people we actually choose to be in our everyday lives. Mangione was sure enough of his beliefs to take the life of another person. Opining on social media is often conflated with doing something of impact in the world. It isnâ€™t. Itâ€™s just noise. We can lament this gap between what people claim to believe and what they do in the material world, but this time it may be a relief that many of us are not as radical as we claim to be online. Confusion, and not cold certainty, may just be the most rational and sane response to the world we live in.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Laura Kennedy"}},"name":"Laura Kennedy"}]},"description":{"basic":"The most surprising thing about it was how conventional it was, yet most people are not committing acts of violence in the name of radical politics"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Luigi Mangioneâ€™s â€˜manifestoâ€™ isnâ€™t that different to views you would hear in the pub","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"7LPCGGKL6W4IVXNSVY75CIEA5U","auth":{"1":"4b3fc624ec10564dcf434b1d1160dbd13479b337bd7f2598be778d025252e9f6"},"focal_point":{"x":967,"y":241},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7LPCGGKL6W4IVXNSVY75CIEA5U.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/when-luigi-mangiones-manifesto-was-published-the-most-surprising-thing-was-its-conventionality/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DHI4UUZ5VVCKFELP746V6ALK44","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":368,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/bb5384d8-c8d7-4e2b-b002-9e9cd49ac888/versions/1734699657/media/c03fff12f928a9a399083dd3f9d5960d_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/rachel-odwyer-my-friend-sends-me-a-dizzying-list-of-pills-for-what-she-calls-biohacking-perimenopause/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WWIW56LBFBG7NICGJYB4ELA73A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795772},"content":"My friend Suzy and I visit a luxury forest spa before Christmas. Neither of us are really sure what we are supposed to actually do in the luxury spa for three hours. Along with a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, many of the rooms â€“ â€œexperiencesâ€ â€“ appear to simply be designed for sleeping. There is a Scandinavian snug, for example, with a fire and huge fluffy blankets that you can lie under with a view of the forest beyond. I lie blearily on a chaise longue, watching robed figures wander through the trees outside and thinking about Ari Aster horror films. The spa offers a class in sleep as it happens, another in mindful meditation, and a third in skincare, which is just beginning when we arrive. Behind a glass partition, a row of women in identical fluffy white robes all face front. Thereâ€™s a distinctly Wall-E feel to the whole spectacle. They stare earnestly ahead at an invisible instructor, all gently massaging the delicate skin around their eyes with the fourth finger of each hand in neat, circular motions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBWCOSOUWRDKLKE34YVTJAX2PY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795773},"content":"What comes to mind when you think of wellness? It might be colostrum serums, aura points or simply having enough free time to go running. (The word â€œcolostrumâ€ alone is enough to conjure shivers of deep personal failure in my own psyche). A wellness trend Iâ€™ve seen forecast in several places for 2025 is â€œlongevityâ€, which is simply the aspiration to be so healthy that you live longer than everyone else. Maybe it speaks to cynicism on my part, or at least a cynicism about the future, but Iâ€™m surprised that younger people want to live forever when the planet is burning. Maybe this cynicism also explains my own approach to new yearâ€™s resolutions, which is less aspirational and always just â€œmake it from January 1st to March 20th without doing myself a violenceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RGIXCYDMNBB4LJAOETGUW5QPLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795774},"content":"For many of us, the Covid pandemic sounded the death knell for any residual cries to â€œlean inâ€. Many Gen X and millennial women worked and cared and parented past the point of burnout. They continue to do so. If the womanly dream of â€œhaving it allâ€ has been revealed to be simply â€œdoing it allâ€, wellness promises something different. It suggests there can be healing from all that striving, that self-care could replace the demand to be a girlboss, hustle or achieve. And maybe this is why wellness is so appealing, promising that a new you might be purchased as easily as a fancy jade roller.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HGRXQT7DFE2DPLOMHAWK455TY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795775},"content":"Figuring out how to be well feels dispiriting at a moment when so much of the language of healing and transcending has been absorbed into the vernacular of corporate productivity and self-optimisation. Iâ€™m stating the obvious here, but even the very state of wellness as opposed to simply â€œbeing wellâ€ implies a luxury product we consume rather than something we simply are, a sentiment still perfectly encapsulated by the yoni eggs sold on Gwyneth Paltrowâ€™s lifestyle website Goop, designed to be inserted into the vagina to â€œharness the power of energy work, crystal healing and Kegel-like physical practiceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"COJSHRNSONCG5F733MY7KB2QJA","additional_properties":{"_id":"EUZNX5AMRNAMFMFPUAFDR55ZA4"},"content":"My smear test dilemma: How do I confess that this is my first one, at the age of 41?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UU7QVFHHU5HGVGDN3NL67LI3PQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795776},"content":"If, on the one hand, we have Paltrow shilling us expensive Kegel toners to fill the aching voids in our lives, in the past year or so Iâ€™ve noticed another less glamorous but frankly more useful approach to health and wellness among millennials. This age group are using tools like the internet, AI and the wisdom of crowds to navigate womenâ€™s health issues. My cohort are well used to navigating a Reddit wormhole. If we donâ€™t entirely trust the health system to care for our bodies we would rather trust in the hive mind to help us sift through the noise surrounding topics like perimenopause and postnatal depression.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PGN4TY3HOREKTKIJSY442MOHBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795777},"content":"The results are mixed. â€œHave you tried low-dose naltrexone? How about metformin?â€ A friend in the States texts me. Iâ€™d been complaining about a general unwell feeling for the past few months, tired and achy in my joints. But maybe this is just what getting older feels like? â€œWhat are they for?â€ I ask, quickly googling to discover that the first is prescribed in higher doses for addiction but used at lower doses off-label for numerous purposes including long Covid and the latter is prescribed for diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. My friend has none of these conditions as far as I know. â€œI donâ€™t know, Reddit told me it would keep me skinny and make me young,â€ she quips, proceeding to describe a dizzying list of supplements and medications she calls â€œbiohacking perimenopauseâ€. Alongside the aforementioned, thereâ€™s low oestrogen birth control as a precursor to hormone therapy and Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant with stimulant properties. â€œItâ€™s shocking how much my parenting has improved.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQK6FBVJEFGCJFB62HY6TVB6BU","additional_properties":{"_id":"N74J2YRYPJFZTCQGHETFO5WYUA"},"content":"Men are deemed more masculine for taking up more space, women more feminine for taking up less","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"7Q4GT7WW3NBXBHDPY2FRVTD4NY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795778},"content":"I notice that many of my WhatsApp groups ostensibly devoted to motherly admin are frequently highjacked to poll health supplements: magnesium, strength training and the best (okay, fine, least worst) hormonal contraceptives. Even though picking up heavy things has always topped my list in terms of boring forms of exercise, it clearly tops the shared list of recommendations for recommended stuff to do as you get older. The shared consensus, too, is that supplements advertised for menopause are simply magnesium and vitamin B at a much higher price tag and not worth your money, however many influencers try to shill you a fancy version of Starflower oil. I add them to my online shopping cart. Itâ€™s cheaper than a crystal egg.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7Q3S4RJ2RH63ILS2D7A4BIB4E","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795779},"content":"Rachel Oâ€™Dwyer is a writer and lecturer in digital cultures in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Rachel O'Dwyer"}]},"description":{"basic":"My generation prefers to trust the hive mind to the health system when it comes to caring for our bodies and minds. The results can be mixed"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"My friend sends me a dizzying list of pills for what she calls â€˜biohacking perimenopauseâ€™","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"CWZ7N6KUJZCDLLEMSELAFH4VW4","auth":{"1":"3b1c0fe58af6ce06db8182d3d1a5eff819469ebae741958bf210018af75da722"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CWZ7N6KUJZCDLLEMSELAFH4VW4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/rachel-odwyer-my-friend-sends-me-a-dizzying-list-of-pills-for-what-she-calls-biohacking-perimenopause/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}}],"count":10000,"_id":"47e54d820f2e3156d62be5ccb7cb271c080b92c9dd6b8fa01f22f3567baf111c"},"expires":1737069816892,"lastModified":1737069516354},"{\"feedOffset\":0,\"feedSize\":5,\"includeSections\":\"/opinion/letters\"}":{"data":{"content_elements":[{"_id":"34RCW5YOVVDN7GFT2FP4NCLWJE","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/16/apartments-and-planning-delays/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WSNH5ZJYDZBKNH4OGI6JHOLVXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752993},"content":"Sir, â€“ Repeated reports from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and the government have pointed to a viability problem with apartment delivery. Permissions for approximately 90 per cent of the uncommenced units in Dublin were apartments. As one report by the Department of Finance said, â€œthe scale of the aggregate problem, the proportion of apartment development in the figures, the repeated assertions by industry and, most importantly, the data, all point to a structural problem with the viability of high-density development.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"46FY3JZFOJA7TITHAJHV7KWXPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752994},"content":"While planning delays are not entirely to blame for the viability challenge, they play a significant role. Equally important to the number of permissions made is the speed with which permissions are granted. The Department of Finance has highlighted the risk to the viability of projects â€“ especially those involving apartments â€“ due to delays. A two-year delay can reduce the equity return of a project by 50 per cent. While there is a healthy supply of permissions, the evidence suggests that many of these projects are made unviable by delays, uncertainty, and high construction costs. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"AHKPF7YZZJGUDEZVA3VA63SDSU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752995},"content":"SEÃN Oâ€™NEILL McPARTLIN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"RHEOZG4275EEHJI4RWFVW7H5OQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752996},"content":"Director of Housing Policy,","type":"text"},{"_id":"KWG32A74IRAMHAXFBHODD56BRY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752997},"content":"Progress Ireland,","type":"text"},{"_id":"6QGZCO47ZZGOBJMVNGEUITN4CU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752998},"content":"Dublin 1.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Many of these projects are made unviable by delays, uncertainty, and high construction costs"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T05:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Apartments and planning delays","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"},"basic":{"display":true,"text":"Letter of the Day","url":"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/letter-of-the-day/"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"6GVJTWXOI5FYPOLOK3JLHZZVVU","auth":{"1":"2781af11b396c223ac2b1f05df19ecc2dafc39caa2ffa2f14069f0e5a11189ee"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/6GVJTWXOI5FYPOLOK3JLHZZVVU.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Letters"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/16/apartments-and-planning-delays/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/letters","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Letters"}}}},{"_id":"AZHGALUTNJDCTIAWJ3NVU4WTEU","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/16/letters-to-the-editor-january-16th-on-the-shape-of-the-new-government-and-child-disability-services/","content_elements":[{"_id":"NHAQD7X6GNDLZPWCURWPMUBGYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449138},"content":"Sir, â€“ I note that, arising from the ongoing talks on the formation of a new government, Michael Healy-Rae is likely to be given a junior ministry and, regardless of the responsibilities which this post might entail, â€œit will be good for Kerryâ€ (â€œMichael Healy-Rae says he will take take junior ministry and that Kerry people will see the benefitsâ€, News, January 15th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"FTIDQMNGVREB7HJT6DGNJGCMCM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449139},"content":"It has always been the case that, when exercising the franchise at an election, based on the manifestos of the main political parties, voters have proceeded on the basis that, for the most part, those stated policies will be prioritised and, hopefully, implemented, when a government is formed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3QLI27MPHZAJLEJ7CKYVCODJXE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449140},"content":"However, the reality now appears to be that, post-election, the particular interests of individual counties and regions take over, without any objective assessment whatsoever of the economic and social needs of the country as a whole.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JH2FNFS6KRF63AMJN5E6VCM6WQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449141},"content":"It is all very well to say that realpolitik must prevail but that is cold comfort for voters, like myself, who now feel that it has almost become a fruitless exercise to try to make a reasoned decision on how to vote.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DZJ7ERC4QJB6NI6P6NZJ5NVHMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449142},"content":"Indeed, to vote for someone on the basis of the contribution that person might make, in dealing collectively with the challenges facing the nation, now seems to be a lost cause. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJ5P6EGW5RDZLMVCWIL3TRP3AU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449143},"content":"MARTIN McDONALD,","type":"text"},{"_id":"RJK4EQJXL5GZHJBXTAEY2VE4IQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449144},"content":"Terenure,","type":"text"},{"_id":"KUM2N3X2WBGY7CNTB7D4QIV67M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449145},"content":"Dublin 12.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WJ3JBIILI5FJBPN5XDAZLDKUCE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449146},"content":"Sir, â€“ Colm Keenaâ€™s analysis â€œ Why are people saying FF and FG should not deal with Michael Lowry?â€ (January 14th) made for sobering reading. Simon Harris and MicheÃ¡l Martin â€œblushed a bit, but said they were still willing to deal with the Regional Groupâ€, with Mr Lowry â€œtheir point of contactâ€. Where has the moral compass gone to? Have they no shame? Is this what we voted for in the general election? â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VZANW4UKYZGHXLA3WZ63FN3UQM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449147},"content":"PATRICK Oâ€™BYRNE,","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HHEF6JV2FCZ7KAZVOQLKBMEXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449148},"content":"Dublin 7.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AG7LBR377NC7LIHZZJTTDDBJPI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449149},"content":"Sir, â€“ It was bound to happen sooner or later that the Craggy Island constituency would control the direction of government. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"2Y2P65GC3JHTTNSCL4LO3MGEPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449150},"content":"DONAL HUTTON,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VBB2C67GDFCVJLBJLGJYM4F4XA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449151},"content":"Carrigaline,","type":"text"},{"_id":"KHKXKGH34RA6TAOLJBZY6QPFVU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449152},"content":"Co Cork.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NOFFB254JZCUXKH3NUY6YSYLRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449153},"content":"Sir, â€“ Hats off to the Healy-Raes! â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"MXZVILTKORAUZK67SLIQS5TVG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449154},"content":"MICHAEL ROONEY,","type":"text"},{"_id":"J6CL3JQMHBHHJCBZN6GHMMHFQQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449155},"content":"Knocknacarra,","type":"text"},{"_id":"FVC3L7ZL2NECNKDMYXVNHU4HAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449156},"content":"Galway.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5T4PNZOTJNEUNKWPKM3KQ6VAPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449157},"content":"Sir,â€“ Is there a possibility we may be subjected to rotating Healy-Raes as junior ministers? â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"HFELTAPQRRADJGOZRRBDMKY6DQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449158},"content":"CONOR McMAHON,","type":"text"},{"_id":"UGKLQ27GTBDYFNPT6ZOL2KULGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449159},"content":"Dublin 14.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WDTN2FTAOFHJBKOT4LDI7HWTP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449160},"content":"Global coal consumption ","type":"header"},{"_id":"QZZEV67YDNF6NEBPFF5YOBVYCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449168},"content":"Sir, â€“ CiarÃ¡n Cuffe, co-chair of the European Green Party, is preaching to the converted when he exhorts governments â€œon both sides of the Atlanticâ€ to decarbonise (Opinion & Analysis, January 14th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"5ZISBSPCYZB2JKW7BSAUTYC3GM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449169},"content":"Global consumption of coal has doubled in the past three decades but not on Atlantic shores: China burned through a record five billion tons of coal last year and India burns more coal annually than Europe and North America combined.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OYP77ZGDGNC7XBMIVJEQOWZFGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449170},"content":"The Greens should redirect their fire. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"52LYBQCSGFDTNIZL4IGKIBCJPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449171},"content":"Dr JOHN DOHERTY,","type":"text"},{"_id":"MXFDYXIGZ5GJJNNDEXCXG64O6U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449172},"content":"Gaoth Dobhair,","type":"text"},{"_id":"3JPONJC375DTVAP4AVVZS4GDXE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449173},"content":"Co DhÃºn na nGall.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JO3IRAOEVFCDVOQE5HEUBXRJ44","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449174},"content":"Covid and child disability services","type":"header"},{"_id":"P7YFDKLRUVGLRMUCF435K4JEZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449175},"content":"Sir, â€“ Fintan Oâ€™Toole needs to take off the rose-tinted glasses when looking back at the response to Covid (â€œFive years after Covid, we scorn health workers, ignore vaccines and work in our officesâ€, Opinion & Analysis, January 15th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"M4655YUMD5AB3G7I3MILAOJRUA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449176},"content":"While health service senior managers lectured the Irish people about â€œprotecting the vulnerableâ€, HSE senior management were busy redeploying therapists for children with disabilities to Covid work.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KPNP5AKP6NGLJHQG3FO6JLUGFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449177},"content":"Zoom teaching was effectively useless for many children with complex needs, leaving parents effectively fulfilling the role of both therapists and teachers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4VQMWNEZR5ASXPN5AWSFKABNYE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449178},"content":"Unlike certain â€œfrontline workersâ€, parents of children with disabilities did not get a clap for their efforts nor indeed did they have the time to perfect their dance moves for TikTok videos.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VPAB5BT7BJEPTL3TKD3UQ5Y4UA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449179},"content":"As usual, the State left it to parents to provide services that functioning health and education services provide as a matter of course to children with disabilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S7Y2CWECLREMTJOQU7R6IUCZJM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449180},"content":"When it comes to child disability health services and education, nothing has changed since Covid. Parents continue to be forced into High Court actions to secure education and therapy services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AV4R4ZOBENHKTO4Z37LOTLF7YA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449181},"content":"It would be entirely accurate to state that while Irish politicians, regulatory bodies, media, health and education management hide, the High Court remains the only State institution actually doing its job in protecting Irish children with disabilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QFLFG7NRW5GEXIRFOUINGXS5IA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449182},"content":"Perhaps rather than wistfully looking back at a time when the State threw Irish kids with disabilities under a bus, the Irish media might start taking some of the burden from parents and the High Court by challenging the senior health service managers who continually fail to provide even basic levels of service. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"OKOSJDK64RE3PL36VF2QWSFPDU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449183},"content":"RUARY MARTIN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"7BOJVLFSY5G7NEYYTSMZT4OKPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449184},"content":"Dublin 18.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U2BP6I75HJBVJL476P3FFZZ3WM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449185},"content":"Drying the washing ","type":"header"},{"_id":"ITV3PO5UNJC5JAJV7RRMKCDBXA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449186},"content":"Sir, â€“ While travelling recently on a train through the picturesque Algarve, I found myself bemused by a group of Canadian tourists marvelling out of the window. Their source of wonder? Not the stunning coastline or quaint villages, but the sight of washing lines strung between houses. They seemed utterly fascinated by the notion of drying clothes outdoors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FKKQORG46VDBDO36VSZDRFPWKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449187},"content":"Coming from Ireland, where a fine day is never squandered, hanging washing outside is practically an art form. In fact, we didnâ€™t stop at using clotheslines â€“ hedges often served as makeshift drying racks in a pinch. There was something delightfully simple about this practice: no tumble dryer could match the smell of laundry infused with fresh air. Economical, environmentally friendly, and requiring no batteries, what more could one want from a drying method?","type":"text"},{"_id":"ASZCNQAD7BCKBN24XS4RKTXDZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449188},"content":"The conversation took an unexpected twist when, upon striking up a chat, they assumed I was English. I politely corrected them, though I fear the damage was done. Perhaps my accent had been softened by years of outdoor drying. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IYNNG7M5RA6DAHLXM2ERT7QFI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449189},"content":"ENDA CULLEN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"2XDXT46QABAOFNCUTX2J7SBSA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449190},"content":"Armagh.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OQICV3OWRRHDHBCWHNE3SZR4D4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449191},"content":"Insurance premiums ","type":"header"},{"_id":"M3U2LHP22BAJ7AD2NLZKYIAARE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449192},"content":"Sir, â€“ I found it rather intriguing to learn that the body which resolves personal injury claims, the Injuries Resolution Board, has stated that there has been a 40 per cent drop in public liability claims between 2019 and 2023 (â€œPersonal injury guidelines result in sharp fall in claimsâ€, News, January 14th). Its report examined 30,000 public liability accidents.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EVIBPQQHABHOPMMDODTDAUCSPA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449193},"content":"If there has been a drop in overall claims, one wonders why insurance in Ireland is so expensive? â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"MRWFV2P6AFASNHFF5XA7T2YOPQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449194},"content":"JOHN Oâ€™BRIEN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"HXLKQ34ZRFDVXEOJFHJHEWYVEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449195},"content":"Clonmel,","type":"text"},{"_id":"AYWFWRSOV5CFXJADLS7DOMU3JM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449196},"content":"Co Tipperary.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VV266OPPWBBW5DDX7KAPJJANGU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449197},"content":"Changes to the Leaving Cert ","type":"header"},{"_id":"I7XU735EV5DCTAL4CYVQJM6O4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449198},"content":"Sir, â€“ In â€œ Leaving Cert 2.00: What to expect from the reformed senior cycleâ€ (Analysis, January 14th), Carl Oâ€™Brien dismisses the inherent threat of AI-assisted plagiarism by nonchalantly assuring us that â€œAI would only get a student so farâ€. The much more relevant problem, however, is how far AI will get a student in two years, when the first additional assessment components will be submitted to the Department of Education for correction as part of the Leaving Certificate changes. AI is developing at an exponential rate. He further seems to take reassurance from the fact that \" . . . teachers will need to sign off these projects as studentsâ€™ own work when handing them to the State Examinations Commissionâ€. However, this requirement will put teachers in a deeply invidious position. Should they suspect that their student received assistance with their work â€“ from parents, other teachers, or from AI â€“ will teachers really be expected to effectively accuse their students of cheating? To deprive their students of 40 per cent of their Leaving Cert marks in a subject? To lay themselves (and their school boards of management) open to legal challenges by affected students and parents?","type":"text"},{"_id":"CJ3GAE6SUBHDDCEIRUUVV6M5OE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449199},"content":"Or will teachers be inclined to give such students the benefit of any doubt? â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"333VDERS4REOROSNSMX5PXKBRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449200},"content":"SIMON KELLIHER,","type":"text"},{"_id":"DBVJWXRL3JCLDKQGHAS6PMHA34","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449201},"content":"(Secondary Teacher),","type":"text"},{"_id":"FKUGLJRPABAHZLG35URHVWSLAE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449202},"content":"Crookstown,","type":"text"},{"_id":"QDT5CDSLONC6FCJMR3ZXZK7LIU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449203},"content":"Co Cork.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V2U3TZTHWRB6FOWWJSCRM2YWLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449204},"content":"Sir, â€“ While I strongly disagree with the solution offered to the â€œdamaging Leaving Cert points raceâ€, Matthew Harrisonâ€™s powerful description of the problem itself should leave us in no doubt that a solution must be urgently found (â€œ Itâ€™s time to get rid of the damaging Leaving Cert points raceâ€, Education, Opinion, January 13th). The Leaving Cert has become an excellent example of the cure becoming worse than the disease. It may well have been necessary when introduced: Ireland would be a very different place today if access to third-level education had depended on whom you knew rather than what you knew; but I believe we have grown up enough that this would not be such an issue â€“ and if it were to be, then a far less damaging solution than the Leaving Cert would be found.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HK22KALDZNBO5EJC2H2YDZCRPQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449205},"content":"Because of the â€œexamsâ€™ umbilical attachment to third-level entryâ€ teachers are faced with the choice between educating the children we entrust to them or making it possible for them to pursue the further education that suits them. Our teachers would not, under the current system, be thanked for making the right choice. The proposed reforms of the system appear to have the absurd objective of making the exam weeks less stressful for the students. This is impossible since the stress is built in: that only 60 per cent rather than 100 per cent of your points that will determine whether you get the course you want depend on the exams will make very little, if any, difference. The reform will certainly not solve the â€œteaching to the testâ€ problem.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RDCA3IBM7ND2DAEKHUI3LMETBM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449206},"content":"Eliminating the test entirely and allowing students to enter any course at any university they wished would solve that problem, but be damaging both to the universities and, more importantly, to those students who invested time and effort in courses they were not suited for. It would be best to leave the admission decisions to the universities. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"TV4GL4AUG5GXLK4N3URZXVETEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449207},"content":"WILLIAM HUNT,","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYC63GJS6VHBRC5XRLMKL4NAMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449208},"content":"Dublin 6.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PFHTO3H2QVGEZB3TV4YRRILJ3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449209},"content":"Universal basic income ","type":"header"},{"_id":"NLFWQG4K6JHQDBMKEUP7T2PHZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449210},"content":"A chara, â€“ A letter writer (January 14th) asks about the trial of universal basic income promised by the last government. Minister for Arts Catherine Martin launched Basic Income for the Arts in 2022, a trial programme where 2,000 artists and arts workers received a payment of â‚¬325 a week for three years. This scheme was widely welcomed in the arts sector, and many organisations have called for the scheme to be retained and expanded when it runs out this year. â€“ Is mise,","type":"text"},{"_id":"7A5TW4BJLBEBPKG26GUU73GCHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449211},"content":"Cllr RAY CUNNINGHAM,","type":"text"},{"_id":"67OEPYUEA5ADNBSPRAPSHMDKSI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449212},"content":"(Green Party),","type":"text"},{"_id":"MT4GAHSH45BO7BQC6HSKALJHWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449213},"content":"Dublin 12.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AMXLRSEQ4VHEDHLOH4HXUIFWZI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449214},"content":"Sir, â€“ While government commitments to universal basic income are a matter of record, that doesnâ€™t make them credible or wise.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3JBV7MWIRVCHVHYP6CXDYWQWEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449215},"content":"Given our adult population of four million, if we took â‚¬15,000 per year as an acceptable level of UBI, it would cost â‚¬60 billion, assuming no implementation, administrative or delivery costs. This is about half of the total, currently massive, tax take. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"OHSAVGDUO5D4RO44F643PJZBTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449216},"content":"BRIAN Oâ€™BRIEN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"4RRXQBDWAZHIFFGNDP4L3CJ4UQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449217},"content":"Kinsale,","type":"text"},{"_id":"TKFMHSAB4BE3BKR2PPB54WBH6A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449218},"content":"Co Cork.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GBKYPFAPD5GEVPDWSV43HEZTHY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449219},"content":"Foreign policy and national interests ","type":"header"},{"_id":"6OS4ZNFLVBGITPHLWP23Y5TK5E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449220},"content":"Sir, â€“ As the new Irish government formulates its foreign policy, it is important to note that our values and principles and our national interests are not mutually exclusive (Pat Leahy, â€œGovernment is getting nervous about the contentious Occupied Territories Billâ€, Opinion & Analysis, January 12th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"IRVPXHSCTNBC5OJVZV3XM2RIVQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449221},"content":"Apart from the risks of this solo run challenging our EU legal obligations, we should be working with our EU colleagues for maximum effectiveness in creating a two-state solution in the Middle East and in supporting the latest diplomatic moves to free the hostages and secure a ceasefire. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"HPEJFQ2KMJGR3MKOXJEXFKBCJM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449222},"content":"TED SMYTH,","type":"text"},{"_id":"A6SHWH4MEZGIVD6WN7WOTS3VFA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449223},"content":"New York.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EIYRBCIPWNH6FL3ZRQC77555BQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449224},"content":"Some free advice ","type":"header"},{"_id":"N3ZNRU2VIVGYVCKJKCGD3J3XUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449225},"content":"Sir, â€“ I was astonished to read that the former leader of the Green Party is now giving advice to the incoming government on the control of spending (Eamon Ryan, Opinion & Analysis, January 14th). This coming from a Minister with nine full-time advisers beggars belief. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"5FDVMCTEFRGSLAB3FL5XNXUEVE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449226},"content":"ANTAINE Oâ€™DUIBHIR,","type":"text"},{"_id":"RVOYX5MW2BBLNF2ZMTI7N26BEY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449227},"content":"Dublin 6.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZHX6FJQQ4FGZLBMB3IPHSBMDTA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449228},"content":"Social media alternative ","type":"header"},{"_id":"35ZBJW3KMREW5OAP2L2DNCFEWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449229},"content":"Sir, â€“ Further to Ben Avelingâ€™s letter (January 14th) outlining several alternatives to the Mark Zuckerberg social media empire, I can enthusiastically recommend a further alternative: giving up social media entirely. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"A7VFVZ5HAJD5ZOAXZN32XHUUOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449230},"content":"DAVID M Oâ€™SHEA,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VAJ4Z46VDNBI5EJ2ML5SPA5L3I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449231},"content":"Dublin 6.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KOHET2HNZJFLZGWCOJYJGIDLUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449232},"content":"Blooming daffodils ","type":"header"},{"_id":"7Y3AE2GB4BFHTFOV7ALG3W6LKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449233},"content":"Sir, â€“ One glorious yellow daffodil in full bloom, having come unscathed through the challenges of frozen ground and considerable depth of snow. Hardy and a symbol of natureâ€™s resilience. We are deeply grateful. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"IPR3EUBFNVAMZKYMOZXGNXI3EY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449234},"content":"KATHLEEN GLEESON,","type":"text"},{"_id":"WNTHAZBX5VBKNFNOLVK4EBU26M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449235},"content":"Killarney,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VJYEJVTO6JHIRENMABNWSR75KI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449236},"content":"Co Kerry.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"The particular interests of individual counties and regions have now taken over"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T00:02:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Letters to the Editor, January 16th: On the shape of the new government, and child disability services","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VHFAVTA4U5C7FE2ZTPOGOKHXN4","auth":{"1":"1f202b740bd44798a55898a19ef6a892873ae4e538e9e94222c2b3519c6cad0e"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VHFAVTA4U5C7FE2ZTPOGOKHXN4.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Letters"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/16/letters-to-the-editor-january-16th-on-the-shape-of-the-new-government-and-child-disability-services/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/letters","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Letters"}}}},{"_id":"ASONGPXIF5FTHEOXEXE67OLFCI","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/15/letters-to-the-editor-january-15th-on-childcare-family-and-society-and-special-needs-assistants/","content_elements":[{"_id":"NOB6DDZADNGWDDESBXOEO2LFJM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839769},"content":"Sir, â€“ Further to the letter from the National Womenâ€™s Council and others calling for a publicly funded childcare system (Letters, January 13th), an excellent report carried out by UCC in 2017, Report of Consultations with Children on After-school Care, includes the following information:","type":"text"},{"_id":"5BD4YOPTDBBWJCBHNHV2556NZM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839770},"content":"â€œThe eight to 12-year-old cohort voted on where they would like to be cared for from a list of settings identified by them. Overwhelmingly the children voted for home as the place they would most like to be cared for after school (59 per cent). This was followed by friendsâ€™ houses (17 per cent), relatives (13 per cent), an after-school club (6 per cent), childminder (4 per cent) and creche (1 per cent)â€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GERMNCZEWBCINL4JZOERE5NQSU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839771},"content":"Future planning and policy in childcare by the next government needs to listen to the voice of all stakeholders, including the key stakeholders, children.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I3GDYUBBSNDFZMSSS475KEP3VY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839772},"content":"We now have a chance in Ireland to be leaders rather than followers in developing a childcare system that is flexible, responsive and ultimately centres childrenâ€™s wellbeing as its number one priority.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GRLSMB2HWFFMPDD6PQT2DRTWWA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839773},"content":"A recognition that while group childcare settings can work for some children, they may not be appropriate or desirable for all children. A recognition that publicly funded high-quality childcare is one important strand of a national childcare policy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YEORXI4M5ZGIXGVQ6A3S2WXTEM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839774},"content":"A recognition that for some families caring for their children at home is a valid choice which should be supported through flexible work practices and targeted tax credits.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3BJLVU3LQZFT3GRXYODG46IC3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839775},"content":"A childcare policy that values choice and diversity will ultimately benefit everyone in our society. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"FBL3W7YYQFDITD27BGJY6KPEUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839776},"content":"LENA DEEVY,","type":"text"},{"_id":"L5X2RWLS6NGGJGV7X55YN6CAJA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839777},"content":"Ballinlough,","type":"text"},{"_id":"6Z2UOYXRCBHFDMXEQWDAHKYB4I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839778},"content":"Cork.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BUCPT527EBDMVGVGNLKLASD7ZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839779},"content":"Sir, â€“ Healthcare and childcare and education are essential services for a modern society to not even prosper but to function. Working in one of these areas and availing of the other, the shortfalls and lack of governmental support are readily apparent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QPYUPS23TRB63M5AQATKK43SLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839780},"content":"The article â€œ Childcare crisis driving employees out of workforceâ€ (News, January 13th) highlights the reduction in the amount of women going back into the workforce after starting a family. Nursing, as an example, being a mostly female-staffed profession, then gets hit by the domino effect of this and healthcare recruitment suffers. This is not a family-centric problem, itâ€™s a societal one, and the people who care for our children and our people should get all the support and funding they deserve. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTY5UUON7NFSDNNWSH73SMAI3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839781},"content":"LISA DALY,","type":"text"},{"_id":"GICXBDFY4RC5HJ3CNENYBQ2WM4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839782},"content":"Dublin 14.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZECJKAJQCZF73HFIN65ERHUBYE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839783},"content":"Special-needs assistants","type":"header"},{"_id":"CTDFV3PBLJBEVCRIDJE3OWNP24","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839784},"content":"Sir, â€“ I am writing in response to the news article â€œ Tension between teachers and special-needs assistants flagged in official reportâ€ (January 10th). While it appears that much of the information in the article was drawn from the Department of Educationâ€™s principal and deputies focus groups on the role and duties of special-needs assistants (SNAs), the lack of input from SNA focus groups renders the article incomplete and, unfortunately, one-sided. The majority of SNAs are highly qualified professionals who regularly engage in continuing professional development to enhance their skills and expertise. The characterisation of SNAs as providing â€œa mothering role,â€ being â€œan extra set of eyes and ears,â€ or taking on a â€œsecond job in the householdâ€ is an oversimplification that undermines the complexity and significance of their contributions to inclusive education.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2YRZQZQYDNCW7N3IQB3WQGX67E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839785},"content":"Far from creating tension, SNAs collaborate closely with teachers and other staff to support students with significant and often complex care needs. This support requires not only compassion but also specialised knowledge and skills in areas such as behaviour management, medical care, and communication strategies. The insinuation that tension is a universal experience in schools is misleading; countless teachers and SNAs work harmoniously as part of a professional team dedicated to the well-being and development of their students.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2V42V5C33ZB4XCATEI7GRZMAZQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839786},"content":"It is important to acknowledge that misunderstandings about the SNA role persist, and this is where challenges can arise. Some SNAs are asked to perform duties outside their official remit â€“ tasks that are menial, demeaning, or unrelated to student care. Furthermore, there are cases where SNAs are not treated as equal colleagues within the school environment. This structural issue is a significant concern that deserves attention.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXOWUGH5C5DCPEAPFHMYNX6TRI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839787},"content":"Additionally, both SNAs and teachers frequently face physical risks in their roles. Incidents of assault are not uncommon, yet there remains a reluctance to apply for assault leave due to fear of stigma, perceived blame on the student, or a lack of adequate support from school leadership, boards of management and the Department of Education. Addressing these challenges requires a balanced and comprehensive discussion, one that includes the voices of SNAs themselves.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2VAFYDRORZANVHWOPDIU4F73WM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839788},"content":"I urge The Irish Times to explore these critical aspects of the SNA profession in a future article. A well-rounded perspective would contribute to a more accurate and respectful understanding of the essential work carried out by SNAs in supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our school communities. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZFJXYDHSPFCIHPXG7UOP3M63C4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839789},"content":"MARIA BURKE,","type":"text"},{"_id":"RXIR3E4UTZGLFP5FNC7OALMS4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839790},"content":"Special-needs assistant,","type":"text"},{"_id":"R364QKRE6NGSPCAJXDXCQ2WBXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839791},"content":"Dublin 15.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4QJB3AM5C5CKRBLIJ3R2MQO7BU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839792},"content":"The Occupied Territories Bill","type":"header"},{"_id":"XNNGXDXQWVHL5LA6QHUK7DPN2E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839793},"content":"Sir, â€“ Daniel Mulhall suggests that the Government needs to think carefully about the â€œpotential scale of retaliatory actionâ€ from the Trump administration should the Occupied Territories Bill be enacted. â€œIt wonâ€™t do,â€ he remarks, â€œto conduct a purely emotional discussion about moral imperativesâ€ (â€œShould Ireland pass the Occupied Territories Bill?â€, Opinion & Analysis, January 14th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"6FYDXHC4DZHUNM6U3GE2OUVUEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839794},"content":"An argument based on moral precepts is not, of course, ineluctably â€œemotionalâ€ â€“ moral codes are important for all societies â€“ but campaigners for sanctions against Israel have generally deployed a considerably more textured analysis than this.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RTPUBJGUKVDEDFWTVTDO3ZO5TA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839795},"content":"As Mr Mulhall correctly observes, the Israeli state has shown itself to be â€œlargely impervious to international pressureâ€, but that is because it has never faced serious economic, financial or political consequences for its actions. Words of condemnation will have no effect while the munitions continue to flow and trade with the EU remains unhindered. In fact, the impunity enjoyed by Israel for decades has clearly emboldened the current right-wing government to do as it pleases in Gaza and the West Bank. This simply has to end or â€“ as EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in March 2024 â€“ Gaza will become â€œa graveyard for many of the most important principles of humanitarian law.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"532NYYFMJZHGVIXNHNIGCRORLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839796},"content":"These breaches of international law, and particularly of international humanitarian law, are transparent. Indeed, the Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu is currently wanted for war crimes and liable to be arrested to face trial before the International Criminal Court. Meanwhile, illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank continue to expand in a deliberate effort to make a â€œtwo-state solutionâ€ unworkable. The Occupied Territories Bill seeks specifically to ban all trade with these illegal settlements because such economic interaction helps to sustain them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PUXNUVC2QNBGPFIGHVWTMT2MMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839797},"content":"Mr Mulhall claims that â€œthe legislation would have no material impactâ€ because Irish trade with the Israeli-occupied territories is â€œminusculeâ€, but I fear he misses the point. Symbolic gestures can be useful, but this is more than that. It is about beginning a process that, hopefully, will encourage other, larger, more economically impactful states to enact similar legislation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EABMGZ5DEBBQTGBF7AFSM6E6QM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839798},"content":"Those who might propose that Ireland â€“ out of â€œself-interestâ€ â€“ should bend to the will of Mr Netanyahuâ€™s government or to that of the incoming Trump administration are treading a dangerous path. The implications of such a capitulation would be profound for Irish foreign policy. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZTNZAPOFQBDHTDZFK4LXUFQIZQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839799},"content":"FINTAN LANE,","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q5OFEYNC3ZHMJHXW72EWLZ6OPQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839800},"content":"Lucan,","type":"text"},{"_id":"5IA4C37UANAYDJZZFWO2ATOYSU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839801},"content":"Co Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DHVB35PUSRCT3DYIU53HHGAP2E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839802},"content":"Sir, â€“ Irelandâ€™s foreign policy is an academic exercise because when push comes to shove, Ireland lacks the economic clout and military credibility to effect any real change, no matter what those who claim Ireland to be a widely respected paragon of virtue tell us.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O44TTWHJZJH2BES2HHQJRZCMWE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839803},"content":"The prime example of this is the Occupied Territories Bill, which will not matter one iota when it comes to the Israeli economy but will likely bring the wrath of the US as well as the scorn of those who contribute to Europeâ€™s security through Nato. Naturally those pushing the Bill will not suffer any economic consequences as they are rarely employed in the exporting and multinational sectors of the economy but stay in academia and State-funded NGOs. Those of us who will pay the price, as we rely on the international economy for our livelihoods, are generally too busy to engage in such pointless campaigning. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"V3V7ASY2CZBFZD2Q7QCQGDFMME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839804},"content":"MATTHEW GLOVER.","type":"text"},{"_id":"257RG4ANM5DSXFN3MHFLSVTYBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839805},"content":"Lucan,","type":"text"},{"_id":"JGGCKJNDVVDZVDMF72FHLFHAJU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839806},"content":"Co Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5N4ROSCKUNAZ7ME3E55CHEQGHA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839807},"content":"Time for a tax-free housing bond","type":"header"},{"_id":"OABALAA7T5FRDKKSKOY7NFH3KI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839808},"content":"Sir, â€“ I agree with Pat Farrell (â€œHousing crisis in Ireland cannot be solved by taxpayer funds alone â€“ it also needs capital from private investorsâ€, Business, Opinion, January 13th) that the focus of institutional investors on long-term, stable returns aligned very nicely with the objectives of the last Government and developers. However, it failed utterly to deliver affordable homes to buy and homes to rent at affordable rates. So I disagree with Mr Farrell that to move forward Ireland must fully embrace institutional investment as a critical partner in addressing its housing needs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJE3NT25GBAUXAD4R4XPTXFGV4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839809},"content":"Irish institutional property members are free to deliver whatever new housing stock they wish but they cannot be relied upon to deliver what the public wants: affordable homes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AYGRNENTZJGW3PPA4HCY3YILYA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839810},"content":"I understand that Irish banks are holding â‚¬150 billion in household deposits. The time is now right, therefore, for the next government to issue a tax-free housing bond.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BOXW5W566FGNPO2MTSJBW2K4RA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839811},"content":"The initial target could be â‚¬20 billion. Individual Irish taxpayers could invest for a tax-free return of, say, 1 per cent or 2 per cent above base-deposit rates.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7VKAQKDUAJEJZHKREL6IIWWSCY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839812},"content":"The bond would deliver a supply of cash that could be advanced to Approved Housing Bodies, local authorities and the Land Development Agency for the construction, but not the acquisition, of social and affordable homes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G2KFFMGNMBDVTE2IPZEGZQTVOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839813},"content":"We do not need institutional funds to pay for the delivery of social and affordable housing. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"D7EYLAPG5RDIXM4WGL2BKM6CDM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839814},"content":"ANNE BARRINGTON,","type":"text"},{"_id":"DCBKM5ZHOFETHJ3D3TG7QX4XSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839815},"content":"Chair,","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVR5KG6VLFFLNFAACCVA5CZ7EE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839816},"content":"Ã“ Cualann Cohousing Alliance,","type":"text"},{"_id":"BLRSBC4HLRBPHFV5TYAI6GQH4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839817},"content":"Glenageary,","type":"text"},{"_id":"CZT2LMDO6RBEZOHTQWDGBNL2NA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839818},"content":"Co Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"67Z5MDKS3VDM3B4G5XKFTC5AW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839819},"content":"PhD students and lack of maternity benefits","type":"header"},{"_id":"C6JRFT6GHBGZ3DPMY7GSXIPVLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839820},"content":"Sir, â€“ I am writing to highlight the lack of social supports for PhD students in Ireland, particularly regarding maternity benefits. My partner recently completed her PhD at Dublin City University, earning awards for her academic work and a scholarship from the Irish Research Council. Her research, published in a respected academic journal, has bolstered the global ranking of Irish universities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XJE2P3Q7ERHWDHCJYD7W57BRTI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839821},"content":"However, as we prepare to welcome our first child, we have discovered that she is ineligible for maternity benefit. This is because PhD stipends in Ireland are so low that students do not qualify to pay PRSI, leaving them excluded from essential social supports.","type":"text"},{"_id":"45GSDU6FPVGP3J2KKMGLDHPEUA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839822},"content":"Irelandâ€™s PhD students are among the worst paid in the EU. This treatment devalues their contributions to society and risks driving talent abroad. The next government must urgently address this inequity by increasing PhD stipends to a livable wage and extending basic protections like maternity benefit to all researchers. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"DFN26OMPRRDH5KV4VRPI5KBQIM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839823},"content":"KILLIAN HORAN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"MSMRRAB4ZRFFJPG5K3SBKTJNYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839824},"content":"Carrickmines,","type":"text"},{"_id":"M6NZ3XIFOJDKNFN3OWFOCDFY3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839825},"content":"Dublin 18.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ALC7Y5NEONGFNKEIJMMTK7ZI2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839826},"content":"Online electricity bills","type":"header"},{"_id":"NEQLWK4WC5AU7DVUOVHNK7IBTE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839827},"content":"A chara, â€“ As my electricity supplier contract is due to expire shortly, I went online to check out the offers available to me as a new customer of the different energy suppliers and was shocked to learn of the discriminatory practices of these companies. If a customer chooses to receive a bill in the post, as opposed to signing up for direct debit, the unit rate available to these customers is substantially higher than those offered to other customers. This practice may be legal, but morally there is no justification for the large discrepancies in the rates offered to these customers. The customers who choose to pay on receipt of a bill are usually the customers who can least afford to pay these higher costs, and may have higher demand for these services, such as the elderly and those with disabilities. The next government should engage with these companies to encourage them to stamp out these discriminatory practices. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"PEFEBZBQT5EWHFNVJVKRCAFRQE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839828},"content":"EAMONN Oâ€™HARA,","type":"text"},{"_id":"WGR5NWZBDZDE7J5G2EBATLYABM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839829},"content":"Manorcunningham,","type":"text"},{"_id":"IQHHZRAU7ZFZTICQYPDKFQVH2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839830},"content":"Co Donegal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WBQTUAGBFZARRGH35KJHXZVV6U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839831},"content":"A game of two halves","type":"header"},{"_id":"STS2NSOJCZG3JJKVDTMETPXBQU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839832},"content":"Sir, â€“ At a time when many of our New Yearâ€™s resolutions and commitments may be waning, the post-match analysis of the Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim offers Samuel Beckett-like encouragement: â€œWe are improving in the way we sufferâ€ (Sport, January 12th). â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"4JQE5OAI7JBI7KS437I2OVQ62Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839833},"content":"BRIAN Oâ€™BRIEN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q7XC6GHHURCR7ADLSOCXG43FUA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839834},"content":"Kinsale,","type":"text"},{"_id":"HPJYPQJJQZHDZJV2SYWIL5WQAA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839835},"content":"Co Cork.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"For some families, caring for their children at home is a valid choice which should be supported through flexible work practices and targeted tax credits"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T12:18:26.633Z","headlines":{"basic":"Letters to the Editor, January 15th: On childcare, family and society, and special-needs assistants ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VHFAVTA4U5C7FE2ZTPOGOKHXN4","auth":{"1":"1f202b740bd44798a55898a19ef6a892873ae4e538e9e94222c2b3519c6cad0e"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VHFAVTA4U5C7FE2ZTPOGOKHXN4.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Letters"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/15/letters-to-the-editor-january-15th-on-childcare-family-and-society-and-special-needs-assistants/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/letters","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Letters"}}}},{"_id":"QR2S4OOQH5CEFCRN2H4LHOSOQU","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/15/growing-expert-consensus-on-harmful-effects-of-social-media-on-adolescent-mental-health/","content_elements":[{"_id":"I2V4PZWCTZE4XO3SBNJRHD7QAQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731261},"content":"Sir, â€“ After outlining the growing expert consensus fears over the harmful effects of social media on adolescent brain and mental health (â€œSocial media has a limited effect on teenage mental healthâ€, Opinion & Analysis, January 13th), Eoin Whelan cites a large US study, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, and states that it has found no evidence of harmful effect associated with digital technology.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LJBS6J5A3VCWLAROCE5IUPVE2Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731262},"content":"This is simply not the case. A subset of data from the ABCD paper is published in Academic Paediatrics this very month and showed that 69.5 per cent of 11 to 15 years olds had at least one social media account, while 63.8 per cent of participants under 13 years old reported social media use with an average of 3.4 different social media accounts. The authors reiterate that: â€œunregulated access to social media in early adolescents may pose a particular concern within this populationâ€, and that â€œearly adolescent social media use in the ABCD study is associated with poor sleep, substance use initiation, cyberbullying and eating disordersâ€. They also reference work documenting association between adolescent screen use and both anxiety and depression.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SLVL3F5YSJEHVNRUKL5UXX44TY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731263},"content":"The column also quotes a Lancet editorial, which asserts the need to balance consideration of the myriad other factors known to affect adolescent mental health, and not simply that all is attributable to smartphone use. The conclusion is that more research is needed. Not that there is nothing to see here.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIL6CQVJHVEQXN5OEFJ5ISBAHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731264},"content":"Eoin Whelan describes how mind-set may be a determinant in the subjective experience of whether social media use is positive or harmful to the individual. It is worth pointing out that the research he references from the Stanford Media Lab was carried out in adults from 18 to 81 years of age and did not study children.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PIUR4IY2P5EOZDCPTUNU2Q53TY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731265},"content":"This is an emotive and important issue for parents. There is need for accuracy when attempting to summarise evidence on complex public health issues. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"BCYWMPBQVFAWZE4BDDPK77CGKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731266},"content":"Dr JOHN McHUGH, MD","type":"text"},{"_id":"SLUEMZ3XDRFMXKAS6HMWCUGKLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731267},"content":"Department of Clinical Neurophysiology,","type":"text"},{"_id":"FWK3WKSNBNFR5N7735UIVPVUOU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731268},"content":"Childrenâ€™s Health Ireland at Crumlin,","type":"text"},{"_id":"C7DVAVXTRRAZFETN3PXPHR3WVY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731269},"content":"Dublin 12.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Adolescent screen use, anxiety and depression"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T05:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Growing expert consensus on harmful effects of social media on adolescent mental health ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"},"basic":{"display":true,"text":"Letter of the 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(Opinion, January 9th), you repeat a report that a member of the previous Oireachtas may have been working for Russian intelligence and that this person is called Cobalt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FCPADBPIUBGXJIPJRCJKTRRFUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044222},"content":"I cannot recall anyone of that name standing in the recent DÃ¡il elections but, now that the Seanad elections are under way, perhaps Cobalt is seeking election to the Upper House.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IA52ZCVUSBB4XNWKFOD7XDK3CI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044223},"content":"If, as a consequence of side-effects of the recent cold spell, I am minded to give Cobalt a consideration in voting for that august institution, perhaps some current or aspiring public representative would be kind enough to let me know (in a timely fashion) who I should vote for if I want to vote for Cobalt. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"ULNL2XLLAZH25IUCXXT6SBYQRQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044224},"content":"MERVYN TAYLOR,","type":"text"},{"_id":"YAFX24RRS5GOTOJQTXXVYZVFP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044225},"content":"Stillorgan,","type":"text"},{"_id":"GCOIHC5DS5ELPG66LGI3VV26PQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044226},"content":"Co Dublin.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"The legislator who came in from the cold"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T05:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Where is Agent Cobalt?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"},"basic":{"display":true,"text":"Letter of the 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â€œLittle Britainâ€ (Ptolemy)","type":"text"},{"_id":"QKZQMGG7ZZA43P373AFB2H3ESY","additional_properties":{},"content":"2 Scotia Major & Minor","type":"text"},{"_id":"5RBELR7FKZAH7IFZWTKZBGCW54","additional_properties":{},"content":"3 John Bullâ€™s Other Island","type":"text"},{"_id":"RSQDCIP47BHU5JSSBJHZQEJNDY","additional_properties":{},"content":"4 Saint Fechin (â€œthe little ravenâ€)","type":"text"},{"_id":"3IU3JEZ4ANBGJMU5UL6SFP5XCU","additional_properties":{},"content":"5 A Modest Proposal","type":"text"},{"_id":"TOR6EY5I4RAKFPMRCVALGKOJQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"6 Lilliput","type":"text"},{"_id":"JLITV2S6BBC35NTYN723BY7QGQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"7 Little Ireland (Manchester)","type":"text"},{"_id":"IMXSR2VBIVBA5N7ED5L7HMSCTY","additional_properties":{},"content":"8 Little Ireland (New York)","type":"text"},{"_id":"LY2DF73LC5DTNCQIIYMRJJYQGE","additional_properties":{},"content":"9 Little Dublin 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Lawn","type":"text"},{"_id":"P3WGSU46KBAUVMJHEU6YOPMPEU","additional_properties":{},"content":"25 Gawshkogue (copyright Myles, precise meaning unknown to anyone else)","type":"text"},{"_id":"IWEJZWBHRFHWXAV4L2CSEZY6U4","additional_properties":{},"content":"26 â€œAs lively as twenty leprechauns doing a jig on top of a tombstoneâ€ (Flann Oâ€™Brien on molecules)","type":"text"},{"_id":"INC6CQ2XNFHGBL5TLUULTQDPNM","additional_properties":{},"content":"27 The wee north","type":"text"},{"_id":"7OC3CKRIQJCWNN4OW52AAKQQTE","additional_properties":{},"content":"28 Our wee country","type":"text"},{"_id":"7NNCRD6SZZDM3DART7EOJVQW7Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"29 The Six","type":"text"},{"_id":"UTQC4RTJEVHE5H2FLYUTE5ADQI","additional_properties":{},"content":"30 The twenty-six","type":"text"},{"_id":"QMKIL4QHS5D3RLHDHJRBFQENOQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"31 The South","type":"text"},{"_id":"6POYF22ITNEQ5ME2QC35YOL5MU","additional_properties":{},"content":"32 Mexico","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYNTB5BBMBCQBJZIACMNHI6PGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"33 Staters","type":"text"},{"_id":"FZFIWABC5ZBGNNAURJVTONZG3E","additional_properties":{},"content":"34 The narcissism of small differences","type":"text"},{"_id":"7ZP56VE2KZER7NBKUDJQYXZAHE","additional_properties":{},"content":"35 Short Strand","type":"text"},{"_id":"W5ZGFF7W2FFK3EZSPTB46J34SQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"36 The half bap","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZKPLD5YFCBFQPP2VMHAX3OW47A","additional_properties":{},"content":"37 Cross","type":"text"},{"_id":"NKDD2J7PRFHSFOHQWRVCJT5D2E","additional_properties":{},"content":"38 Ballybeg","type":"text"},{"_id":"NBYAOKFTHNCAPM4DIFI4PET6BM","additional_properties":{},"content":"39 Littleton","type":"text"},{"_id":"GLWR4GCXNRHADPLW7ENROL4NTQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"40 Goleen","type":"text"},{"_id":"SCNKIM5NX5AJVCUUSJ4FLFYDGQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"41 GrÃ¡inneog (literally â€œlittle hatredâ€ but also a hedgehog)","type":"text"},{"_id":"OMHIIJ6LWZDXDKS3HGPPBH4C6U","additional_properties":{},"content":"42 A wee slip of a thing","type":"text"},{"_id":"6BGDRCNUFBCVNLLN7FMFNZAITY","additional_properties":{},"content":"43 The wee county","type":"text"},{"_id":"KVQG7TVR7ZAQ3GN2TXY776PL44","additional_properties":{},"content":"44 The county of the Little Hills","type":"text"},{"_id":"YKO2H2LKUVDZLNWJ2DIXAEXHMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"45 Banty","type":"text"},{"_id":"WVV44INNENFY5LHR2BOEZ2M6MQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"46 The short grass county","type":"text"},{"_id":"VIE4HS4Q7RFJNHCIWBVATFN24M","additional_properties":{},"content":"47 Colleen","type":"text"},{"_id":"KCOINCCQWFGXNHMHHX5S3WSP2I","additional_properties":{},"content":"48 Maneen","type":"text"},{"_id":"DFTLE4Q5AJCPXO647H2MMNVK6I","additional_properties":{},"content":"49 Priesteen","type":"text"},{"_id":"QLKIO777JFGVLN66L7X22CZKUE","additional_properties":{},"content":"50 Padraigin","type":"text"},{"_id":"NNDNABNHAFF5DAVGINDKCDBVUQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"51 Shoneen","type":"text"},{"_id":"NOAE2QIOQVGU5C6ERJMS4NERVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"52 Sleeveen","type":"text"},{"_id":"KYHJRRHUAZFA3OJFLAD2WTOHV4","additional_properties":{},"content":"53 Jackeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"47MTX6GXLFGZFBAPQ3VQQR53B4","additional_properties":{},"content":"54 Gombeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"3YE6F67RNFE4TOKZX2L4APXWLM","additional_properties":{},"content":"55 An SpailpÃn FÃ¡nach","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZWJ5A2WUBCG3IZMNDCAI2GDMA","additional_properties":{},"content":"56 Tadhgeen (â€œLittle Timothyâ€, from St Paulâ€™s First Letter to Timothy, advising him to drink a small amount of wine for his stomach ailment.)","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2EVS33DEZFYXONQJ2265GHQAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"57 DeoirÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"E54U5YXXPBENBCCDG5EB2QR2EA","additional_properties":{},"content":"58 Dropeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GG6254PNZE2PNJAZIGFYMWFFE","additional_properties":{},"content":"59 Glasheen","type":"text"},{"_id":"AM5SQ7TC6BHDPDBTJ7BUD67RHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"60 Naggin","type":"text"},{"_id":"B3324XE5DVH6TIQA2N6OLDJXG4","additional_properties":{},"content":"61 A Baby Powerâ€™s","type":"text"},{"_id":"2GXWJ3OQ7JGT7GD64FRUOTYNKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"62 Baby Guinness","type":"text"},{"_id":"5S3AL2LOOVETXNDMSV4U27XZ2M","additional_properties":{},"content":"63 DreoilÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"TDVBKHSNPBCQVC7UZUULWYZH2A","additional_properties":{},"content":"64 Divil a hait","type":"text"},{"_id":"MW6FM52VKVBMJHFDPMWMKR3GII","additional_properties":{},"content":"65 A pint and a small one","type":"text"},{"_id":"TNQSHOQVEZBVLLQAQOTKNQFWTY","additional_properties":{},"content":"66 Carrigeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"JIVARR5Y6ZAODAXX2TEPCSI4ME","additional_properties":{},"content":"67 Crubeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYF6QDUDYFBG3JGCRNR4Q4VUNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"68 (Scaoil amach an) BobailÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"HTAWOH5XOJBNTLPILA7VNDW4CQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"69 CÃºpla focal","type":"text"},{"_id":"OIQG56WQ2JHOJAB3R53ZLJIBBQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"70 Drisheen (stuffed small intestines of sheep, considered food in Cork)","type":"text"},{"_id":"SH4WSPL2EZCIJLSBIP3MPX2IGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"71 AbhairÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"LOBMZHOFLVCENADGUHBJHJQKLY","additional_properties":{},"content":"72 AguisÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"6LT4K5KQMRC3TMQJTRQX4CVMPI","additional_properties":{},"content":"73 Alanna","type":"text"},{"_id":"HS6QIH3EANABHE4J57ASBNIOW4","additional_properties":{},"content":"74 BaitÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"WCABYSETPFDSNKUBQVJEJHIPLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"75 Banbh","type":"text"},{"_id":"GOEESEOQ75AS5AO6XXJPQUBXBU","additional_properties":{},"content":"76 Boreen","type":"text"},{"_id":"7CUDFPDJUFC4PDHXIOHUWDKVFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"77 Beddeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"RCKRUGS6HVH5RPEIUKC3XL6ZDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"78 BÃ¡idÃn FheilimÃ","type":"text"},{"_id":"L5KJR4P6EJAOXL2ORMBTOOEM6M","additional_properties":{},"content":"79 Bawneen jacket","type":"text"},{"_id":"6T5RSBKAABHJPFRMW5LVMKC7OM","additional_properties":{},"content":"80 CipÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"KU64T3IGP5BZFG7G6HU5I6HNEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"81 Smithereen","type":"text"},{"_id":"U5TXM2WLNZGNTDKXIOP7OBDBXQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"82 Thrawneen","type":"text"},{"_id":"34LTWAZBTVEJNJ77M5QXXY5AS4","additional_properties":{},"content":"83 Come back again to me Mavourneen","type":"text"},{"_id":"NYFFVRJ3NBFPDHKSIJEYVNYJB4","additional_properties":{},"content":"84 â€œYouâ€™re sitting by the fireside with your dudeen in your gobâ€","type":"text"},{"_id":"QRIJL4OX5JG4PI7OQP7EUI27TQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"85 Soccer (from the â€˜socâ€™ in â€œAssociation Footballâ€)","type":"text"},{"_id":"PL6O3LGISFBVNEJ2JCFTF5IDQQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"86 Small-ball game","type":"text"},{"_id":"RQN6XETRTVBURFRIVOP5CX7DWM","additional_properties":{},"content":"87 Back-door All-Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"P2DLVJPL6RDETOM56NAQOYFJAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"88 Covid All-Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"O6AYHBWUUVDMFOVVCF253K37XI","additional_properties":{},"content":"89 The minor match","type":"text"},{"_id":"3S53SBHCRFAH7FBHAUOMFZ4XL4","additional_properties":{},"content":"90 The evil of two lesser","type":"text"},{"_id":"RAUKXN3OH5AQRGK6E2AJ4YM6D4","additional_properties":{},"content":"91 The Junior Cert","type":"text"},{"_id":"3HMJVSBML5GRLFRHULG4HYCKZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"92 MamailÃneach (Kerry Irish for a small person with short legs, but also implying inveterate laziness)","type":"text"},{"_id":"PNVJZTQ6TFDXDNR22UL5EJ2YKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"93 A mhic","type":"text"},{"_id":"PVKEXSM7BBHNNKLJNJST55P5GA","additional_properties":{},"content":"94 NaÃonÃ¡n","type":"text"},{"_id":"XVAFBLZOQBA47FFHBCILPXDAVY","additional_properties":{},"content":"95 Ogie Moran","type":"text"},{"_id":"FRRQGPMF6FFJPJINIMTHTJEPTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"96 Mâ€™Asal Beag Dubh","type":"text"},{"_id":"XUYDFP7JIBCWXPIPTXPI5IECIA","additional_properties":{},"content":"97 Guinness Light","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBHMCEPBSJAU5DJVW24KD3ATFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"98 Croppyâ€™s Acre (itâ€™s 4.4 acres actually, or about 1.8 hectares)","type":"text"},{"_id":"NMNOPPRYLZFHLNUSTAZOOLGA4A","additional_properties":{},"content":"99 The Fifteen Acres (itâ€™s more like 400 acres now)","type":"text"},{"_id":"LBGSAQX5GVAVBO73VLWXA2BAIE","additional_properties":{},"content":"100 â€œFormer TD, now running for the Senateâ€","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Frank McNally"}},"name":"Frank McNally"}]},"description":{"basic":"Number 70: Drisheen (stuffed small intestines of sheep, considered food in Cork)"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T18:58:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Small Potatoes â€“ Frank McNally on A History of Ireland in 100 diminutives","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"7FOMPN3QA5GTNEXY2FREBUVHAY","auth":{"1":"ffb0e1249fe4047a73cb1b3c0cf6673044d297d49eb61143bf5aae3f6f11eace"},"focal_point":{"x":1754,"y":916},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7FOMPN3QA5GTNEXY2FREBUVHAY.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"An Irish 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Cross.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GHCHYVZTLJFJZOBJPBMIYU6J5U","additional_properties":{},"content":"The title was first published on January 16th, 1875, in Buenos Aires, where it continues today, making it the worldâ€™s longest-running Irish newspaper produced outside Ireland, and among the oldest of any kind in Argentina.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6TBZAL2ALNAUTDJYDNA577LKGA","additional_properties":{},"content":"As originally edited by Galway-born missionary Fr Patrick Joseph Dillon (1841-1889), its identity was unashamedly religious: â€œCatholic first, Irish after.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"HIHITOSGKBBYJOKNCT25IYH2DI","additional_properties":{},"content":"He added: â€œThe tone of the paper will be liberal (like the Freeman of Dublin) [but] will not adhere to any particular party in this country. The events of the week will be narrated with . . . a strictly impartial pen.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"YX2UKYL42ZF3PLZ5ENYR5YOGLA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Alas for Dillon, he was to be one of those blamed for the 1877 Dresden Affair, a debacle â€“ named for the ship involved â€“ that brought 1,800 poor Irish emigrants to a planned new colony, many dying en route or upon arrival.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RMIVAITZZJFZXDY3JJRRPTF26E","additional_properties":{},"content":"In ill-health himself, Dillon soon returned to Ireland and his own demise, aged only 48. The Southern Cross carried on, meanwhile, thriving under his successor, a Corkman named Michael Dineen.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GR6GH5IKSBHRLA77SUGU7IL5FA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Subsequent editors included William Bulfin, from Offaly, whose travel writing among the gauchos of rural Argentina helped make the paperâ€™s reputation (and whose son Eamon would in 1916 raise the â€œIrish Republicâ€ flag over Dublinâ€™s GPO).","type":"text"},{"_id":"JE3EQ5QLUVEIZKB2EJMORS7S2A","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Southern Cross supported the Rising, â€œthough not so enthusiasticallyâ€, according to one of its later editors, Fr Fred Richards, quoted in a 1990 Irishmanâ€™s Diary by Peadar Kirby. That ambivalence reflected the conservative nature of much of the Irish-Argentinian community.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KGL6TSHFSJDU3FONJHO5C6SS2M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Most 19th-century emigrants there were not fleeing the Famine, or poverty in general. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BXBAZ364Q5AURA2XE6VFL66HDU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Where transportation to the US or Canada was free, it was expensive to travel to South America, so those who did so tended to have means.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WQJ2NZYSVVCTZAW6WUFKNKZT2E","additional_properties":{},"content":"As the current editor of the Southern Cross, Guillermo MacLoughlin BrÃ©ard, has explained, the typical Irish emigrants to Argentina were â€œsecond or third or fourth sons who wouldnâ€™t inherit the farmâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"A5VWI377TJG2HIFPIAB442VD3I","additional_properties":{},"content":"They first settled in the rich land north of Buenos Aires, then their offspring moved to the capital and into the professions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"42EAD26HQBAOZHCOA3RXH5XN4Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"This made for mixed political loyalties. Writing a history of the Argentinian Irish in 1919, through a prism of the new militant republicanism at home, Thomas Murray was amusingly vitriolic.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QAUY4UCWIBBDXAU74WEBC2GATU","additional_properties":{},"content":"He lamented a section of the community who â€œgrew into pretentious snobs and are today . . . the shoneen element in the Irish-Argentine community â€“ the people who get themselves called â€˜Anglo-Argentinesâ€™ in the press society noticesâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VQ5RHJSLJBDKNDAHH3MTZAK5U4","additional_properties":{},"content":"A forerunner of those, he alleged, was another Irish-born publisher, Michael Mulhall. Fourteen years before the Southern Cross, Mulhall and his brother Edward had founded Argentinaâ€™s first English-language newspaper, the Standard.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CDIWMM6YHZBDLPDKZGRWHWXN5I","additional_properties":{},"content":"And rather than see the Cross as competition, they generously supported that too, allowing Dillon use their premises.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E56YTITISBEADCP4BGMA43QXPM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Murray was nevertheless damning: â€œ[Michael Mulhall] was a true Oâ€™Connellite and, therefore, deeply loyal to â€˜our gracious Queenâ€™, as he used to write. We would call him a shoneen now, but that was the political cult of most of our public men under the Oâ€™Connell influence until the Fenian awakening came to save the masses.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"6JYDJQTQANCLLLK42MMB4XRNIQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"That the Standard failed eventually was to Murray no surprise: â€œThe paper never got sufficient support from the Irish-Argentine community to keep it alive.â€ (He was somewhat premature in killing it off â€“ it only closed in 1959).","type":"text"},{"_id":"UL3E7NQ6KNBKDAZ7VB7MGE6TSQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Southern Cross, by contrast, went on to negotiate the many crises, political and economic, that have swept its host country ever since, including the 1976 coup.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DC5TISTEM5HNPL3FZPG667ED34","additional_properties":{},"content":"Kirbyâ€™s Diary was precipitated by Fr Richardsâ€™s fundraising visit to Ireland in 1990, seeking support for a paper he said was â€œfighting to surviveâ€ amid hyperinflation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OV2GVTMCYNAWTI22HQYINBF5EY","additional_properties":{},"content":"But it had already survived the era of Argentinaâ€™s military dictatorship, 1976-1983, when the threat was more than financial.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AKTKJZX2PJFRBI44D5X6JUZXA4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Southern Cross took a brave stand against the juntaâ€™s abuses and an inspector named Kelly once warned Richards he had spotted a copy â€œon the desk of the desk of the Buenos Aires chief of policeâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P7J5QXWH5VAZVFO34TNPUZYATY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Thirty-five years later, the paper has lived to celebrate its sesquicentenary in a country where the Irish diaspora now numbers half a million. It has a modest 2,000 subscribers but has always been widely shared, with a multiple of that number reading.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NH5YWSUKKRA4ZNHPQRY5UVLRC4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Another local publication, the Tribuna, once eulogised the Argentinian-Irish community for, among other things, â€œindustry, integrity, and affable mannersâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PR6HOMXFINE3NMBWBKRKHGQZZI","additional_properties":{},"content":"It continued: â€œThe Irishman does not come among us to grasp whatever is within his reach and having gained it takes the next steamer back to his native land . . . No, the Irishman settles down for life, buys a comfortable home and marries, brings his children up in the country and lives and dies in the land of his adoption.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"6OP6V22GBBBXPISVQ6Z6CRKAP4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The story of the Southern Cross reflects this assimilation. The paper began life as an English-language weekly. Since 1977, it has been mainly in Spanish and now appears once a month.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RS33WW3KX5FATIQ2XV45GA4XRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although the link with the old country remains, as with the diaspora in general, it has become a secondary loyalty. MacLoughlin BrÃ©ard explains: â€œWe are Argentinian first but very proud of our Irish origin, so our main task is to preserve that new identity among all the members of our community.â€","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Frank McNally"}},"name":"Frank McNally"}]},"description":{"basic":"The worldâ€™s longest-running Irish newspaper produced outside Ireland, and among the oldest of any kind in Argentina"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T18:59:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"(Southern) Cross Country â€“ Frank McNally on Argentinaâ€™s 150-year-old Irish newspaper","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ZEQUNCZI5ZDAFMDL37J6FPYNXE","auth":{"1":"d41921565c998166c2c0c70b49a543f070f0ba41753dae1508cbf6dd4bf99ddb"},"focal_point":{"x":138,"y":28},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZEQUNCZI5ZDAFMDL37J6FPYNXE.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"An Irish Diary"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/an-irish-diary/2025/01/15/southern-cross-country-frank-mcnally-on-argentinas-150-year-old-irish-newspaper/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/an-irish-diary","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"An Irish Diary"}}}},{"_id":"BMZ2Y4BEUBDE3DXGFMFENXLHNA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":336,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/4575a637-d9d3-44e9-9b6e-38173b026ca0/versions/1736877675/media/15a5df278cb2531fefbcc0d98e34d852_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/an-irish-diary/2025/01/14/funny-peculiar-frank-mcnally-on-the-unhilarious-st-hilary-and-the-legal-term-named-after-him/","content_elements":[{"_id":"P3PSK7TDJRDW5NLBUK2A4POPTQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The â€œHilary Term,â€ now under way in courts (and Trinity College) is named for a fourth-century French saint, Hilary of Poitiers, whose feast-day falls on January 14th. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"I4ERXQIH35B5LMG5SDSDCN5POM","additional_properties":{},"content":"He was known as Hilarius in Latin and so, to modern ears, sounds like a funny man. So does Pope Hilarius, the only pontiff named after him, who governed the church from 461 till 468. On the contrary, both were notably serious people, much caught up in the schisms of their day, which in Hilaryâ€™s case earned him the nickname â€œHammer of the Ariansâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5S4D6MWQSZHJVCGKHTBGPXX67Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"The only thing suggesting he had a sense of humour, perhaps, is that he is the patron saint of lawyers. But then, in its original sense, the word just meant â€œhappyâ€, or â€œcheerfulâ€. This sometimes went hand in hand with a certain solemnity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5DJ54UDKQREYBLGW7HSYAHZUKM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ancient Romans used to host Hilaria: public holidays marked by ceremonial rejoicing. And as late as the 19th century, it was still possible for even serious Christians to refer to â€œour hilarious churchâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VOB7734DQZAKZPXYFBHIDGXCNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Only in the 1920s did that adjective come to mean â€œexceedingly amusingâ€. This coincided with a surge in popular use, which continues to this day, making a Pope Hilarius II unlikely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T4453ILRZ5FPTPSSLJWIEHURFU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sometime around the middle of last century, it seems, hilarity also acquired the habit of â€œensuingâ€ in certain situations, typically those depicted in film and theatre. The earliest recorded incidence I can find in Ireland is 1956, at a cinema in Dublinâ€™s Fairview.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MIVX7EMIPVADJFSZGCD6GBNVHQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The occasion was a Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis comedy in which a jewel thief and train-fare dodger take refuge in a girlsâ€™ school. According to the Evening Herald, â€œmuch hilarity ensuesâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2H265SEKARDQFBTUYN7H5DGCOY","additional_properties":{},"content":"It wasnâ€™t until the 1990s, however, that the ensuing of hilarity became widespread here. Perhaps that was another effect of the Celtic Tiger. Then, thanks to verbal inflation, â€œgreat hilarityâ€ became the new normal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3LKBDGP7NZCWRJSLSD74ZSGLK4","additional_properties":{},"content":"An early outbreak was reported in a Dublin pub, Scruffy Murphyâ€™s, at Christmas 1989. It started, as detailed in an Irish Independent social column, when â€œcheery proprietor Paddy Mulligan . . . decided to staple a customerâ€™s cuffs to the bar counterâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QTUNVR2EK5HN3JGQ2DMPA6IWGM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The report continued: â€œGreat hilarity ensued until the customer showed the holes in his sleeves and claimed the jumper was a designer original worth Â£150.â€ An examination of the label suggested otherwise and â€œan amicable settlement was arrived atâ€, without the need for a Hilary term hearing in 1990.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6JRXCF3G7ZGDXI452Z4VVGZPDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Incidences of hilarity show no sign of abating today. In fact, a graph of usage shows the term has surged again since the millennium, although in certain places, the adjective has reasserted at the expense of the noun.","type":"text"},{"_id":"APVJH3C5SNHHTPAO6WBZQPYWFU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Thus, in South County Dublin and elsewhere now, â€œtotes hilaireâ€ describes the maximum possible extent of hilarity in any given situation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z5ZGUU5KNBCWBIAUJ6KLH4UOHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"This reminds me of the French-English writer Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953,) who may be an argument for nominative determinism: the theory that names influence vocation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TG2V6VR4GREU7FAVUZLJVRL2SE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Not that he was especially hilarious, but he was an occasional humorist at least. His comic verse Collection, Cautionary Tales for Children (1907) is said to have been an influence on Roald Dahl, albeit even darker in tone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OXOCT7MFQVAGNNNJA5BRJXE3S4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Titles included â€œJim; Who ran away from his Nurse and was Eaten by a Lionâ€; â€œMatilda: Who told Lies, and was Burned to Deathâ€; and â€œLord Lundy, who was too Freely Moved to Tears, and thereby ruined his political careerâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7RGIK6KLC5C75LAOVWLIQ56IMQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Belloc was many other things too, not least a vocal defender of the Catholic Church, of which he was a devout member. This, in George Orwellâ€™s view at least, was central to his humour.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F5JGJJ2F3JAIVFASV5427BOOSA","additional_properties":{},"content":"In an essay lamenting the decline of English comic writing in the mid-20th century, Orwell wrote:","type":"text"},{"_id":"QMFJIC7VPFB4RD4OJB7JZP7WRA","additional_properties":{},"content":"â€œNearly all English humorists today are too genteel, too kind-hearted and too consciously low-brow. P,G. Wodehouseâ€™s novels, or A.P. Herbertâ€™s verses, seem always to be aimed at prosperous stockbrokers whiling away an odd half hour in the lounge of some suburban golf course.","type":"text"},{"_id":"432EVJBQ7VDQNKAXGKUCE4KLZ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"â€œThey and all their kind are dominated by an anxiety not to stir up mud, either moral, religious, political or intellectual. It is no accident that most of the best comic writers of our time â€“ Belloc, Chesterton, â€˜Timothy Shyâ€™ and the recent â€˜Beachcomberâ€™ â€“ have been Catholic apologists; that is, people with a serious purpose and a notable willingness to hit below the belt.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"7GR42B6ER5GPFDDSF2FBW5X36U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Born in Paris, Belloc was descended via his paternal grandmother from an Irish Protestant who fled 18th-century Ireland after hitting somebody above the belt â€“ fatally, in a duel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"62REKOOLZZHCLC3GPR5MKHOMMI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Ã©migrÃ© converted to Catholicism and became a colonel in Franceâ€™s Irish Brigade. This led to his descendentâ€“ who often wrote about Ireland - being hailed on occasion as an â€œAnglo-Irish Frenchmanâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MK5AG3DURFGAJIQSNYDSI4HN5Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Getting back to Hilary Term, it begins by tradition on â€œPlough Mondayâ€, the first Monday after the Epiphany, so named because it also used to be the start of the agricultural year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LO5FSZZECRAFHAH6Z25KUBYE6A","additional_properties":{},"content":"The same date, or at least the new yearâ€™s first working Monday, is also frequently claimed to be the busiest of all for a certain kind of solicitor. It may be a myth, but the theory goes that, after the pressures of Christmas, this is when warring couples are most likely to reach for the divorce lawyers. Hilarity does not usually ensue.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Frank McNally"}},"name":"Frank McNally"}]},"description":{"basic":"The ancient Romans used to host Hilaria: public holidays marked by ceremonial rejoicing"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T18:59:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Funny Peculiar â€“ Frank McNally on the unhilarious St Hilary and the legal term named after him","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"XZ4GHOKDDRBPHCVSP6NTQH4UHM","auth":{"1":"a7605559da78d83bb6fcfd03d41d4dc8549e22c779d08405bdd37799abf8dd0c"},"focal_point":{"x":489,"y":842},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/XZ4GHOKDDRBPHCVSP6NTQH4UHM.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"An Irish Diary"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/an-irish-diary/2025/01/14/funny-peculiar-frank-mcnally-on-the-unhilarious-st-hilary-and-the-legal-term-named-after-him/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/an-irish-diary","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"An Irish Diary"}}}}],"count":3879,"_id":"c46be2620b708cec70b706a2084cec287c49858362479e301cf7d93b9400de73"},"expires":1737069794752,"lastModified":1737069494663},"{\"feedOffset\":0,\"feedSize\":4,\"includeSections\":\"/opinion/editorials\"}":{"data":{"content_elements":[{"_id":"URX7ICZ5VVFQFEYUIM4YHLISCU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":182,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/710d3cd7-515e-4e07-bf49-5864eebdb1d9/versions/1737052532/media/d8863fde20a5800dc8b1d153f1bec699_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/16/the-irish-times-view-on-the-gaza-ceasefire-deal-implementation-is-now-crucial/","content_elements":[{"_id":"3TLT2KBHNZHUFOPYU5BBFUVCIU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The fragility of the Gaza ceasefire agreement was reflected yesterday by the postponement of Israeli cabinet approval of the deal, amid claims that Hamas was already reneging on its terms. Israelâ€™s government is still expected to vote on the deal and it seems the late disagreements with Hamas may have been sorted out. But the timing of the vote may be complicated by the threat to resign by far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Givr.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2IA3LJ4FZD5RGR6NK64OOTUAQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1737052349429},"content":"Despite celebrations in the streets of Gaza and Israel of the long-awaited prospect of both withdrawal of Israeli troops and the release of hostages and prisoners, Israeli attacks killed another 80-plus Palestinians in the hours after the announcement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2XAI4LHH7ZAWDIN4C5JOR3WF7M","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020808},"content":"There remains a deep level of mistrust on both sides, accusations of bad faith, and a risk that we may be witnessing another false dawn with an agreement that leaves so many questions unanswered or long-fingered.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AI465AG6BBA65CDYQXMHVWUYJ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020809},"content":"Nevertheless, after more than 15 long, agonising months, it appears that, with the assistance of the US, Egypt and Qatar, the basis for a welcome ceasefire agreement has finally been brokered. It is due to come into effect from Sunday. At first, a group of 34 hostages held by Hamas are due to be released over the course of 42 days, during which Israel will withdraw from most of Gaza, leaving some forces within a defined â€œperimeter zoneâ€ at the eastern edge of the coastal enclave. Gazans will be permitted to return to their flattened homes in the north of the enclave, while humanitarian supplies will resume on a large scale. Hundreds of Palestinians held in Israel are set to be released.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CUI27IDS4RG4FGHKZBVYX3V2BQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020810},"content":"The second phase of the three-phase deal, yet to be negotiated, is supposed to see the remaining hostages and hundreds more Palestinians freed, with the IDF leaving the rest of Gaza. Ominously, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu is insisting that the war will not be over until Hamas is finally destroyed, and that after the first phase the fighting may resume at any time. Israel is also adamantly opposed to agreement on any form of Palestinian self-government. The deal makes no reference to a path to statehood.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EGXGWFGSYRB45P23TWFHDHXHZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020811},"content":"Netanyahu has been working hard to persuade voters both that the deal does not represent the sell-out his far-right cabinet allies claim, and that it is not a package that he could have agreed months ago had it not been politically inconvenient. One of his most prominent supporters has explained that phase one of the deal was necessary simply to provide US president-elect Donald Trump with an achievement ahead of his imminent return to the Oval Office, but that Trump doesnâ€™t truly care about ending the war and will not object to Israel walking away from phase two.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SL2GPSXOHNBQ5G4XCWCIVVY7WM","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020812},"content":"Hamas will also have to demonstrate good faith, most importantly by accepting that it cannot play a part in any post-war governance of the enclave. It must also demonstrate an ability to discipline its militants and those of fellow jihadist groups like Islamic Jihad.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OEYDQOX3C5HNBITNL7EH3ED3LI","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020813},"content":"A crucial few days now lie ahead to see if this vital ceasefire will go ahead on schedule . It must.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"There remains a deep level of mistrust on both sides, accusations of bad faith, and a risk that we may be witnessing another false dawn"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T20:40:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"The Irish Times view on the Gaza ceasefire: fragile deal faces its first test ","native":"The fragile Gaza ceasefire deal faces its first test"},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"GEVPKC4YS355KTMXOCLFTIZPMQ","auth":{"1":"d8cad63f965aadf53beae6ce875f51c5b507b3374a55d324af70eb9dcaa067c3"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/GEVPKC4YS355KTMXOCLFTIZPMQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Editorials"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/16/the-irish-times-view-on-the-gaza-ceasefire-deal-implementation-is-now-crucial/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/editorials","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Editorials"}}}},{"_id":"UQPLHGKFCZGKDLKLUVLCPOCG5U","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":131,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/2763b554-7058-4057-a1e5-728dc895cdf9/versions/1737049135/media/4a386c2b94ebd6719aae5073b771d334_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/16/the-irish-times-view-on-child-poverty-important-pointers-from-looking-north/","content_elements":[{"_id":"HXFBGYER5JAPPIDM5Z5MERB74U","additional_properties":{},"content":"It is a statement of the obvious to say that the two parts of this island have more in common than there are differences. One of the less edifying examples is the persistently high levels of childhood deprivation found on both sides of the Border. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"REMAIE3PHJA2DCI4I7XKJ2VFVA","additional_properties":{},"content":"A study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published this week and funded by the Department of the Taoiseachâ€™s shared Island unit has found 24 per cent of children in both jurisdictions meet the criteria for deprivation; living in a family that is unable to afford at least two of five basic essentials like paying their bills on time or keeping their home warm.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IDQVLSHZQBCDNMIOKUAATDMOPI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Levels of childhood income poverty â€“ living in a household with a disposable income that is less than 60 per cent of median national income â€“ do differ between North and South. Income poverty rates have been around 14 per cent in the Republic and 21 per cent in Northern Ireland .","type":"text"},{"_id":"2O64ZRJQHVA2BMRKPHFTN7UGEM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The failure of falling income poverty in the Republic to translate into lower levels of deprivation is attributed to the higher cost of living. Earnings and benefits may be increasing, but they are not keeping up with inflation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XVMFF7ABURDDJOE3VBNFQWLMAI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Differences in how supports are structured in the two jurisdictions may have a bearing. The Republic relies primarily on universal child benefit. Northern Ireland offers a wider range of means-tested benefits. The reliance in the Republic in recent years on once-off payments to deal with spikes in prices rather than linking benefits to inflation may also be a factor, according to the report.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QQVHXR5SAFEY7NV4UMU5ZZ4AJM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Child benefit appears to be politically untouchable in the Republic and once-off payments are beloved by politicians. As a result, it is hard to see much of an appetite for reform. There is little in the programme for government published this week to indicate otherwise.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H53FXWM35FFCXKLP5I6V6E55GI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The document does contain a commitment to continue to support the North-South Research Programme through the Shared Island Fund. That at least is to be welcomed. It is clear we have something to learn from each other. ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"A new ESRI study provides important insights from both sides of the Border"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T20:15:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"The Irish Times view on child poverty: important pointers from looking north","native":"Important lessons on tackling child poverty on both sides of the Border"},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"SDK3O3LLCJRYKRSYJ7NMBAGSK4","auth":{"1":"4a2a670bf25c55f669f33dfa156ef6009c2047c7c0eaac5bf4b945fb2e451240"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/SDK3O3LLCJRYKRSYJ7NMBAGSK4.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Editorials"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/16/the-irish-times-view-on-child-poverty-important-pointers-from-looking-north/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/editorials","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Editorials"}}}},{"_id":"63UO6PPN5FFGZEMH4HAJFZSQIA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":184,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/314fb68a-cb0a-4b38-8d74-fd62f15b85d5/versions/1736966433/media/1e01c6dca0d2ec2287b340729d5e1b40_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/15/the-irish-times-view-on-the-new-programme-for-government-a-vague-and-contradictory-wishlist/","content_elements":[{"_id":"EFXFMDPYEBGRXK4LJX2LTKHE7U","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227459},"content":"The draft programme for government amounts to little more than a set of vague, aspirational spending promises drawn from the manifestos of the two big parties to the deal. To achieve even a portion of what is promised, the public finances will need to remain healthy, which is far from guaranteed. Hard choices lie ahead, particularly given the emerging threats to Irelandâ€™s economic model, but you wouldnâ€™t know it from the document.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QFKFFGGKSZE2LBUZU7JD3KYL2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227460},"content":"The programme appears caught between business-as-usual from Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael and promises to do things better, or faster. Priorities are hard to discern. And there is a lingering reluctance to accept that new approaches are needed, including in areas such as housing and the rental market.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5CUKYSXT4BCSXGYHBAKWI7FQOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227461},"content":"There are some changes in direction given that the Regional Independent Group in effect has replaced the Green Party, including a new emphasis on roads. There are presumably some constituency deals.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BIZMZY3U4BBE5HWV6ESWLY36XA","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227462},"content":"The document does give a nod to prioritisation when it says that if the public finance position worsens, State investment spending will be protected and income tax reductions postponed. In this scenario the government will do its best to protect public services, it suggests.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AILBRBB65DPDHKADAG3SR4HZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227463},"content":"There is no clarity on what any of the promises will cost. And so it is impossible to judge what might be affordable. A new medium-term framework for the public finances is promised and this is likely to collide at some stage with the spending commitments.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PTYTF3Y57VASNCQA3S7KAJPNBA","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227464},"content":"The programme does include a section on delivery and reform and emphasises the importance of value for money. It contains proposals to change the oversight of major projects and try to speed their delivery. There are some useful ideas here, but the new government, with many of the same old faces, needs to demonstrate a fresh energy in these areas and a willingness to change.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NSCRRV5XUJGELHR5ESZCBEAEKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227465},"content":"The draft plan is cautious in too many areas, proposing countless reviews and examinations, for example of Fine Gaelâ€™s plan for a payment for the families of all newborn children, which should be quietly forgotten. It has welcome commitments in other areas, such as disability.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4D2PRFQNK5BQLHFH5BBXTXVGCQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227466},"content":"Irelandâ€™s lagging performance on climate is more or less ignored, with a repetition of existing targets, which look unlikely to be achieved. A new push is promised for wind investment, including offshore, and investment in the energy network. Weâ€™ll see. Anything that would upset any sector, including farming, is fudged. At some stage these contradictions will have to be faced.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UILHUR23MFDJVALVHMQTBUQIZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227467},"content":"Perhaps we should not expect too much from a programme designed to allow a government to be elected and win the support of a sufficient number of Independents. 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He said yesterday that the arrest was important â€œfor maintaining order and the rule of law in South Korea.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"3I2FTO6BQFAJREF4QITASDNERQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437892},"content":"Although Yoon initially apologised for imposing martial law, he has become more defiant in recent weeks and now claims that his action was necessary to flush out what he claims are communists and North Korean sympathisers in the opposition. He appeared to relent somewhat yesterday, saying he would agree to questioning to avoid â€œunsavoury bloodshedâ€. Though he may not have had much choice.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FGOOGKRXYBGT3MP4UCT32R4NKM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437893},"content":"Yoonâ€™s supporters have adopted Donald Trumpâ€™s slogan â€œStop the Stealâ€, alleging that the opposition is subverting the constitutional order by attempting to drive the president from office.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6S3S67HBNVDHBNYMID25EDVXU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437894},"content":"If the constitutional court upholds Yoonâ€™s impeachment, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days and opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is currently the favourite to win. He advocates a less confrontational approach to North Korea and friendlier relations with China and he opposed the trilateral security pact Yoon agreed with the US and Japan.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZUUEN6A3OFERBEGQ2Y6PQO2DTE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437895},"content":"With North Korea deepening its links with Moscow â€“ including providing soldiers for the war in Ukraine â€“ South Korea has a dangerous and unpredictable neighbour. It needs a swift end to the turmoil into which its president has plunged it.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"With North Korea deepening its links with Moscow, South Korea has a dangerous and unpredictable neighbour"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T20:05:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"The Irish Times view on South Korea: unwelcome instability ","native":"South Korea, with an unpredictable neighbour, needs an end to political 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on Spotify increasingly bland, it might be the ghosts"},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VI6GVB4VMZABRGOLBBAN2PRA6A","auth":{"1":"e6d81c870bcc160d7e8d6313111b38f7efdfb0d050be62e3b1e4419caf2afeb3"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VI6GVB4VMZABRGOLBBAN2PRA6A.jpg"}},"website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/mark-oconnell-if-you-find-music-on-spotify-increasingly-bland-it-may-be-the-ghosts/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"2DT3H2J5JZDHTG3MPMXEZXY5MQ","canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/dundrum-apartments-decision-a-symptom-of-broken-planning-system/","credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Cliff Taylor"}},"image":{"auth":{"1":"cf7622b73563f83155207158199a8b98dfecfab81a074db6483679ae9b848af4"},"url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/bec5c714-85f8-47c9-b1a5-7647a741b0c2.png"},"name":"Cliff Taylor","slug":"cliff-taylor"}]},"headlines":{"basic":"Dundrum apartments decision a symptom of broken planning system "},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4SL23CHCOFCQHKGXKDHUWU2JLQ","auth":{"1":"e96d98660807fa77146f246424dcb45b17a92b08cc06f5ebc6efe038f3d99158"},"focal_point":{"x":1830,"y":1184},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4SL23CHCOFCQHKGXKDHUWU2JLQ.JPG"}},"website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/dundrum-apartments-decision-a-symptom-of-broken-planning-system/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"YUORR75KO5BMXIMHJCSA5H7K4M","canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/enoch-burkes-lonely-vigil-at-the-school-gate-has-not-been-entirely-pointless/","credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Jennifer O'Connell"}},"image":{"auth":{"1":"354ca3b7bb5135998ad67b1d987508a9e68e78f0ca3b259d78d8c46f814e2b9b"},"url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/7c6197b1-5eab-4831-88ee-64505c28115b.png"},"name":"Jennifer 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-(subtype:analysis)\",\"size\":27}":{"data":{"content_elements":[{"_id":"3DZYILB22NEHZE6OK2UJSTJX4M","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":384,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/efe1164b-c83d-43b3-ae41-e9cb56284ddb/versions/1736961242/media/0c0cdecb324c7c2619d6bc8098fdb4f4_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/16/soft-quitting-why-are-so-many-workers-emotionally-disengaging-from-their-jobs/","content_elements":[{"_id":"5AJBVKBKIJADPOU5ZV56NFQGX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680786},"content":"First there was quiet quitting. Most of us have, at this stage, got our heads around the post-Covid label for the trend towards disaffected workers doing the bare minimum needed to earn their salary and not lose their job. Like a lot of management jargon, â€œquiet quittingâ€ posits a phenomenon which is as old as work itself as a new insight.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VKXOF5XGHFH4TI2OPWBS4DFH4Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680787},"content":"There is, in truth, nothing new about clock punching, but at the same time the prominence of the term, which has spawned countless think pieces, and the lack of a negative connotation speaks to a change in attitudes to work and its role in our lives.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I3DAJ6FWYBGRTCAIYTWFUXCPJU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680788},"content":"Now Forbes magazine informs us of another far more dangerous and, it says, insidious trend: soft quitting. This is defined as choosing to disengage emotionally from your work without necessarily reducing your output. Itâ€™s the quality of your work that suffers as you lose your enthusiasm for it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I6M5Z24NKRAJVFEAC5SSNBKILM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680789},"content":"According to Dr Diane Hamilton, a business behavioural expert and the author of the Forbes article, soft quitting will gradually eat away at a companyâ€™s culture and productivity in a way that is more damaging and harder to fix than quiet quitting. She links soft quitting to the Chinese trend of â€œtang pingâ€ or â€œlying flatâ€ which involves getting out of what was once called the rat race and embracing a minimalist lifestyle.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LYHUNZIKKZBNVHGSZP6TLZN5KM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680790},"content":"Quiet quitters can be managed back to higher productivity. Soft quitters, however, have to be persuaded and cajoled. The output of a quiet quitter can be increased by giving them more work to do. The soft quitter has to be convinced what they are doing is worth doing. Hamilton does not advance any evidence for the coming epidemic of soft quitting, although she does reference research which suggests that the number of Americans who want to change jobs is at an all-time high. Gallup, which carried out the research, refers it as the â€œgreat detachmentâ€. It says that â€œwhile turnover numbers may have slowed, employee productivity concerns and future talent loss are hidden organisational risks. In addition, when employees feel detached from their work, organisational change initiatives are likely to meet indifference or resistance.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"5YGZPAFNZVHHRCPWJGM67JHLOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958087046},"content":"Soft quitters, by their nature, are hard to spot, Hamilton points out.","type":"text"},{"_id":"44J5H7JSKBHVZFQOEYY2IKAMTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680792},"content":"As you might expect of a business behavioural expert, Hamilton offers various jargon-heavy solutions to soft quitting such as the need for organisations to â€œcultivate a culture of curiosity, purpose, and continuous developmentâ€ in order to ensure â€œwork aligns with personal goals and continuously providing growth opportunitiesâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7I2RRLBB4BASXDVNFQ6J3UCS2E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680793},"content":"Itâ€™s hard not to be cynical, but somewhere in the middle of the corporate buzzword bingo lies a truth that most of us recognise. Most of us have experienced the emotions she describes at some stage in our working lives. The difference this time is perhaps that people are acting on them. The fear of consequences â€“ such as losing your job â€“ that might have made you push these thoughts to the back of your mind seems to be absent among soft quitters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FNQL4WELWBD6RJ4QYDRWLBPUNY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680795},"content":"Why that is the case is another question entirely, but the blame has been laid at the feet of Covid, social media, emotional burnout, affluence, the welfare state and good, old-fashioned laziness. Gallup points to hybrid work as a possible culprit â€“ its data shows that remote workers are consistently less attached to their companyâ€™s mission.","type":"text"},{"_id":"STADGVL5DRF5XNUJ7SXTM2HAS4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680796},"content":"It is perhaps a little early to call this a global trend â€“ a few more articles are needed before that happens â€“ but if we are truly entering the era of soft quitting then perhaps artificial intelligence has arrived in the nick of time.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ONZIFBVZYBGVVIRWCUPM3CMFHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680797},"content":"The development of large language models such as ChatGPT and the powerful computer chips on which to run them may mean that rather than try to motivate employees gripped by existential angst, it might just be a better idea to for businesses to simply replace them with a machine. It wonâ€™t worry too much about where its life is going, and what it all means. It looks like this is going to happen anyway if the truly terrifying predictions about the impact of AI on the jobs market are in any way true.","type":"text"},{"_id":"43Y7RYORM5C3TFUTFTJ7VRC6DM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680799},"content":"This time last year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published a report which concluded that 40 per cent of global employment is exposed to AI but this is heavily skewed towards high-skill jobs and thus advanced economies are the most at risk. The number of jobs that will be affected rises to 60 per cent for advanced economies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GR5HWJNWWNDLFFL7DRMXLH2QWE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958087053},"content":"A series of three reports prepared by the Department of Finance and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment last year found that about 30 per cent of workers here are employed in roles that are at risk of being replaced by AI, and that Irelandâ€™s labour market is marginally more exposed to AI than the advanced economy average (at 63 per cent vs 60 per cent), but that the impacts are not all negative.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HR7V6H5BVGD3O7ECRZGZOHIXI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680800},"content":"In around half of cases the impact will be negative, believes the IMF. This is because tasks currently carried out by humans will be carried out by computers, which will lead to lower demand for labour, lower wages and ultimately fewer jobs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LYYNOUWSB5BXTI3PWUJPDHLV3I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680801},"content":"The IMF also predicts that higher earners will benefit most from AI as they will share in the benefits in terms of higher profits and increased productivity as jobs and wages are cut further down the chain. It concludes that AI will likely worsen overall inequality, something it calls â€“ in a masterly understatement â€“ a â€œtroubling trend that policymakers must proactively address to prevent the technology from further stoking social tensionsâ€. It warns that comprehensive social nets and retraining programmes will be needed for people who lose their jobs. More prosaically, you canâ€™t help thinking that nothing is going to encourage soft quitting more than seeing your boss get richer as you work harder for less.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QUAAZNE7TBFAJIXZ5AZNVM3LDQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680804},"content":"It is perhaps no coincidence that we are falling out of love with work just as machines come along to do it for us.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"John McManus"}},"name":"John McManus"}]},"description":{"basic":"Unlike quiet quitters, who can be managed back to productivity, soft quitters have to be convinced the work is worth doing"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Soft quitting: Why are so many workers emotionally disengaging from their jobs? ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"QIYCHGAVONAFPESFG54IDVKNVY","auth":{"1":"9678a72e6cec5ade1791b062f07d04874b9a96882f93772ac15715ef39861bc0"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/QIYCHGAVONAFPESFG54IDVKNVY.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/16/soft-quitting-why-are-so-many-workers-emotionally-disengaging-from-their-jobs/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"XHN7C67QDNE6XMV5O5L7BLWD2Q","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":357,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e46e06b3-e5fb-4341-9eb5-b3d91bc92eea/versions/1736875064/media/d0aaf1f20870a1b1250b95944e9730b8_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/15/cliona-saidlear-even-when-they-win-sexual-abuse-survivors-can-struggle-with-a-process-that-cost-them-so-much/","content_elements":[{"_id":"JM4UXQX2J5AY3D4Q4NT66GQNOQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289243},"content":"The term justice means different things to different people and can evolve with changing circumstances. For many survivors of sexual violence, this concept carries with it the promise of acknowledgment and vindication or, as GisÃ¨le Pelicot said, â€œshame must change sidesâ€. But too often they are met only with the reality of secondary trauma inflicted by cultural and structural violence.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XQHN64FOV5BM5ILAOVEF23E2R4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289244},"content":"In her seminal 1997 book, Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice, Judith Herman says that what many survivors need is truth and repair but that what the justice system provides is punishment and monetary damages. There is little importance traditionally given to fairness, respect and voice. The sociological model of procedural justice highlights the importance of fairness in the procedure, as opposed to only the outcomes. Despite significant reform since 1997, survivors are still telling us they do not experience justice.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XCIXY35JLBFWZJU3566NB6IIZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289245},"content":"For survivors, the level of legitimacy they place on a system is heavily dependent on how much trust they have in the process. Criminal justice reforms, including the outgoing Governmentâ€™s A Victimâ€™s Journey, have tried to deliver increased fairness to victims in the adversarial system. But what survivors like Miriam Henry â€” whose brother Gerald avoided jail after being convicted of sexually abusing her â€” keep telling us is that the system is not trustworthy and, damningly, that it harms more than it protects.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H7HNOWUT4ZEUZIVBIR3DTLX2GY","additional_properties":{"_id":"VM2QIEFJEJCAXFY546LFIK7W5A"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"J6LZPSPVQJGD3OO6LQSMP5QOII","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289246},"content":"Our criminal justice system seeks to identify and respond to the actions and intentions of the perpetrator. But for the survivor, the true trauma includes the unseen systemic and cultural harms that isolate and silence. We see it in unsupportive friends and family, or a community dissecting the horrific facts of a crime for entertainment, or in the lack of comprehensive support services. For a victim, the goal of activating a formal justice response â€” getting to a courtroom â€” is to achieve entry to a response system whose processes are designed to undermine and discredit not only the survivorâ€™s actions but their character also. Where the criminal justice system delivers a guilty verdict and a sentence, survivors often struggle with how to interpret this win that cost them so much and marginalised them in the process.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AURROXTYORERVPMM5UTI3KXPKE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289247},"content":"Survivors like Nikita Hand feel abandoned by the justice system and are left only the option to pursue civil cases, which offer fewer protections and little satisfaction. Our low reporting and prosecution rates coupled with the injustices of the system itself that survivors attest to, amounts to a level of failure which arguably puts this criminality, in the main, beyond the reach of justice. This is an untenable violation of human rights.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJBS2FR7MBF47GAHCITPOWREZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289248},"content":"An obvious example of the fundamental shortcomings in the system is the positioning of the survivor as merely a witness to the event as opposed to a participant in the court process. This censors the voice of the most important person in the process. The right to a fair trial is important, indeed a right that we would defend, but for Rape Crisis Ireland (RCI) the right to fairness should be applied equally. The application of the defendantâ€™s rights must not come at the expense of the rights of the survivor to privacy, dignity and what should be equal participation in a criminal justice process. Another is the blatant victim-blaming clothed in the language of relevance practised by the defence. The disclosure of the survivorâ€™s private and unrelated information, used only as a tool to discredit, is unacceptable, and a humiliating indictment of the outdated practices of the process.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7JNM6E6745GH5LAMYPJ6VD3UWE","additional_properties":{"_id":"NVEYDZOHWZFR5CI7OH7HC7VGIU"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"P7TA4W2H4JE2RHU35JVAH2J6XE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289249},"content":"The Irish criminal justice system is anachronistic. Most sexual violence law has its roots in patriarchal property rights and is imbued with patriarchal values and adversarial practice. We are no longer living in a world where womenâ€™s bodies are menâ€™s property. We have, for 100 years, worked to adapt this system to recognise that womenâ€™s rights are human rights. But what remains are the foundational adversarial approaches to how we structure the pursuit of truth in our justice system. Survivors of sexual violence, despite these myriad worthy reforming efforts, continue to be failed. As a country dedicated to being at the forefront of democratic and human rights-based values, RCI believes it is time to ask whether we need a new approach, a legal and cultural shift that speaks clearly and unequivocally to who we are and how we treat those made vulnerable by these crimes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KKEHUGFAGVB53GV6BX7J5F3MUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289250},"content":"Violence against women and children especially is acknowledged and accepted as an epidemic which is growing exponentially. It is time for a bold reassessment of the way we treat survivors of sexual violence. It is urgently needed. The adversarial system inflicted on the survivors of these crimes is not fit for purpose; it never was.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VI5DYEPJOZBA3JK6BGOQWEE32E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289251},"content":"This is why RCI is calling for the new government to establish a commission on justice. This commission should explore and assess the positioning of the survivor within criminal justice on a human rights basis but also the balancing of the rights of survivor and accused. Such a consideration of justice has the potential to move us beyond the cycle of short-term fixes and mitigations that inevitably lead to their own set of new problems. We should no longer accept that simply because it has always been so.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DKJCFKCUZBD7NAWJNEV4XYM42U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736869619246},"content":"Dr ClÃona SaidlÃ©ar is executive director of Rape Crisis Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"ClÃona SaidlÃ©ar"}]},"description":{"basic":"Low reporting and prosecution rates and injustices of the system arguably puts this criminality beyond the reach of justice; this is an untenable violation of human rights"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Even when they â€˜winâ€™, sexual abuse survivors can pay a high price","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"XTDWTAPRANCQXIAE5PN4LR4UHU","auth":{"1":"453b02f7ce705f21b033f2f7d834b4eaed6410002c5aea8abb7502ae239ca443"},"focal_point":{"x":2915,"y":1975},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/XTDWTAPRANCQXIAE5PN4LR4UHU.JPG"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/15/cliona-saidlear-even-when-they-win-sexual-abuse-survivors-can-struggle-with-a-process-that-cost-them-so-much/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"RK3GR5MW6NFOPPGXBL2FMFSQKU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":351,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/a644aa3a-3d38-4b37-a583-8d358ba3b6b5/versions/1736866996/media/70ca3e172d3154def3ce7ead562ce379_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/eamon-ryan-irelands-risk-averse-civil-service-cannot-speed-up-delivery-of-the-things-we-need-most/","content_elements":[{"_id":"SSIXMZZZSRDO7AXKK2I7W6HMOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874592},"content":"Weâ€™ll know soon enough what the new programme for government has to say about the reform of government departments, after the intense talks of recent weeks. I agree with what Gerard Howlin wrote in these pages recently that our civil servants are â€œoverwhelmingly honourableâ€ and that our system has shown real strength when, for example, managing the economic crash and the Covid pandemic in recent years. Given the success of our country, as measured in so many international league tables, you cannot but give credit to our public service for their good decision making and hard work over decades.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3DMZ74SYVBFVJA2DDANW27LWUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736865099347},"content":"However, when not jolted by crisis management, our risk-averse administration tends to put process before delivery. It seems not to have the vision or wherewithal to quicken the production of new housing, energy, water and public transport systems, which is what we need most today.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5KVW5QJ6UVBIHETSEBSBM4AH2U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874593},"content":"Simon Harris initially raised expectations when he proposed a new Department of Infrastructure but it seemed to me there had been little real thinking as to what that might mean. At the time, we in the Green Party were proposing that responsibility for water and planning should be moved from the Department of Housing and Local Government to the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. This would allow the Department of Housing to focus on its core business, while responsibility for all the pipes, cables and wires would also be more coherently held in the one place. I think it would work better, but have no sense that Fianna FÃ¡il or Fine Gael see it that way.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJFKWSO3GVCWFHBJZ544IFDAKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874594},"content":"Speculation during the negotiations was that energy might be moved over to the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment (DETE) â€“ a suggestion that seemed to be motivated perhaps by the desire to get additional data centres built. Such a move would rest on a misdiagnosis of the reasons for restrictions on new grid connections and would ignore the fact that the energy transition is for every part of society, and not just the business sector.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5TG4PG3CBFEU3ORTKLQXCO5CF4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736865099350},"content":"DETE is also regarded as a â€œpolicy departmentâ€ rather than a â€œdelivery departmentâ€ and that cultural difference is important. This is not a policy development problem; what we need is experience of building things, so we get quicker and lower-cost construction.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AQL5M7AJMBHRZJAVPHYYYNLH2M","additional_properties":{"_id":"SDT2HQ3IHZD35MXROSFTKBLI4Q"},"content":"Last thing we need is a Department of Infrastructure","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"KXOT4CIRP5DZXHBUWT45KLIQX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874595},"content":"The idea â€“ which had also been voiced during the talks â€“ that energy, transport and water would all be moved together into the one big department seemed to me to be a mistake. Having had responsibility for two of those functions for the last four years, I was grateful for the advice I got from an experienced Cabinet colleague at the formation of the last Government not to put the two departments together. I was warned, I think correctly, that you would do little else but manage the reorganisation for the next few years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DQU6EAPS3NFVXEDDKBGUGSX6LA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736865099352},"content":"I also think the transport transition is too important not to have its own department. It has a huge budget and will have a vital role if we are to build sustainable and affordable housing and meet our climate targets.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3A7Z77MQCRHX7BLQFHU3HRJFZQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874596},"content":"You can endlessly play out this fantasy Cabinet game and argue why the government parties should have opted for one reconfiguration or another, but what also matters is the role of the two finance departments and the Department of the Taoiseach in overseeing the infrastructure leap we need to make. Splitting the Department of Finance has weakened its overall effectiveness. The deployment of what Howlin refers to as â€œprocess gritâ€ â€“ delaying things as a way of slowing down and managing spending â€“ is costing us all because contractors price expected delays into every tender bid with the State.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WUTAMAZ555B7ZAL2FOLBNUBYQM","additional_properties":{"_id":"2XGCAQ67B5B4HMQLCYPT4GESIE"},"content":"Fiscal council says government spending has â€˜lost its anchorâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"ULEZZDSCKBGHJNEHMHWCYV6D5Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874597},"content":"What we need for the next five years is for the public expenditure and finance departments to really own two strategic imperatives, which should guide where we go from here. The first is to move away from their traditional scepticism about the decarbonisation and digitalisation of our economy. The departments need to embrace these transitions as the only way of building efficiency, competitiveness, and resilience. Unless they own and are resourced to understand what is happening in these two areas, they will not be able to serve the State. Ownership means not just signing off on the cheque after prolonged wrangling with a line department, but having the necessary skills to help get things done quicker and therefore cheaper in the end.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BIN2SOF635FXZKR3JCXBXILXRE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874598},"content":"The second strategic aim is perhaps a more political one: recognising that with full employment and strong economic growth we are going to have to dampen down current spending right across the country, if we are not to overheat the economy and lose value for money in all our capital investments. That will be difficult in big-spending line departments and at budget time, but failing to do so would be more significant than any departmental changes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AR7E67A76JAEPEODAQKW45ZMDI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874599},"content":"Last but not least, everyone looks for the Department of the Taoiseach to take responsibility for their pet mission in the public service sphere. Itâ€™s true it must have a central co-ordinating role, and canâ€™t be subservient to the Department of Finance, but on its own it does not have the capacity to manage our expansion in capital spending.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UMH4PB7GXNBONGH74GFK4K5GZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736867805933},"content":"We inherited a well-designed Civil Service from the UK, but Iâ€™m glad we avoided what the UK did in recent years by centralising so much of its delivery units in numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street. The UK has also weakened its Cabinet by making it too big, whereas under our Constitution we can only field a football team of 15 frontline ministers. The programme for government sets out the formation of that team and gives us an indication of how they are going to play.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Eamon Ryan"}]},"description":{"basic":"We are going to have to decarbonise and dampen down current spending to avoid overheating the economy"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T14:58:09.75Z","headlines":{"basic":"Irelandâ€™s risk-averse civil service cannot speed up delivery of the things we need most","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"QC5OEADM65GPHIATI2324BNWQM","auth":{"1":"6205acf8d081a9dc4c43ff0c406f2f9c7709f157be6a11906530ebb8cbbf0d87"},"focal_point":{"x":2154,"y":1894},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/QC5OEADM65GPHIATI2324BNWQM.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/eamon-ryan-irelands-risk-averse-civil-service-cannot-speed-up-delivery-of-the-things-we-need-most/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"O6Y3KWW2RBEDTOBJDLZFDE2GSI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":548,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/38ec9402-fbbc-4a4a-9fcb-df86e5aac495/versions/1736784455/media/775564d968c4e585abe36149dc8045e8_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/the-debate-should-ireland-proceed-with-the-occupied-territories-bill/","content_elements":[{"_id":"L4VJIW3I7FFJ7PK7XAPUPZMYDA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193916},"content":"Matt Carthy: In a world where principles are too often compromised, this Bill can be a beacon of moral clarity","type":"header"},{"_id":"3BAQLSGRVVCPFCQDQKO7R5TPUE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193917},"content":"Israel has been in breach of multiple international laws and United Nations resolutions for several decades. It has never faced a single meaningful consequence for these violations.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UXCSFUVKL5GJZGBTABIXNTO3WM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193918},"content":"Little wonder, then, that Israeli leaders feel they can act with impunity. This has led to an arrogance that has resulted in the catastrophe we have witnessed unfold in Gaza. Objective independent analysis of Israeli actions in occupied Palestine has determined that international humanitarian law is being flagrantly disregarded.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AXI3HNPXMJCCVFAACOKX2J4VJU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937325},"content":"Collective punishment, illegal occupation, annexation, false imprisonment, cruel and degrading treatment, targeting of innocent civilians â€“ each illegal under international law and each conducted by Israel systematically over decades.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OC3XWMAUZ5DH7AKIHNNTV3ASSE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193919},"content":"There are other states that ignore and breach the UN charter. None does so while enjoying such a prolonged period of substantial financial, military and diplomatic assistance from the international community, especially the western world. Israel enjoys the most preferential economic, trading and diplomatic relationship with the EU that it is possible for a non-European country to have.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ITJPHJIJJJENHHTI7EDYS76SOI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193920},"content":"The human rights clauses within the EU-Israel Association Agreement have proven to be worthless in restricting the actions of a state that has targeted every single healthcare facility in Gaza, most on multiple occasions, since October 2023.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ET6QWMJUDJBTPARX2LWNS6TUUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193921},"content":"History tells us that states that engage in such barbarity will continue to do so until the world says stop. There are some within the world â€“ the US, Britain and the EU included â€“ who refuse to say stop. That will be to their eternal shame.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HZQ356QDNLD5ZKU4PIAUJTDJSQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"ATJNQHWHQJB5RPFTNOMLUPIWAU"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"TYX57HBJGREOLOTXXZECTINQ3E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193922},"content":"Just as was the case in responding to apartheid South Africa, some countries must take the lead. Just as was the case with South Africa, Ireland should be among those countries.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BPDCXQ6UBJDU7HZHH263APESW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937331},"content":"What can Ireland do? We are a small country, militarily neutral with an independent foreign policy, albeit bound by the restrictions of EU competencies. What we can and should do are those things that are within our gift to uphold international law.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YKVCA7TZCBBEDMZADSRZVDCXCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937332},"content":"At its core, the Occupied Territories Bill is a legal response to breaches of international law. Settlements in occupied territories, such as those in the West Bank, are widely recognised as violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of an occupying powerâ€™s civilian population into occupied land.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FFGDFOW74JA7BOK5DR45XOBORE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193924},"content":"This Bill simply prevents goods and services from these settlements from being traded in Ireland. Trade policies are not just economic tools â€“ these reflect a nationâ€™s values. Refusing to trade in such goods aligns Irelandâ€™s economic practices with our ethical commitments.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7CCN6TVNZRC4ZEZCGI4K4PFQIE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193925},"content":"The Bill was passed by the DÃ¡il and Seanad six years ago. From the outset, Fine Gael committed to block its passage. They succeeded. Fianna FÃ¡il has supported this blockage over the past five years, despite having brought the Bill to the DÃ¡il.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CDCAXCHLEJDUFGJEMYWK6QCQYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193926},"content":"When Fianna FÃ¡ilâ€™s Niall Collins introduced the Bill he asked â€œif this is not the time to act, when will that time come?â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"UN7QCKN4ZNBXXJNBAVMJMNXMLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193927},"content":"Since then, and long before the despicable Hamas attacks of October 2023, Israel continued to intensify its occupation, annexation and apartheid policies without fear of sanction. For the past 15 months Israel has carried out war crimes on a regular basis.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2TQXVS4SPVBADLJQOB3TZDQYHI","additional_properties":{"_id":"YU37XVCGVFC6BMFKAC44ZTSBDA"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"ZITS4XMK4NAGLO74WFRHUBA3H4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193928},"content":"Were it not for the mobilisation of tens of thousands of campaigning citizens, for the political pressure exerted by Sinn FÃ©in and others in opposition, and for the abhorrence of the Irish people at what they have witnessed in Gaza, then we wouldnâ€™t have the commitments, given on the cusp of an election, from Fine Gael and Fianna FÃ¡il to finally move on this Bill.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BF63WNLDBVHKRLHDY6SW4RTBYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193929},"content":"In a world where principles are often compromised for political or economic convenience, this legislation can be a beacon of moral clarity. It is not merely about trade policy â€“ it is about Ireland stating clearly that international law must mean something.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VGKREKPCSFHHRFUN3R66ZPJKXY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937341},"content":"The alternative is a return to the â€œmight is rightâ€ doctrine. We Irish know better than most that this is the real threat to society, the economy and our collective futures. The time to act is now.","type":"text"},{"_id":"75MI6UDM3FCQ7CU2B2TWCRO7ME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193930},"content":"Matt Carthy is Sinn FÃ©in spokesperson on foreign affairs and defence and is a TD for Cavan-Monaghan","type":"text"},{"_id":"FIT44CIZL5DKREOV2HYA5P2IRM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193931},"content":"Daniel Mulhall: We need to cast a cold eye on a Bill that is likely to be seen as a boycott on Israel","type":"header"},{"_id":"FAWND7OUBVHIHEGFHNO57Q3JFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193932},"content":"Cards on the table. Palestinians have suffered a grave historical injustice, but they have also been ill-served by Hamas. The callous attack on Israeli civilians on October 7th, 2023, was an outrage. Israel was justified in hitting back at Hamas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CDZEENRLCNHQZLX732RGA4ZM4I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937345},"content":"The assault on Gaza has gone on far too long now with huge loss of life and needs to be brought to an end, with all hostages held by Hamas also being released. It is high time to resurrect a political process with some form of two-state solution as its end point.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T7NVDKPIBZGB3KZKO55YY2ZEWE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193933},"content":"Ireland has long been sympathetic to the plight of Palestine and, in the past year, we have recognised its independent statehood and intervened in the case taken by South Africa at the International Court of Justice. Israel has announced the closure of its Embassy in Dublin and, wrongly in my view, accused our Government of anti-Semitism.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BPXZSLRCTNDDREKQD63GMK6GPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937347},"content":"The planned legislation known as the Occupied Territories Bill, first tabled in 2018, has gained renewed momentum and could be given a green light by the incoming Coalition.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XDDEBWXLM5DXPEBFUUTKELYN2A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193934},"content":"This measure has its supporters and detractors. I am in neither camp, but I do think its pros and cons need to be weighed very carefully. It wonâ€™t do to conduct a purely emotional discussion about moral imperatives. We need to cast a cold eye on the Bill and its implications for Ireland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PVICOXYAJ2JVPKGTTDEECMLME4","additional_properties":{"_id":"HONKRS56NREBBKBZCI2D247JJM"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"2R6OFUQZIFBXHBGJFAVRZQEMFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193935},"content":"I would like to see an account of how this Bill is intended to aid Palestinians. Irish trade with the Israeli-occupied territories appears to be minuscule, which means that the legislation would have no material impact. Its supporters say it will send a strong signal to Israel, which, however, is largely impervious to international pressure except perhaps from the US.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVCT3GEB5JDAJC25RBHLQYUMQU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193936},"content":"Foreign policy decisions are not a free hit for a country like ours with a complex set of international interests. There is a real risk that the Bill could breach EU law and trigger legal action against us, but the Government may perhaps be able to iron that out with the EU Commission.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CBHIWZ5VGNA5ZLVC2ZOMOWPEG4","additional_properties":{"_id":"6D6RKN2NGNHVJEBCUDCZQEIPH4"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"TK64M2Q2ANG2ZOCIJN2EFAGXGU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193937},"content":"The more serious threat comes from the US where the Bill is likely to be seen as a boycott of Israel. While we may have legal advice to the contrary, that wonâ€™t count with the White House or the US Congress. They will make up their own minds and act accordingly. Even our most influential friends in the US will not have our back on this one.","type":"text"},{"_id":"THYRY2FUGZEO5D4SADVW43K53E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937354},"content":"For its part, Benjamin Netanyahuâ€™s government would be more than happy to see Irelandâ€™s standing in US undermined.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IQOTR2J6MVBMZNDR7UX67HDB24","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193938},"content":"It is hard to calculate the potential scale of retaliatory action from Washington, but it is not negligible. The advent of the Trump administration, with the president-electâ€™s tendency to shoot from the hip, changes everything. Governments everywhere are having to recalibrate in face of this unpredictable new reality. Imagine how different the world now looks viewed from Copenhagen than it did before Donald Trump publicly set eyes on Greenland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OPNFSWEHIZDXXIQ2TA7TA5XDUM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193939},"content":"It would be wise to bide our time on the Bill and size up the incoming US presidency for a year or two. The Trump teamâ€™s inclinations on tariffs and the reshoring of industrial activity already represent a definite challenge for Ireland. Is it wise to put ourselves in their sights over the Bill?","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVYHVGUU2BG4TPU3DDNNI2ZNYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937358},"content":"I donâ€™t suggest that we abandon this proposition, but a good foreign policy has to reconcile values with interests. The cause of peace between Israel and Palestine may actually be better served by arguing our case within the EU instead of pursuing a lonely furrow as an outlier.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RAQDL3WBFVE2DH7KITS2CXBMBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937359},"content":"My instinct with regard to the Bill in such a fraught international environment is to handle with care.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S6KECAS3ERDN7IW5SRM6UG3SX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193940},"content":"Daniel Mulhall was Irish ambassador to the US from 2017 to 2022. He is on X: @DanMulhall and Bluesky: @danmulhall.bsky.social","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Daniel Mulhall"},{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Matt Carthy"}]},"description":{"basic":"Contentious proposed law would ban trade with Israeli firms operating in occupied Palestinian territory"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Should Ireland pass the Occupied Territories Bill? Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s Matt Carthy and former ambassador Daniel Mulhall debate","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"5HD52MFRPA4GABVXOQGZ7UMUAQ","auth":{"1":"9de5863141c582483aac30d7497bede95468c89f24e242b2da7de50a90623f54"},"focal_point":{"x":2679,"y":1953},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/5HD52MFRPA4GABVXOQGZ7UMUAQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/the-debate-should-ireland-proceed-with-the-occupied-territories-bill/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"IH7F7FVGYVCPLCR5OHRE5IHSRM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":313,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/3a460bd9-1a13-47c0-a506-8a7906d69c79/versions/1736779084/media/98d647939f9e18be1f04d351cf4c3e8e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/from-the-la-wildfires-to-valencia-floods-impacts-of-climate-crisis-are-becoming-too-great-to-ignore/","content_elements":[{"_id":"BZZ3YEYQSRAWDIO7IQSHA7MN5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744993},"content":"My family WhatsApp messages started coming through from Los Angeles last Wednesday evening.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DJYQJSGWUJH5FAHIYK2MDC2KHY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875531},"content":"My sister-in-law in South Pasadena fled with her family to San Diego to escape the approaching wildfires. Someone who had worked with my sister has lost her home to the fires, as has the mother-in-law of a neighbour from Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M4AOOIB4FZDIBPNJMGY2YWV4GI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875532},"content":"As I write, the death toll is 24 people, and is likely to rise. Meanwhile the red and orange imagery on our screens looms large. Thereâ€™s a shot of Sunset Boulevard with flames behind, and the Hollywood sign with smoke and flames in the distance. Some video footage from the Malibu coast road brought to life Cormac McCarthyâ€™s post-apocalyptic novel, The Road.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M3V5PTQFYBFCXK4LZROEIGPEOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744994},"content":"It felt similar two months ago when I was in Barcelona speaking at a conference on â€œdecarbonising architectureâ€. News started coming into peopleâ€™s phones about the floods in Valencia, just a few hours south, and hundreds of lives were lost as we spoke about the imperative for climate action. These events are starting to repeat themselves; it must be a call to greater action.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SZPP46KFIZCTXHYIVHPCU5I54A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744995},"content":"Last weekâ€™s news from the EUâ€™s Copernicus Climate Change Service was more than worrying. The year 2024 was the warmest on record globally, and the first calendar year that the average global temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees above its pre-industrial level.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3WODQ4OAB5EV3OTXD4FWHYYWAY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875535},"content":"We cannot simply kick the can down the road and say weâ€™ll act at some unspecified date in the future. And yet, despite the ever-growing body of evidence, and the climate catastrophes that have struck European countries, the European Peopleâ€™s Party led by Manfred Weber continues with its green-bashing, attacking climate policies for short-term political gain.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DDEBZK7ZAJGSBLR4KXPF3MAZKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875536},"content":"By delaying the solutions urgently needed to curb the devastation of extreme weather events, centrist and right-wing parties are failing to protect the people, today and for future generations. Climate justice delayed is climate justice denied.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UIHCPBMSN5BVNM4MMRWRKAA4ZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744996},"content":"Obfuscation, delays and denial are not only being used by national political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic, similar tactics can also be found closer to home.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AIXZVF44GRHGPDT3OXRBIVTBFE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875538},"content":"Here, some columnists, business groups and commentators have queried plans to reduce our emissions in Ireland. The Bus Connects plan? But how will drivers get to the car parks? Maintain flight levels at Dublin Airport? Not a chance; the Airport Authority states that â€œthere is unequivocal national demand for air travel which is essential to Ireland as an island stateâ€. Safe segregated cycle lanes? The Greens â€œhave turned Dublin into a spaghetti junction of cycle lanes that have divided the city like East and West Berlinâ€, says Fine Gael senator and now MEP Regina Doherty.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVAKQGEVQVCY5NHBCVDWI6BYYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875539},"content":"Even now, as we face fires of biblical proportions in Los Angeles, we have Fianna FÃ¡il saying the 2:1 ratio of expenditure between new public transport and new roads spending enshrined by the previous government is probably â€œopen for discussionâ€. It seems like we are going back to the future with an incoming government that may endorse policies that continue with business as usual.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WVGAANKPHNCL3OMHZHAKHGGLZQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744997},"content":"There is a moral imperative to act, but there are also financial reasons for doing so. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has warned that the State could face a cost of â‚¬20 billion if it fails to achieve reductions in carbon emissions by 2030. The new government must therefore continue to invest in public transport route improvements, lower fares, and ramp up retrofit supports. These measures tackle energy poverty, improve air quality, save people money on bills and help the planet.","type":"text"},{"_id":"44GV6B3NXJES7GJFMFVL2IYZ7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875541},"content":"Over the past five years I worked in the European Parliament on a European Green Deal that lays the foundation for action in the years ahead. We passed around 20 separate laws that tackle deforestation, support renewable fuels for aviation and shipping, encourage the renovation of our building stock and ensure a just transition.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQNMB2T3DBBAFFGCLPSPWLGTRE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875542},"content":"The Nature Restoration Law, even reduced in scope, will help reset our relationship to the natural world to keep us safer. It is important that this work continues. If we do this right, we will improve the quality of peopleâ€™s lives. It can provide decent employment for businesses small and large and it can reduce the risk of extreme weather events in the future.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5UVA7HJQNJGZPIBH2DPYAU6QSQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875543},"content":"Political decision-making requires courage. The incoming government must rise to the climate challenge and continue the work started in Ireland and Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"724ZVXWEHFF2JKGLQMGFSAPDGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744998},"content":"CiarÃ¡n Cuffe was a Green Party MEP from 2019 to 2024 and is co-chair of the European Green Party","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"CiarÃ¡n Cuffe"}]},"description":{"basic":"Obfuscation, delays and denial are being used by national political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic, and similar tactics can also be found closer to home"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"While LA burns, Fianna FÃ¡il says pro-climate policies are â€˜open for discussionâ€™ ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BUA4L4XMYMN3ZZA6YT4ZGIRXII","auth":{"1":"36ea49cce00540a9f5f65368787bc879888b06bddc86dd0d7669aec3c66bf1c0"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BUA4L4XMYMN3ZZA6YT4ZGIRXII.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/from-the-la-wildfires-to-valencia-floods-impacts-of-climate-crisis-are-becoming-too-great-to-ignore/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"Z2XIMUJR2VCCJEODXEMSRGWPLE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":436,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e7bedfb8-6c8f-48e2-b75b-c2b5b1d860ac/versions/1736538997/media/3de109e881e16ab5e50144fb91a8d888_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/13/is-social-media-really-behind-an-epidemic-of-teenage-mental-illness/","content_elements":[{"_id":"MM2JKB5O2ZGG5KM5DS6VTEXV7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833047},"content":"In September last year, the outgoing Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, described childrenâ€™s exposure to harmful content on social media as a â€œpublic health crisisâ€ and suggested stronger laws may be needed to tackle the issues.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZLNN42WZCZHCPMUMDSOWRPVKDI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736616509677},"content":"Few people would disagree with him. The arrival of social media has coincided with a surge in mental health issues among teenagers and a mounting chorus of alarm among experts, schools and parents of a possible link to smartphone use. There is an emerging consensus that platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok are not just idle bystanders in this crisis but active contributors to it, feeding young minds an unhealthy mix of constant comparison, misinformation, and emotional exploitation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YA5I2OLVAFAP5BQMGXM6JTVFMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833049},"content":"The growing sense of urgency among experts and legislators about the impact of social media on young people feeds into the fears of parents. With every new report on the damaging effects of these platforms, the concerns are harder to ignore. A few months ago, in a move that has drawn international attention, the Australian government proposed a landmark ban on social media access for children under the age of 16. And now Britain, Norway and Greece are considering similar restrictions. American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is a supporter of such bans. In his bestselling book The Anxious Generation, he argues that the mass adoption of social media and smartphones â€œ ... is the single largest reason for the tidal wave of adolescent mental illness that began in the early 2010sâ€. Thereâ€™s no doubt there is a big appetite for this narrative. But is social media really behind the teenage mental health crisis?","type":"text"},{"_id":"HGGPGWOZQVFXBE3WSQSYFF65DA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736616509679},"content":"The scientific evidence would suggest the answer is no. Recent examinations of nationally representative large scale data sets challenge the narrative that the impact of social media is entirely negative. For example, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the largest long-term study of adolescent brain development and health in the United States, found no evidence of the harmful effects associated with digital technology. Other studies conclude that social media only has a negligible impact on adolescent wellbeing â€“ far less than other factors like sleep, diet, and exercise. In fact, some studies point to potentially positive impacts, such as receiving emotional support from others, especially for those who feel marginalised. An October 2024 editorial in The Lancet, one of the most prestigious journals in the world, best sums it up: â€œIf there is a meaningful causal link between social media and mental illness, it is likely small, although it may also be important.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"6RJR4DFBUVAF3GID4DEGSWHQSU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736616509680},"content":"The reality is that the effects of social media are unique to each individual. Just as most people can eat nuts with no issues but for some they can be life-threatening, two teens could use social media in very similar ways but experience very different reactions. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam conducted an extensive study of teenagersâ€™ daily interactions with social media and found that 10 per cent did feel worse, but 46 per cent felt better and 44 per cent felt no better or worse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LQTWPWRJSNCVHE2ARDYZ2LEBEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833052},"content":"But while the impact of social media on the mental health of young users may not be as dire as has been suggested, we do know that some teenagers experience negative impacts including anxiety, depression, and a sense of alienation, while others thrive in the online space, developing connections, finding validation and support. This disparity raises questions for researchers about what is driving these differences and how they can be addressed. The real challenge involves figuring out how to reduce the negative effects and amplify the positive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IBOFAEW73ZBZ5CEHOT4OYLS3MQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833053},"content":"One fascinating development centres around the idea of social media mindsets. This concept echoes Henry Fordâ€™s famous words: â€œWhether you think you can, or you think you canâ€™t â€“ youâ€™re right.â€ Ford understood that perceptions often lead to reality, and in the case of social media, our beliefs about these platforms may profoundly influence how they affect us.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4SBYWK2TJJH35BQ5FKT3HCB3UY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833054},"content":"Mindsets are core beliefs which shape how we interpret and act in specific situations and which guide our expectations. A meta-analysis by Stanford Universityâ€™s Social Media Lab suggested that individuals with an â€œempoweringâ€ mindset about social media â€“ who see themselves as having agency over their use of it and see it as â€œa tool they could leverage to pursue personally meaningful activitiesâ€ â€“ experience better wellbeing. Those who view social media primarily as a toxic space and feel their use is out of control are more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and depression connected to their online interactions. The Stanford analysis found mindsets to be a better predictor of wellbeing outcomes than the amount of time people spend online, or even how they used social media.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6VFVN3LO7BBCPB7J3APUX6TPFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736616509684},"content":"Mindsets matter because they shape behaviour, especially in young people. So if we continue to tell teenagers that social media inevitably leads to poor self-worth, that may shape their experiences. For teenagers, whose minds are still forming, these beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophecies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FG5HIUETZJEOHK3NF4BFOHX4GQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833057},"content":"So instead of the blunt instrument of social media bans for under 16s â€“ which, by the way, are just not practically achievable â€“ a better approach would be to focus on developing mindsets which promote healthy interactions with digital technology. Encouraging a more balanced view â€“ one that acknowledges both the positive and negative aspects of social media â€“ could help young people navigate their online worlds more mindfully, reducing the likelihood of harmful outcomes and helping them build more resilient relationships with these platforms. Mindsets matter, and in this case, changing the conversation could change the experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4CDM2FPHLFG5PJHQE6CYRV7TUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736535120179},"content":"Eoin Whelan is a professor of business analytics and society at the JE Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Eoin Whelan"}]},"description":{"basic":"The scientific evidence is not as compelling as some commentators suggest. But our negative narrative around social media may risk becoming a self-fulfilling one"},"display_date":"2025-01-13T06:05:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Social media has a limited effect on teenage mental health ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"IKKHQJBH2ZDKXAHSX6ICTQS4YU","auth":{"1":"c8c506974eec2a34a08eb521bfa739ccf005d2985027a8f27cecd08fad921b84"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IKKHQJBH2ZDKXAHSX6ICTQS4YU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/13/is-social-media-really-behind-an-epidemic-of-teenage-mental-illness/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"GXCLKB4XIBHZJK5KXJIP5MXL64","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":402,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/80b74e89-462f-467d-a27a-444ab4baf77e/versions/1736528291/media/7c3b6e51380fbe96ae6697c1c52f7567_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/13/rachel-odwyer-of-course-i-remember-the-irish-bank-strikes-my-mother-says-your-dad-took-to-carrying-a-gun/","content_elements":[{"_id":"TS7CYVJJWNA2JGSDX2O25PJPD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217088},"content":"In Ireland in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the banks went on strike, sometimes for months at a time. Unions demanded better wages and working conditions. One strike, from May to October, 1970, was among the longest in modern history. An earlier one, in 1966, lasted for 12 weeks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZI4EFI6M2BAI3ETYQ3SWVS2LPU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736537813677},"content":"The banks closed and there was no money, but the economy didnâ€™t collapse. Instead, local shopkeepers and publicans came forward and acted as â€œa second level of bankingâ€ in the place of the State. At first, they cashed real cheques, but soon it was just plain old IOUs scrawled on paper, no more official than a spit and a handshake. They could do this, the story goes, because everyone knew everyone else. If thereâ€™s community â€“ if thereâ€™s trust â€“ you donâ€™t need money.","type":"text"},{"_id":"53ZNOOC7IFBQ5BDU4BIXRBOXDY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217089},"content":"So what lessons can we learn from the bank strikes? What is this story really about?","type":"text"},{"_id":"2P5XKM2OLNGQNPMX2UT7YN5CJY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217090},"content":"One lesson we can take away concerns the strength of local economies. When the Irish banks closed it seemed immediately obvious that the whole system would collapse. Instead, the strikes became a global economic case study. They showed the resilience of local economies when a central money issuer was absent. They showed how the Irish nation could adapt to an economic curve ball.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M56KOD24NZFQXIH3SBKXV4ZHE4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217091},"content":"Could a similar localism today offset the vulnerabilities that have come, first with Brexit and now with the spectre of Donald Trumpâ€™s second tenancy in the White House? In light of Trumpâ€™s protectionist economic policies and their potential impact on foreign direct investment in Ireland, we may need to reduce our dependence on external economies and multinational corporations.","type":"text"},{"_id":"27P6YLNX6BFRPIEQSR3RXI3NQE","additional_properties":{"_id":"U5AVMK2DTJBJVEEDJXEKLKC4TM"},"content":"Donald Trumpâ€™s economic plan: the key areas for Ireland","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"KWRSOIT6YVFKLKQDRZPCBCH5PI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736537813682},"content":"The banking strikes not only highlight our latent adaptability in moments of crisis, they also foreground the value of local communities. Strengthening local economies could buffer against the shocks of global economic crises, such as supply-chain disruptions or financial market volatility. By investing in local businesses, promoting local production and encouraging community-based financial systems, Ireland might build resilience against external economic pressures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UDUQ6K6DKBEY7BHAFGBKTAPAME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217092},"content":"But wait, thereâ€™s more to this story.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O7INPL5W2JD7TI4E5NUJY5KTWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217093},"content":"My father owned a pub in Kilkenny at the time. â€œDo you remember the bank strikes?â€ I asked my mother recently. â€œWhat were they like?â€ I was looking for tales of the good old country, of a community that pulled together. â€œOf course I remember,â€ she said. â€œYour dad took to carrying a gun on his way home.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"URGY5UVT4FENNIJ76EFLA2IG5I","additional_properties":{"_id":"DWDMYYHX5JETZON6YQITPNHC4Y"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"UYYA7JWDSRA7PP4YDKUHEXSR6A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217094},"content":"â€œSorry,â€ I said, pulled from my misty-eyed reverie, â€œa gun?â€ There was nowhere to deposit the float at the end of the day, she went on. â€œBusinesses were incredibly vulnerable to theft.â€ I pictured the road that winds from the pub on the hill to the house where I was born. It was dark and deserted. My father appeared in my vision, carrying a giant hemp money sack in one hand and a hunting rifle in the other. No, I decided, this was not the story I was after.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YGVWKZJEU5DVLLUGYKQ3QUVAYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217095},"content":"By 1976, when a third strike loomed, many businesses that had been left holding worthless paper promises in 1970 now bore signs in their windows: â€œSorry. No Cheques Acceptedâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IDL6IBZI2JEWNOLIEIRMNZZRPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217096},"content":"Itâ€™s easy to romanticise the local economies of a postcolonial society such as Ireland, but itâ€™s often a mistake. What looks like goodwill is also a type of insurance, a way to manage the risks posed by those who are less fortunate than us, or by those we donâ€™t know. The communal spirit of the Irish publican also acts through what James C Scott has called the â€œabrasive force of gossip and envy, and the knowledge that the abandoned poor are likely to be a real and present danger to better-off villagersâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2WJZMBZFLBGHDGPMCE4PXVCO4I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217097},"content":"Villagers like my father, maybe, cashing an IOU in business hours, but carrying a gun into the night. Another lesson from the banking strike, then, is that while community trust and embracing the local can be good in a crisis, we might also want to think about what our trust is made of, about who â€œthe localâ€ includes, and who it leaves in the dark. As anti-immigration and far-right sentiment gains ground in modern Ireland, itâ€™s always worth checking what stories we forget when we glorify the good old days when everyone knew their neighbours.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FVTZP3WNWFF3LC42EWFFRDVELY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217098},"content":"Tech bros the world over love the story of the Irish bank strikes because it shows us alternatives to publicly mandated money. For those who feel that markets are not a matter for the state â€“ Musk and Trump among them â€“ this story suggests other ways to do business. One of the takeaways from the bank strikes is that money is a proxy for trust. If thereâ€™s enough of the latter you donâ€™t really need the former. The Bitcoin whitepaper, published in 2008, outlines a technical â€œsystem for electronic transactions without relying on trustâ€. It delegates the messy business of trust to technology.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ST2FD5E4KVEOXGH4PNA3D72HUE","additional_properties":{"_id":"GYQ67ZGZP5FERCTEZ4DPQQPZ5U"},"content":"The rise of anti-immigrant â€˜community watchdogsâ€™ across Ireland","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"DYCZQVBN5ZAOBJWEQNBNWDDAVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217099},"content":"The bank strikes is a story about trust, then, about local versus monolithic forces, but itâ€™s also a story about automation, the automation of jobs and the automation of human-seeming faculties like gut intuition, social ties and taking the measure of those around you. The bank tellers were campaigning for wage increases and they finally got them in 1970, but one of the key outcomes of the second bank strike was that banks began to invest in automated teller machines and other technologies to reduce their reliance on human labour power.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YD4V46GBLRA47C3S4HV4UMDJ3U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736537813693},"content":"The bank strikes is a story about the might of the people when they pull together, then, but itâ€™s also a story of the march of machines. Walk into any bank in a rural town today and youâ€™ll be met with rows of them. Itâ€™s strangely silent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4TVFFPQ7SZA3ZJX56FWIU6O27Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217100},"content":"Rachel Oâ€™Dwyer is a writer and lecturer in digital cultures in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. Sheâ€™s the author of Tokens: The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Rachel O'Dwyer"}]},"description":{"basic":"Irelandâ€™s economy didnâ€™t collapse when the banks shut for long periods in the 1960s and 1970s; instead, local shopkeepers and publicans acted as â€˜a second level of bankingâ€™. But donâ€™t romanticise it too much"},"display_date":"2025-01-13T05:57:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"â€˜Of course I remember the bank strikes,â€™ my mother says. â€˜Your dad took to carrying a gunâ€™","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4PLMVNO2MFPDTMVBR2TDBF6V74","auth":{"1":"ac0635adeb90f8dfea26f9c5d4ee09fcb0872cde681bc4a64cf6107317470a51"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4PLMVNO2MFPDTMVBR2TDBF6V74.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/13/rachel-odwyer-of-course-i-remember-the-irish-bank-strikes-my-mother-says-your-dad-took-to-carrying-a-gun/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"65SNN33VBFEDJMHD4MJVMGE7GQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":454,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/c31f7ffd-5f06-4134-b6a1-479cef98eeef/versions/1736442333/media/f41aece7c2f6b24945226eb8924cd84d_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/lorcan-sirr-having-a-job-is-no-longer-a-guarantee-of-having-a-house-thats-a-breach-of-the-social-contract/","content_elements":[{"_id":"Y7YZ6ZZCLZFFJE6BIVQ3PTYOWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672066},"content":"Ireland is one of the few countries in Europe that defines homelessness in legislation. It characterises homelessness as having no accommodation available to a person, or anyone who might reasonably live with them, or someone who is living in a hospital, county home, night shelter or other such institution because they have no other accommodation available to them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D3RDHPHN45HDPNFNM3GBK5V3PA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672067},"content":"This is quite a limited definition, omitting individuals who are on the streets, couch-surfing, women and children in domestic violence refuges, those staying with friends, sleeping in cars, parentsâ€™ box rooms and so on. These people are also excluded from official data.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YTTKUR7OWJARPN6CDLFW33DZLU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672068},"content":"Including these categories would provide a far more accurate count of those in need of housing, but brave will be the minister who opts to adopt a broader definition, given the impact it would have on consistently record-breaking numbers of homeless people. A definition that excludes those who probably should be included means policy is not led by need, but by political necessity and the avoidance of responsibility.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UCDWRQFPSJDL3JDHQRUK7ZR2ZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672069},"content":"Homelessness is not an unusual phenomenon, but the trends are. In the last decade, it has increased by an average of 16 per cent a year, and a number equivalent to the population of Waterford â€“ Irelandâ€™s fifth largest conurbation â€“ has entered emergency accommodation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M4DOHA4GYJEBRHHWYSUOUBX3SY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672070},"content":"Since 2014, official homeless numbers have increased by nearly 360 per cent. Latest figures show 15,199 homeless people in Ireland, comprising 10,541 adults and 4,658 children. (Ever obfuscating data, the Department of Housing Monthly Homeless Reports donâ€™t provide a total number for homelessness, leaving it to the reader to calculate across various tables.)","type":"text"},{"_id":"SSV4NVTI4NCQRDFABUP47NWUZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736441992912},"content":"These numbers exclude rough sleepers and the thousands with leave to remain stuck in Direct Provision or the 3,001 International Protection applicants without accommodation (a court-determined breach of the Charter of Fundamental Rights), something Simon Harris forgot when he linked rising homelessness numbers to immigration.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H7J3OMJMVFHJPC3NB7XZDAVAOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672071},"content":"When homelessness numbers breached 10,000 in 2019 under Eoghan Murphy, then Opposition housing spokesman Darragh Oâ€™Brien said the figures were â€œ disgracefulâ€ and â€œ a shameful and saddening example of failed Government policyâ€. One wonders how he feels today with official homelessness above 15,000 and real homelessness far above 20,000.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KKDW73CIOFCK7N2RD7JZFFTZ3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672072},"content":"Whereas homelessness used to be a problem mainly experienced by men, there are now some 4,115 homeless women, almost 40 per cent of the total. Family homelessness is another relatively new phenomenon, increasing 480 per cent since 2014 to 2,168 today. So too are the working homeless. The last census showed that 59 per cent of those who described themselves as homeless were employed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZT7VBMZH6FD5ZFMU5WC7CK2IAU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672073},"content":"In a complete breach of the social contract, over the last decade having a job is no longer a guarantee of being able to house yourself.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JIA5GWUE6BANRNGY2OMSNS5YTM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672074},"content":"Behind the statistics are real humans, often living with children in cramped hotel rooms, trying to get homework done, to wash clothes, to shop, feed, entertain, keep safe and support their families as well as hold down jobs and ensure their own emotional stability. Watch Paddy Breathnachâ€™s award-winning film Rosie to appreciate the daily grind.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KTFC2AAGZ5BELGBIORZPF2FX5A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672075},"content":"On the surface, homelessness is a housing problem, and a top-down housing supply recovery with too much expensive housing and not enough that most people can afford has not helped. Economic success has brought its own problems. New sources of wealth, increasing wages, property prices and rents have brought prosperity for some but also marginalised many, particularly those at the edges of society and pushed more over the edge, increasingly into homelessness.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BXT35ZQX65C45GJX5Y5GFTIYKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672076},"content":"Policies such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme (introduced in 2004) and Housing Assistance Payment (2014) have marketised welfare benefits by sending over 55,000 households (another Waterford) in need of housing out to source their own accommodation. This means the State is hugely reliant on private landlords for the most fundamental of its housing needs, which is a very risky strategy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FYVJ6WNQYVBZZIFLHQQJLK66AI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672077},"content":"The typical route for those becoming homeless is eviction from the private rented sector. The moratorium on no-fault evictions during Covid slowed the rate of evictions and therefore homelessness, but is not politically-appetising post-crisis, although arguably it should be, alongside equal tax treatment for small and large landlords.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MFOB3U2QL5DNLAWYLC5556PSWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672078},"content":"Despite the 47 per cent increase in homelessness since the 2020 election, the topic got about half the mentions in government party manifestos in 2024 that it got in 2020. Having overseen the decade-long surge in numbers, Government politicians appear hapless, helpless, clueless and shameless in the face of increasing homelessness, with some accused of trying to shift the blame on to homeless people themselves.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZH52UIKU7ZFJNEUKKUXBB7XOAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672079},"content":"Many politicians have expressed their desire to significantly reduce or do away with the â‚¬303 million â€œhomeless industryâ€. This is simplistic. The truth is across housing the State is as dependent on non-profit NGOs as it is on the for-profit private sector to do the heavy lifting for Government both in preventing homelessness and helping many thousands of homeless people each year (including those who never appear in statistics, such as homeless under-18s). So, knock yourself out and defund the â€œhomeless industryâ€, but then what?","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZDD4IKAMQFB5PKI6IXBVNKFEOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672080},"content":"Beneath the supply issue lies bias and ideology. Conservative thinking â€“ and Ireland is still a conservative country â€“ holds that because people have personal choice, they are responsible for their own destiny in life. This is a half-baked, divisive, meritocratic philosophy that assumes everybody has equal opportunities and resources to better their lot, which they obviously donâ€™t.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FQBXQZCLNNFLPPBCCVCSPQHYSY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736441992923},"content":"Both Thatcher and Reagan, for example, believed people are responsible for their own wellbeing, and help is only due to those who had no hand in their own misfortune, thus dividing those in need into the deserving and the undeserving.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HR46KA2IIJFDVHMMHJ2CUZCGWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672082},"content":"Here, the State prefers to help those who help themselves.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SGAMIMZXV5DR7LXWFXKC7SAURM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672083},"content":"This was the core of Leo Varadkarâ€™s party of â€œthe people who get up early in the morningâ€ thinking, with which even Simon Coveney disagreed. In policy terms, it relieves the State of responsibility for doing everything they can for everybody they can. Finlandâ€™s previous commitment to eradicate homelessness has been dispensed with by its new conservative right-wing government who felt there were more deserving uses for the money.","type":"text"},{"_id":"52CYRQTH3VH7HP52ZULW4CVCCM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672084},"content":"When housing supply is improving, but the homeless problem is getting commensurately worse, itâ€™s not a question of money but of ideology, priorities and a tacit acceptance of the unacceptable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LUNRODGCJEXVAWCGV3WBPKXII","additional_properties":{"_id":1736435567317},"content":"Dr Lorcan Sirr is Senior Lecturer in housing at the Technological University Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Lorcan Sirr"}]},"description":{"basic":"Irelandâ€™s conservative thinking holds that because people have personal choice, they are responsible for their own destiny in life. This is a half-baked, divisive, meritocratic philosophy"},"display_date":"2025-01-12T07:04:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Having a job is no longer a guarantee of being able to house yourself. That breaches the social contract","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VW7XEM7RXNB3ZGOETRFPK7O4ZQ","auth":{"1":"cc98944985fedcabcce911a8a2479530038284b8ed0cda4b41fda9854c99648f"},"focal_point":{"x":4511,"y":1575},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VW7XEM7RXNB3ZGOETRFPK7O4ZQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/lorcan-sirr-having-a-job-is-no-longer-a-guarantee-of-having-a-house-thats-a-breach-of-the-social-contract/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"W6POV64P35DDPLMEJWM57VRYWY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":391,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/59e86716-8067-4185-8611-0a5bcdeb6d55/versions/1736525858/media/ced0451d4c16d7de63a79fc020fa781a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/12/brutal-reality-of-todays-world-is-that-a-woman-is-killed-every-10-minutes/","content_elements":[{"_id":"33CGK2ZF3JAPFAMMKEZCPQNRMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677767},"content":"Gender-based violence (GBV) breaches fundamental human rights at a very basic level and is a significant barrier to achieving equality. Women, girls, and people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are most at risk. The statistics are staggering.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NXHOU5HB3FGXFNYULNYN2TVQ3U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677768},"content":"Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed simply because she is a woman. Thatâ€™s the brutal reality of the world in which we live.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PI3YD3W5GNC6ZPBUEBV7V5B3KI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677769},"content":"The UN has identified violence against women as one of the most severe human rights violations globally. In humanitarian crises, the problem worsens â€” 70 per cent of women in crisis settings experience GBV, compared to 35 per cent worldwide.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4XQ72TY6LVD4PKCGEHJQ6BTK7I","additional_properties":{"_id":"DRK5SKKUVBDRPLUD2JCWUR3RQY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"BGYD75Q2HZFSFBYK7TPGZ3FYBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677770},"content":"The evidence is all around us, reflected in the heartbreaking reports of violence against women, nationally and internationally, unfolding across our screens daily.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4ASCCTVS4BATNPF2ZY7BWPNSGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677771},"content":"Sexual violence is used systematically as a weapon in conflicts all over the world, devastating men, women, children, and LGBTQI+ communities. The impact is compounded by the destruction of critical GBV services and the loss of skilled staff during conflicts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IPOPCZFZLZE6RFXVPJQMDN3EXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677772},"content":"In Sudan, the need for GBV-related services has skyrocketed â€” increasing by 100 per cent to 6.7 million people as of December 2023. Internally displaced women and girls face the highest risk, enduring conflict-related sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2SN2NMSQNHKJENAR3Q5SXKFJI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677773},"content":"The Irish Consortium on Gender-Based Violence (ICGBV) was established in 2005 in response to extreme levels of sexual violence faced by women and girls in Darfur, Sudan. An alliance of 14 international human rights, humanitarian and development organisations, including NGOs, Irish Aid and the Irish Defence Forces, it was set up in response to reports of this ongoing and systematic sexual violence against women and girls in Darfur. Since it was established nearly 20 years there has been progress in shifting GBV policies and practices to recognise survivors as the architects of their recovery.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PFXSQZIXMNA6JFNKNMXB6MEFLA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677775},"content":"The ICGBVâ€™s recent report, From Survivor-Centred to Survivor-Led: Lessons from Promising Survivor-Led Gender-Based Violence Accountability Initiatives, highlights valuable lessons from survivor-led efforts in GBV prevention, mitigation, and response. As ICGBV patron and President Michael D Higgins put it: â€œThis report gives voice to those who have too often been silenced, voices that can make a difference, voices of those who have not only survived violence but have found the strength to lead in the pursuit of justice and healing.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"QWEFDDCMRVDKTCXKSFKIC6T4HQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"4YSUOHSTPFEEBNGM7CLIJIE2DA"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"7YY4LACKUVAVZOVQKANYPRBEB4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677777},"content":"Survivor-led accountability requires that survivorsâ€™ dignity is upheld and that they have the resources and skills to lead the process of justice and recovery â€” if they choose to do so.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CXW7SEDSZFFR7HYSN22UR54LPA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677778},"content":"Empowering survivors at every stage is critical, especially considering the profound loss of agency they experience during acts of violence. Research suggests that even well-intentioned survivor-centred approaches can unintentionally decentre survivors, reinforcing paternalistic systems within humanitarian protection. True survivor-led approaches shift power dynamics, recognising survivors as the best decision-makers and experts, based on their own lived experiences. Higgins also noted the â€œtransition from survivor-centred approaches to survivor-led action seeks a profound shift in policy and practice â€” one that places survivorsâ€™ agency at the heart of justice efforts. It is a powerful, enduring call for justice, dignity and action, highlighting that those who have endured the deepest wounds must be central to building solutions, shaping policies, and ensuring accountability.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"XK7VDPCQVFDZPGOUTQY63NGCJE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677781},"content":"ICGBV research emphasises the shift from â€œsurvivor-centredâ€ to â€œsurvivor-ledâ€ accountability. Empowered survivors advocate for themselves and others, creating a ripple effect that strengthens community resilience and advocacy efforts, influences policy, and ultimately leads to long-term, sustainable, and systemic change. Survivor-led approaches also strengthen accountability mechanisms, making services more responsive to survivorsâ€™ needs and driving better outcomes, including increased funding opportunities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JWJIYAEVHZAVRH4CQJJ3UIMV3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677783},"content":"However, supporting survivor-led approaches requires dedicated resources to run their initiatives, including fair compensation for their expertise and time. Advocacy for systemic change is resource-intensive and often takes years. Despite the significant economic cost of GBV â€” more than double the expenditure on education in many countries â€” and its long-term impact on future generations, funding to tackle gender-based violence remains low, accounting for just 0.69 per cent of total humanitarian aid and less than 1 per cent of official development assistance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OK7RTEX3YZGHZCKFEQCPDBBLXY","additional_properties":{"_id":"ULXCY2O6SBE35LC3WFJEAQCGE4"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"LLQUD5VTUNCT5BJWZGYFIBB5JA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677785},"content":"Flexible, unrestricted, multiyear funding is crucial to support the comprehensive work needed to change the norms, attitudes, and behaviours that drive GBV. It is also essential that priority is given to fair and equal involvement with survivor-led gender-based violence accountability initiatives that are in line with their responsibilities. We are approaching the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and platform for action, considered one of the most progressive blueprints for advancing womenâ€™s rights globally.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQ6WLZN2BJCIDNBP7I7HVUV2AE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677787},"content":"Many believe it would not be possible in todayâ€™s environment. It is therefore timely that we mitigate against the current challenges that affect its implementation and the achievement of gender equality more broadly. Eliminating violence against women is paramount to this agenda and the only right path to achieve it is by following the courageous lead of survivors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4T75DDWB3JDURM3PMBK5NV7HXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677789},"content":"Mary Van Lieshout is deputy chief executive and director, external relations, Goal and co-chairwoman of ICGBV.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Mary Van Lieshout"}]},"description":{"basic":"Rite & Reason: Funding for gender-based violence remains critically low, accounting for just 0.69 per cent of total humanitarian aid"},"display_date":"2025-01-12T00:30:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Brutal reality of todayâ€™s world is that a woman is killed every 10 minutes ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MQP5KCMQQUBMAEVU6TNQHSFWEM","auth":{"1":"9fa605278514960842e604788e0ae08c4cc10ed1ebc0db9d123fab0a6a7de75d"},"focal_point":{"x":2080,"y":1137},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MQP5KCMQQUBMAEVU6TNQHSFWEM.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/12/brutal-reality-of-todays-world-is-that-a-woman-is-killed-every-10-minutes/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DUFDEPFMJBE7TDQ6JGHXNYTROI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":440,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e915502f-8c90-4c09-bfa4-f313f0929a12/versions/1736504668/media/5b0e1498a4c9b9de08a10619b1269e8e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/moves-by-elon-musk-and-mark-zuckerberg-set-the-scene-for-confrontation-between-the-eu-and-the-us/","content_elements":[{"_id":"KG2JIYA3DBHELOBVJQOIKZIECE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838468},"content":"Four years is a long time in the social media industry. On January 7th, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg suspended Donald Trump from Facebook for â€œusing our platform to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected governmentâ€. On January 7th 2025, Zuckerberg apologised for â€œtoo much censorshipâ€ and announced that he wanted to â€œwork with President Trump to push back against foreign governments going after American companies to censor moreâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WOGIGHRVTBCPZFAGG3YBRFAUIA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838470},"content":"This volte-face is part of a swathe of changes across all the Meta platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Threads.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UFDE67YTHNBT5DVN27AF6LZPWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838471},"content":"The Meta fact-checking system is to be abandoned in favour of a crowdsourced â€œcommunity notesâ€ system such as that used by X. This means removing the key restrictions on fact-checked content: misinformation and disinformation will no longer be demoted in the algorithm, nor trigger a warning page before you see a post. While we donâ€™t yet have full details, it will presumably also eliminate other fact-checking safeguards including the ban on ads which have been debunked and the rule preventing misinformation repeat offenders from monetising their Facebook pages.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G2XGLB6DKBE6RA4PU2Y2VYYQCI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838472},"content":"While Zuckerberg now describes this as â€œcensorshipâ€, in its reports to the EU, Meta has previously said that fact-checking is â€œthe basis to prevent the spread of large-scale misinformation and disinformationâ€ and was a key part of its approach to election integrity during the high number of EU elections in 2024.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZU67EQRNPBCMFJ7OG3NWTKC7E4","additional_properties":{"_id":"S4ARVRFMLZC2LGWEK5WB6654TY"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-82181","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"XCL7GSL6MZGJZAURG6IKA4YLTM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838473},"content":"Meanwhile, the hateful-conduct policy has already been changed to cater to the far-right by loosening restrictions on hate speech targeting women, migrants, and transgender people. For example, the policy now allows â€œallegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientationâ€, allows â€œinsulting language when discussing transgender rights, immigration or homosexualityâ€, and no longer bans describing women as â€œpropertyâ€ and â€œhousehold objectsâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FKD5B2GVOBGXDGQ6FFZDMGYTGQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838474},"content":"The nakedly political nature of these changes is highlighted by Zuckerbergâ€™s announcement that content moderation roles will be moved away from (liberal) California to locations such as (conservative) Texas because of â€œconcern that biased employees are overly censoring contentâ€. As it happens, research does confirm that pro-Trump accounts are more likely to be restricted or suspended on social media â€“ because they share more misinformation and are more likely to be bots. However, this has not got in the way of the conservative narrative of victimhood and grievance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6KPETQNJ2RDKLF4K3ZQKSY3SGA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838475},"content":"There is probably opportunistic cost-cutting also. Meta will save on payments to third-party fact checkers, shift US staff from California to low-wage states, and reduce its overall reliance on content moderators by cutting back on moderation and relying more heavily on crowdsourcing and AI moderation. Meta is facing worldwide litigation by moderators who say they have suffered serious psychological harm from being exposed to violent and graphic content such as beheadings, suicide, and child abuse images, and these changes might reduce its liability in future cases.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ACTL5UTLCFEM7CA5UB7UOGASUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838476},"content":"What are the implications for Europe and Ireland?","type":"text"},{"_id":"W3FE67FIDRCVNPJIC2QPFH2NAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838477},"content":"Zuckerbergâ€™s capitulation to Trump must be seen in the wider context that a small number of foreign entities control European social media. Public discourse is largely in the hands of two billionaires aligned with the far-right, and one Chinese-founded firm (TikTok) that is under formal investigation by the European Commission on suspicion that it allowed Russian interference in the 2024 Romanian presidential election. We should be very worried about what this means for election integrity and the growth of the far-right in Europe in the coming years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"54Y6FT47UFHGZIWSFAZ74URT3A","additional_properties":{"_id":"4DCYJXB6U5HEPAK3RMVVZIJBGQ"},"content":"Musk says â€˜things will get much worseâ€™ for Germany unless voters rally behind far-right party","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"BMWALXVO2FGQ3NV23RAKCT5Y5A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838478},"content":"Meta claims it has no immediate plans to end fact-checking in the EU. However, this is probably only a temporary reprieve. Zuckerberg has accused the EU of having â€œan ever-increasing number of laws institutionalising censorshipâ€ and said that â€œthe best way to defend against the trend of government overreach on censorship is with the support of the US governmentâ€. This endorses Elon Muskâ€™s project to use American power to dismantle EU controls on social media, exemplified by the incoming vice-president JD Vance, who has threatened to withdraw US support for Nato if the EU imposes penalties on X.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QHIADLLZCZAQNHNHLNCBHZF5IY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838479},"content":"The scene is set for a showdown between the US and the EU over social media regulation, though the flashpoint will come with the increasingly manic Musk rather than the more cautious Zuckerberg. Musk has heavily promoted the far-right across Europe, including by attacking the then taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, in the wake of the Dublin riots. In the last week alone Musk has been accused of interfering with the German elections by hosting a live-stream with the radical Alternative fÃ¼r Deutschland party, has promoted the UK anti-Islam extremist (and imprisoned criminal) Tommy Robinson, and has set out to undermine the UKâ€™s Labour government through misinformation about child sexual abuse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z7UIUOEBUNA7FLSW6CSD6F4PWA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838480},"content":"As a purely legal matter, the European Commission is already investigating X for multiple breaches of its obligations under the Digital Services Act, and these new provocations very likely also breach Xâ€™s obligations regarding algorithmic transparency and disinformation. These should ultimately result in significant fines. However, enforcement will depend on whether there is political will within Brussels to stand up to US pressure. National governments are split on this issue with some, such as the Italian government of Giorgia Meloni, choosing to cosy up to Musk instead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DBO5NQKRXRBFLOPJLZJRH6QFVY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838481},"content":"At the moment Ireland is largely on the sidelines. While X and Meta have their European headquarters in Dublin, enforcing the Digital Services Act against these very large platforms is primarily the responsibility of the European Commission rather than the Irish CoimisiÃºn na MeÃ¡n. Meanwhile, politicians have been distracted from responding to current developments by government formation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IZKJG4QXQZDITPF6JZTTWELRVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838482},"content":"Nevertheless, there are several things we must do. First, the Irish government should vocally support action by the European Commission against X and any other firms that choose to break the law. Second, it should immediately revisit the hate-speech offences that were dropped from the Hate Offences Act last year in order to get it passed before the election. Third, it should fully implement the Electoral Reform Act 2022, which will address online political advertising and electoral misinformation but has not yet been brought into force. Finally, we need to move Irish government bodies off platforms such as X that promote the far right and on to decentralised alternatives instead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXCMPMGWSFGFLJOTXHPRKWIVVQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838483},"content":"Dr TJ McIntyre is an associate professor in the UCD Sutherland School of Law, consultant solicitor with FP Logue Solicitors and chairman of Digital Rights Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"TJ McIntyre"}]},"description":{"basic":"Meta will now allow â€˜insulting language when discussing transgender rights, immigration or homosexualityâ€™, and no longer bans describing women as â€˜propertyâ€™ or â€˜household objectsâ€™"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Moves by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg set scene for confrontation between EU and US","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"TPQU7CAORNBJBIR46WA4VCYG5A","auth":{"1":"4e020fc6eaeaada46c19a8f5b6239a49298f6ff23cd27f8aa16ce377255b7050"},"focal_point":{"x":734,"y":333},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/TPQU7CAORNBJBIR46WA4VCYG5A.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/moves-by-elon-musk-and-mark-zuckerberg-set-the-scene-for-confrontation-between-the-eu-and-the-us/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"OZOEKTSNLREXXBWLKMIGJI7FS4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":339,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/7aaa3e13-582c-46e7-830d-ce81ebf54388/versions/1736502136/media/873a2651a084e0ad4027529b642f4510_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/how-will-the-contradictions-in-trumps-policies-play-out/","content_elements":[{"_id":"IHUUZDSTWBGTJPKJTY5YAJZ7RU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598489},"content":"Donald Trumpâ€™s policy contradictions are legion and have been well-publicised in advance of his inauguration. In understanding and responding to him it helps to analyse how these conflicting goals and interests might play out between his strategic priorities and his own political will.","type":"text"},{"_id":"37EHEZ2VAZAELDYYFBEMON3J2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598492},"content":"The policy contradictions are firstly economic. Trump wants to eliminate inflation but also intends to impose 60 per cent tariffs on China and 25 per cent ones on Canada and Mexico, which will raise import prices. Economists say these goals are irreconcilable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ABLQCW2AOFCCXAK2OMPQ54GPZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598493},"content":"Trump wants to maintain the dollar as the worldâ€™s primary reserve currency, but weaken it to promote US competition, despite much evidence that tariff increases raise the dollarâ€™s exchange rate. The US trade deficit would be reduced by tariffs, according to Trumpâ€™s team; but he also wants to maintain capital inflows and outflows, which is very hard to do. This is the contradiction between reduced and continuing globalisation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OYF3WJAQVREJLPCBUW7ELAPPKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598494},"content":"Such economic and international tensions feed into the social basis of Trumpâ€™s electoral coalition. He wants higher tariffs, harder borders and lower taxes to protect poorer and less educated white Americans; but he attracted more support from black and Hispanic minorities, who also felt their lives had not been improved by Bidenomics (even though their number was dwarfed by the 7.1 per cent of Biden supporters in 2020 who failed to turn out for Harris). This is more a case of dealignment than realignment of working-class votes, which remain evenly split between the two main parties.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IUBYHJGLVG3DJ4YIJUACVJH3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598495},"content":"Tax cuts will hit the public programmes Trumpâ€™s rural and poorer base relies on, as will the public expenditure efficiency cuts to be led by the worldâ€™s richest man, Elon Musk. That conflict between popular votes and billionaire deregulatory interests is manifesting in the argument within Trumpâ€™s team between Steve Bannon, JD Vance and Musk over who should have priority. How can you make these Americans great again without reducing the USâ€™s huge wealth inequalities, which have doubled since 1980?","type":"text"},{"_id":"FY4OEGRTDVA4ZFHAALLMCWQEGY","additional_properties":{"_id":"TI2SNNXM6BBZJEDYPVJIIKEGRI"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"SYCGGRWTRJCPVPSQ77CHB6HNFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598496},"content":"This echoes the contradiction between Muskâ€™s interests in relatively open trading and investment relationships with China and the hawks determined to close them. Similarly, falling domestic birth rates require immigrant labour; skill shortages and cheaper labour costs encourage immigration against workers who insist their interests are best served by expanding trade union rights and stronger social protections â€“ conflicts of interests playing out over the H-1B visas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BHYED2KUSRGN5A2EKOE2EWJFZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598497},"content":"Contradictions reveal conflicting goals and interests and can be interpreted in several different ways. This may mean the goals and interests cannot be realised simultaneously, or are logically inconsistent. Contradictions can forge historical change; they are not static but dynamic and express conflicting, yet interdependent, forces at play in a society. They show up social dysfunctions and a lack of â€“ or a yearning for â€“ social stability and normality. The precise balance between such interpretative considerations and actual social practice informs critical social theory. But it passes over into political and social action too. Contradictions are not simply objective but need to be articulated into subjective public awareness and consciousness. They can then be asserted or actualised in alternative political programmes on goals and interests in social struggles and political conflicts. They may produce moments of crisis demanding far-seeing political leadership and power to resolve by systemic change. If this does not happen, prolonged impasse can result, when in Antonio Gramsciâ€™s celebrated formulation, â€œthe old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appearâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIEO342UUVHVBCMUG327JW7B74","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598500},"content":"In light of such reflections on the varying role of contradictions, what can we say about how they might play out in Trumpâ€™s second term? A few elements in the forthcoming US political process will be worth watching closely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYR35T3ECJEVXOB74RNZMFARTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598501},"content":"Trump says, firstly, that the US is in a crisis, one that he intends to resolve with strong leadership and regime change to take power away from its coastal liberal elites. His cabinet appointments value loyalty above competence, so much revolves around his own role. He will have to prioritise and phase goals and interests rapidly; most evidence points to him opting for deregulatory policies favouring the super-rich in this calculus. That will disrupt his electoral coalition and challenge his liberal and left-wing opponents to exploit such divisions. It will be a testing time in the creation of a new US left-liberal bloc beyond identity politics in social protests and conflicts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WEKSUVB6RZDYJJJEAZD5YLVM44","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598503},"content":"Trumpâ€™s authoritarianism will respond harshly and viciously to any such resistance, using State security and surveillance to enforce immigrant expulsions and target opponents. How the economic and international contradictions play out will determine whether he can claim transactional success in the medium term.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O5CKUI7VXZCKDPM2DB754IHNVM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598504},"content":"Many such impasses are therefore likely to appear over these four years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Paul Gillespie"}},"name":"Paul Gillespie"}]},"description":{"basic":"Worldview: With his economic and policy goals often irreconcilable, how these economic and international contradictions play out will determine whether the US president-elect can claim success"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"How will the contradictions in Trumpâ€™s policies play out?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"DEVQORE55U227W3E3HCOHCQOH4","auth":{"1":"44f204721e59f68876c741f2354f647342bbd939d1f7fb0767054621ae4c70c9"},"focal_point":{"x":2145,"y":746},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/DEVQORE55U227W3E3HCOHCQOH4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/how-will-the-contradictions-in-trumps-policies-play-out/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"3BLJPJU2JFCFLKJOZSOTCQBEPA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":373,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/a6200ca6-1b47-42a6-937a-1da7fccd2c1b/versions/1736351083/media/112cef89b267c637f4addb4741422a47_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/ireland-is-not-immune-to-the-wave-of-foreign-state-espionage-and-threats-sweeping-europe/","content_elements":[{"_id":"S3AY3POVRVEX3GPKC6FYKWC4OE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296350},"content":"In the coming months, the government will have to make a number of critical national security decisions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OINA7J5B2JG3VPIHFSPQCVKPZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296351},"content":"The first will be how to persuade the incoming Trump administration that Ireland is not a soft touch when it comes to industrial espionage â€“ that hostile states such as China and Russia are not stealing intellectual property for potential â€œdual-useâ€, military purposes. There have already been concerns raised by the outgoing Biden administration that Ireland lacks an advanced vetting system. Without such a system, Irish nationals and residents risk being excluded from working on private sector projects that US intelligence services conclude are sensitive to national security.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVHAQXUUVBAOPLI4EEA2ND3QWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296352},"content":"A severe thaw in relations between the US and Europe also has a potential impact when it comes to European defence. It is no accident that the United Kingdom has taken an ambitious lead role in a new non-Nato defence initiative, the Joint Expeditionary Force, a key component of which is to protect subsea cables in northern Europe â€“ Operation Nordic Warden. European countries such as the UK, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands know that they will have to look increasingly to their own defence capabilities, easing an excessive reliance on the United States, to deter and defend against Russian or other threats to European security. Ireland, severely lacking in naval assets, will have to decide whether it wants to join this or another European initiative to actively monitor and protect the critical infrastructure off the Irish coast that enables transatlantic communications.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HYVBU3ZI4FBBHD5CVNOE7TJFBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296353},"content":"Ireland is also facing a significant European-wide increase in far-right and Islamist extremist radicalisation. The horrific violence in Gaza and in Lebanon has been drawn upon by Islamic State and al-Qaeda to foment grievance and generate recruits. The director general of the UKâ€™s domestic intelligence service, MI5, recently reported an alarming increase in incidents of radicalisation of children under 18, individuals with â€œwith only a tenuous grasp of the ideologies they profess to followâ€, and in some cases viewing Islamist extremist material as well as far-right conspiracy theories and disinformation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X2DJZALEHNF5ZB5EQDBGEOS2MI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296354},"content":"Ireland is not immune to these trends. Michael McElgunn, the assistant commissioner in charge of the Garda national crime and security intelligence service, has warned of the myriad rising threats he and his officers face, especially from extremist actors and the spread of disinformation. Last year a teenager, whom gardaÃ believe was exposed to Islamic State-linked material online, was charged with the attempted murder of Defence Forces chaplain Fr Paul Murphy. The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that the boy be sent forward for indictment at the Central Criminal Court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ODARFCP7KRH3NHQG535Y32S7ZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296355},"content":"Europe is experiencing a wave of foreign state espionage. Much of this, as McElgunn observed, emanates from Russia. Moscowâ€™s intelligence services increasingly subcontract acts of sabotage and assassinations to criminal gangs in a range of European countries. However, Russia is not the only threat â€“ Iranâ€™s security services have cultivated links with the Kinahan organised crime cartel over many years. In recent years a wave of Chinese overseas police stations â€“ aimed at influencing and controlling its diaspora â€“ were uncovered in a range of European cities, including one in Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3HVSYC7IHRBFVKPKJ5KFHANVCA","additional_properties":{"_id":"YXU7XDPZAZDZHD2SCHXRDWAINY"},"content":"Itâ€™s a mistake to dismiss the Cobalt allegations as Carry on Spying","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"H64CB5WPNNHQVCZFIA46HHUEUM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296356},"content":"At the end of December the Sunday Times reported that an unidentified member of the Oireachtas allegedly recruited by Russian intelligence â€“ given the name â€œCobaltâ€ â€“ was suspected of having access to â€œhighly sensitive information on defence policy from serving and retired military personnelâ€. Taoiseach Simon Harris has not responded directly to the allegations, except to comment that Ireland was â€œnot immuneâ€ to hostile Russian intelligence activity. MicheÃ¡l Martin told that DÃ¡il that as Minister for Defence he had â€œ never received a security briefing stating that there is a spy in the Oireachtasâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AELZBY3OJEH7BT33DBZLE6SMU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296357},"content":"The Cobalt claims underline a number of critical security vulnerabilities that will only increase over time if not addressed. The first is a lack of advanced vetting and other counter-intelligence capabilities. Vetting and the proper classification of government material are integral to the security of any democracy that wishes to protect itself from unwanted intrusion by foreign intelligence services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4L7SCZBTG5B7NIZFL5DYMGLRCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736355402833},"content":"The public deserves some reassurance that the Cobalt allegations are being addressed. As in other European countries, it is possible to put some information into the public domain about intelligence threats without compromising operational security. A new government should state whether the Cobalt allegations, as reported by the Sunday Times, are accurate. Second, depending on the verification of Cobaltâ€™s alleged activities, some indication should be offered as to whether significant damage to national security has occurred.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KWZTVIGISZDN7EOWWIP3HSOIOQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296358},"content":"Finally, the government should offer an assessment of whether current legislation is fit for purpose when it comes to espionage offences. If not, it should commit to remedying this national counter-intelligence deficit. Public representatives or officials recruited as agents by foreign intelligence services may still cause significant damage to democratic institutions even if they do not gain access to secret information. Ireland is now increasingly a target for diverse and complex foreign intelligence activity. In order to build resilience, public confidence and awareness of threats to national security, the government should also announce a wide-ranging review of intelligence structures and capabilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GKD3VMJYLFFXRLDN4OCWLXEFFI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296359},"content":"Dr Edward Burke is assistant professor in the History of War since 1945 at University College Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Edward Burke"}]},"description":{"basic":"One of the first tasks of the new government will be how to persuade the incoming Trump administration that Ireland is not a soft touch"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ireland is not immune to the wave of foreign state espionage sweeping Europe","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VY2F25M4HJKMP565QBZ57TLOCE","auth":{"1":"2c6df1d58edbb1f141eaeee34e3c63f033ba5662a95f2f55f1766e05b25f3398"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VY2F25M4HJKMP565QBZ57TLOCE.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/ireland-is-not-immune-to-the-wave-of-foreign-state-espionage-and-threats-sweeping-europe/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"NV7AVAXYDBEB5EKPY65S2SQ724","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":372,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/dc8dfe2f-11de-4664-a092-adc67286c47f/versions/1736267787/media/bd1efd80ec881d3a8c27b246302cdf71_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/eamon-ryan-political-science-cant-trump-climate-science-here-are-4-key-tests-for-the-new-government/","content_elements":[{"_id":"LOW6RB24QJBDPMNF6FQMCIEATI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355429},"content":"Parties negotiating the new programme for government are â€œopen for discussionâ€ on weakening some of the key elements of our existing national climate plan, according to reports in The Irish Times on Monday. Taking such a course would be a terrible mistake. The exit poll after the recent election proves that the silent majority of Irish people, who want us to act on climate, would be rightly appalled. It would not only be morally bankrupt, but would cost us all in the long run. We would miss out on the clean industrial revolution that is already taking hold and all the new green jobs that are already coming here.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RPSQCOBLDZDKNDWDP7BKIH7A2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355430},"content":"Stepping up is not easy. The scale and speed of change required is unprecedented and is not always immediately popular. Fine Gael will miss some of its best climate leaders from the DÃ¡il and Fianna FÃ¡il has not had to grapple with the issue at ministerial level for almost two decades. Some of the Independents have also made a great name for themselves by opposing every measure. That cannot be a reason for steering the country in the wrong direction. It is vital that the programme for government gets the climate commitments right.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NJG2NDCQBVFXTF6P2OTBMSLNHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355432},"content":"Firstly in transport, any weakening of investment in active travel and public transport, or failure to implement the Moving Together sustainable transport strategy, which was widely supported in public consultations last year, would make it impossible to reach our targets. The recently revised National Planning Framework commits us to delivering compact, low-carbon and balanced regional development. Everyone in Government agreed that a large proportion of the new growth would have to be centred around public transport developments, creating social, safe and green local environments. That is the only way we are going to be able to provide the high-quality and affordable housing we need. Going the other route only makes us more car dependent and adds to the cost of housing. It inevitably ends in congestion and it leads to road deaths and injuries, which bring such terrible loss.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VK3I5QGZFRH45BVRFYE22VLWYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355433},"content":"Yes, we will have to spend a lot on new roads, prioritising those badly-needed bypasses of our most congested towns. However, if you switch the 2:1 ratio of spending on public transport and roads, as is apparently now being considered, there will not be enough funding for what we need, even with all the corporate tax money to hand. It would mean fewer metropolitan rail and BusConnects in Cork, Limerick or Waterford. No reopening of the Western Rail Corridor or light rail in Galway. No Navan rail line, and no way of making it safe for people to walk and cycle, which is where all the best international transport plans are going.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5I55OYD52JHC3EMZMAOO66AHZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":"27VEIE5QP5CKNDESSGTVUPDHZE"},"content":"There is something delusional about your frantic trips to the recycling bin","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"D4FBMGS3QRDVRBWD6XLTTWPBFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355434},"content":"The second test will be in finance. Some politicians depicted the carbon tax as the greatest burden known to man, but in truth it is the best way of protecting our most vulnerable people from the high costs of imported fossil fuels and poorly insulated homes. Rather than weakening our commitment to the tax, the new government should put the already agreed allocation of the revenues into social welfare, domestic retrofitting and funding for small farmers to restore nature, on to a legislative basis, so everyone can clearly see the benefits that the tax is delivering.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CXDEWT2D7RCPJHIZPUAHCIUF3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355435},"content":"Third in energy, a key question will be how the new government invests long-term funding in our electricity grid while avoiding the imposition of undue costs on the Irish consumer. And whether it can do this while attracting industries here, who will be looking for countries they can rely upon for clean, secure and ethical power. I donâ€™t believe there will be any rowing back from the new Green Deal in Europe. We will never be more competitive by relying on burning imported fossil fuels.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IEDXJJABF5HSPNEBEXFJK2JQKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355436},"content":"Fourth, it will be vital for the new government to complete the work of the Land Use Review taskforce that is due to report shortly. The aim of the review was to see how we could optimise the use of our land to support rural development, food production, the storage of carbon in our soils and forests, the return of pristine rivers and lakes and the restoration of biodiversity. The taskforce report could then be used by the newly established Just Transition Commission to consider how we make that complex series of developments happen in a fair and sustainable way. No doubt that is also going to require funding, which is one of the reasons why the programme for government should outline the proposed allocation from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, which needs to start flowing as early as next year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2QDDWNONENGLZPFM7JVZ7SXWW4","additional_properties":{"_id":"4SMTC4BOZRA65PFMB7DCCPQCJQ"},"content":"Letâ€™s get real: Irelandâ€™s data centre boom is driving up fossil fuel dependence","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"ZKTYMT5OARHQFAGNIIA5O6Q4YA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355437},"content":"Last but not least, the new government needs to recommit to the science-based targets that were enshrined in our climate law. It puts it up to every relevant Government department and minister what they have to do. Any watering down of the resolve would undermine the whole approach. The new government should collectively agree to what was promised in the Fianna FÃ¡il manifesto and join those countries willing to target a 90 per cent reduction in emissions by 2040. It is no doubt a massive challenge, but no harder than it will be to deal with the ongoing climate destruction that is increasingly happening before our very eyes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F3DORPBK4FH6DCIWX6XHP47UBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355438},"content":"I have no doubt that the Taoiseach, TÃ¡naiste and other future ministers have a real understanding and commitment to the climate issue, but for too long it seems that political science trumps climate science when it comes to delivering the change required. Perhaps in the negotiations they might draw some strength from the question that Pope Francis put to politicians in his letter, Laudate Deum, two years ago: â€œWhat would induce anyone at this stage to hold on to power, only to be remembered for their inability to take action when it was urgent and necessary to do so?â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Eamon Ryan"}]},"description":{"basic":"The scale and speed of change required to tackle climate issue is unprecedented and not always immediately popular"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Political science must not trump climate science. Here are the key tests for the new government ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"X6MSAHLE7BBGJJKX3EXJYASILQ","auth":{"1":"1490849e0d5f8fe73c21e90d21c2d62a6777789d518d690dd7f1e71ced68223f"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/X6MSAHLE7BBGJJKX3EXJYASILQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/eamon-ryan-political-science-cant-trump-climate-science-here-are-4-key-tests-for-the-new-government/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"J7IQODSXQVHBXCFFNM3L5B6EN4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":364,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/59e1272f-9870-45ba-916a-2ecf98329252/versions/1736173509/media/9bbfd5987fe5ee93c4c95341cca60328_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/liz-carolan-trumps-alt-right-edgelords-will-inevitably-come-for-ireland-we-cant-take-the-bait/","content_elements":[{"_id":"TILLZBSL6VEWBPF7XFVW26FKA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272519},"content":"At some point in the next four years Ireland will become the target of a culture or meme war attack from Donald Trumpâ€™s â€œalt rightâ€ allies. The pressure will feel immense but we cannot afford to take the bait.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZLUVTH6MVNBTTLGOFS2PNDQWOI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272520},"content":"In his first electoral victory and presidency, Trump relied on the religious right to build and maintain his winning coalition, appointing ultraconservative Mike Pence as his vice-president and committing to promote anti-abortion supreme court justices. Promises made, promises kept.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CGUF4NERYNHVXEMIYTMYZ6AWIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272521},"content":"This time around he shifted his core alliances, moving from the religious right to the â€œalt rightâ€, from the puritans to the memelords. Again this is embodied by his vice-president pick, the â€œextremely onlineâ€ JD Vance, and his lucrative strategic partnership with provocateur Elon Musk. Both Vance and Musk have demonstrated their ability to weaponise internet culture and humour to rally a younger, digitally engaged base, reshaping conservative politics.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YETXYHC5LBHPVL3MM6WJPNNMVI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272522},"content":"Trump bringing them into the fold helped to cement his win, but it also now positions them as architects of a strategy that ratchets up culture wars and viral spectacle as a cover for extractive policymaking. We see this in the naming of a new body Musk will lead to slash government spending as D.O.G.E., a name synonymous with an internet meme about a dog.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LMAQVFLKVFHZJPO6AHL4AM6XOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272523},"content":"Both Trump administrations will equally rely on theatrics, provocations and manufactured crises that distract from the core aims of those governing the US, and there are already some indications that foreign policy will be a key arena for this new era of ramped up government-by-sh*tposting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UTH667K6AFFLRAYV7JOUHOTCSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272524},"content":"Over the Christmas break, Trump asserted on his own social media site that the US should purchase Greenland, â€œfor purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the Worldâ€. Eric Trump, the president electâ€™s son, followed up by posting a meme of an Amazon shopping cart that included Greenland in the basket.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YXHTO3Q7ABEQLEJWPSUCSZBIWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272525},"content":"This is just one of many comments on US imperial expansion, with the president elect also making various statements about seizing the Panama Canal and annexing Mexico and Canada. Governments are forced to respond, news outlets cover the story and opinion pieces proliferate. The New York Times declared that the comments about Canada have a â€œtrolling jocularityâ€, while those about Greenland and Panama are â€œnot a jokeâ€, though they add an important qualifier: â€œthis timeâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5K6ZFUZR2NCULPF6XQ3EC7Q2ZI","additional_properties":{"_id":"ZHHNUFTOBRELTKAUUZKM5CHTBU"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"IEL5S24VEBGJ5BMO26UQ7ZBVTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272526},"content":"These types of statements are sent out into the world as trial balloons of Hindenburg proportions â€“ tossed like grenades that will either cause real world devastation, or explode in a Jackass-style farce of silly string, leaving braying bullies to LOL at your humiliation. The blurring of online jokes and declarations of intent by the worldâ€™s most powerful man is deeply destabilising, and our turn is coming.","type":"text"},{"_id":"77TO5LZ4L5F6LIHINZQRZUBZ5I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272527},"content":"What Greenland and Panama have in common is that they are seen as posing strategic impediments to the â€œAmerica Firstâ€ project, Greenland with its underexploited rare-earth resources, and both with their role in shipping and commerce. Many within the new Trump administrationâ€™s appointees also see Ireland as a problem. Trumpâ€™s trade tsar Robert Lighthizer has said â€œIreland gets a substantial part of the tax revenue that would normally be due to the US governmentâ€ and this is a â€œtransfer of wealth from us to themâ€. Howard Lutnick, nominee to head the US commerce department, said â€œitâ€™s nonsense that Ireland of all places runs a trade surplus at our expense ... When we end this nonsense, America will be a truly great country again.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"HB32WTTLINFFZIXEXVJASDJT5E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272528},"content":"Add to this the fact that Ireland has already found itself in the crosshairs of US culture wars, notably in the recent hate speech Bill debates. Musk, Trump jnr and Vance all engaged in online discourse criticising that Bill. Musk in particular has been engaged in a long-term feud with the Irish State, which perfectly blends his â€œanti-wokeâ€ politics with his business interests. He was formerly doing this as the worldâ€™s richest man and owner of X. He is now doing it as both of these things and as a senior representative of a Trump administration that has its eyes on Irelandâ€™s economy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJW4DY3Z3NEZDGQJMBTD2O75CQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272529},"content":"It will be tempting, and probably smart politics, for Ireland to keep its head down. But anyone who has dealt with online bullies knows that this is not a long-term strategy; the edgelords will come for us at some point, whether we sit on our hands or not. What we need now is to work out how we will react when the spotlight inevitably comes on us, how to integrate the art of avoiding online baiting into the craft of diplomacy and the politics of statecraft. And we need to start planning for the risk of weaponisation of our presidential election later this year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XSX2LQZFFJF5BFGYLV4TM4T3EY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272530},"content":"The extra layer of challenge we face is that the trolls have real tools to threaten our economic stability. Our business model of foreign direct investment has served us extraordinarily well over the past 30 years but it has become golden handcuffs chaining our national stability and economic wellbeing to the whims of tax and trade policymakers, and ultimately to the vagrancies of oligarchs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VEW3XCTQJZGE5HVJKYWIZOF3ME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272531},"content":"The best way to beat trolls is to defang them of any real ability to hurt you. In this new year, with a new government with a fresh mandate, it is finally time to build a real alternative vision of Irelandâ€™s economy without our extraordinary reliance on mobile capital. Failing to do so will leave us with no leverage and could end up threatening our economic sovereignty.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WBD3JOENMVAWBAKIV7WCZUTQTY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736170629053},"content":"Liz Carolan works on democracy and technology issues, and writes at TheBriefing.ie","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Liz Carolan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Blurring of online jokes about Canada and declarations of intent - such as buying Greenland - by the worldâ€™s most powerful man is deeply destabilising. Ireland could be next"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:15:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trumpâ€™s alt right edgelords will inevitably come for Ireland. We canâ€™t take the bait","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PWWXWXNX2JVUCJBPK3JRBA5FUA","auth":{"1":"097bea9e1ee0dd69ca385bb436a3ebd11e4c1dcbf3894d0e480b25e56cbfb4a3"},"focal_point":{"x":1210,"y":824},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PWWXWXNX2JVUCJBPK3JRBA5FUA.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/liz-carolan-trumps-alt-right-edgelords-will-inevitably-come-for-ireland-we-cant-take-the-bait/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"5N6HM7NWHJBZDNBSHWOTD6NPJA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":370,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/b0c3339c-44bd-46b0-bbfc-0e18ba5852e6/versions/1736177180/media/49665701e77ba57920021349a7e7d694_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/recycle-sportsgear-eliminate-party-bags-four-easy-climate-resolutions-for-every-household/","content_elements":[{"_id":"V6VCE7IRTZCD3CDYN547WSLOLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879136},"content":"Our green bin was full even before Christmas Eve rolled around. I joined my husband outside, where he was stomping down its contents to create more room. In the then still-unseasonably warm air it was hard to imagine a sleigh crossing the night sky. Going back into the sweet warmth, the clementines had attracted fruit flies and a three-week-old non-shed tree was finally yielding its scent, the gifts and floor under it strewn with promise-breaking needles. I was already counting the hours until this week, when I could take it all down.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZX3WN6PAAZHDHPD3GDIRZCNKRI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736192735713},"content":"Call me Scrooge or the Grinch, I donâ€™t care, my favourite part of Christmas is now â€“ when itâ€™s all over. I make no secret of finding Christmas oppressive, and I donâ€™t mean two-hour carol services or the delicious collective pause. Itâ€™s mostly the pressure to consume, when buying is such a burden for many, and when so much of what we buy is not needed or wanted and soon discarded.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TULIYXBSMZB2BLCCR7NLQXDLVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879138},"content":"The Environmental Protection Agencyâ€™s Circular Economy and Waste Statistics and Highlights report published last December underlined that Ireland produced 15.7 million tonnes of waste in 2022. Packaging waste alone was 1.2 million tonnes. Further, our circularity rate (a measure of recycling versus consumption that reflects our efficiency at dealing with waste) is just 1.8 per cent. The European Union average is 11.5 per cent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XLLIC4L7ZZE4PO37KNUQWDK7BU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879139},"content":"We made an incredible recycling stride in 2024 with the launch of the deposit return scheme. But we also need to consume less and reuse more. With Christmas finally over (*leaps for joy*), itâ€™s time to consider how as individuals we can make our new yearâ€™s resolution a circular revolution. And, as with any resolution, you should start small but tell everyone. So hereâ€™s my shortlist of four ideas every household can adopt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XFQPLLA3VFC6ZEBLRWPGT6TYBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879140},"content":"1. Reuse. Try a gear exchange. In Ireland we discard 164,000 tonnes of textiles per year. This is the second-highest rate of per capita textile waste generation in the EU, according to the Circularity Gap Report by Circle Economy Foundation, commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication and published last October.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7KRBJH7ADFC2JL5BJ55VO2U6XQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"S5T4VTH2DJHSLC3A5SNG3DHSEA"},"content":"There is something delusional about your frantic trips to the recycling bin","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"FDYP2RXKRBGCNFXANB3ROSG7IQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736192735718},"content":"In our local scout troop, parents are encouraged to select uniforms from a bag of hand-me-downs. Gear exchange is one of the ideas given a mention in the GAA Green Clubs toolkit. If every sports club in Ireland made gear exchange the norm, this could save hundreds of thousands of plastic-based garments and shoes from needlessly being produced, to be worn for just one season, destined for an overflowing clothes pod or some well-intentioned clothing drive for Africa. Before you say it, no, named sponsors wonâ€™t mind â€“ most clubsâ€™ lead sponsors are static from year to year, and what matters to them is not a new jersey but a commitment from the club to regularly talking up the support they give their community, which can easily be promoted on social media.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7NT4MI3QG5EZZMRW3OTWUZL4NU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879142},"content":"2. Reduce. How about a â€˜no party bagâ€™ pledge? Our children donâ€™t need to be sent home with twizzle-me-bobs of plastic and packets of sugar, and parents donâ€™t need the additional hassle or cost of procuring them. The party bag habit got its toe in the door playing up the etiquette of gift exchange and watched the money roll in. As a class, as a school, we can easily reset everyoneâ€™s expectations and benefit the environment too.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BNTDGFCYOBE7FC7DG3X7V7GGYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879143},"content":"3. Collaborate and campaign. Alone youâ€™re a killjoy, an evil nerd or a grinch, and not just in the eyes of the under nines. Together, the members of a club, workplace or school can undo decades of disposable habits in the space of a season, a half year or a term. Figure out who has skin in the game and share your ideas with them. The parentsâ€™ association at our school recently introduced a voluntary smartphone pledge. A super win for the sustainability of our kidsâ€™ mental health. They achieved it through a careful gathering in of opinions and non-judgmental figuring out what would work for the majority. Where social media has failed our children, online tools such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms can help build a mandate, while WhatsApp groups can easily spread a sustainable revolution.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OZ7K2BYDT5AWVK6A24HA3GHOXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879144},"content":"4. Say no to excess. Sometimes itâ€™s about nudging changes in behaviour; sometimes itâ€™s just calling out unnecessary waste. At the beginning of December, for instance, the Santa Dash fun run in St Anneâ€™s Park in Dublin attracted more than 1,000 entries, handing out disposable costumes â€œmade from 100 per cent virgin polyester felt in plastic packagingâ€. As part of its â€œsustainabilityâ€ commitment, participants were encouraged to â€œuse them again at homeâ€. When life is as frenetic as it was in 2024, itâ€™s tempting to let it all go â€“ whether itâ€™s another coffee cup, party bag or reusable Santa suit. But sometimes you just need to make the point and others will follow.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BELOWMC4ZFGXJILFI5P64QLFP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879145},"content":"You can find everything you need to make your 2025â€²s new year resolution a circular revolution on Green Schools from An Taisce; the GAAâ€™s Green Clubs. For more resources for communities and households try CRNI, My Waste, StopFoodWaste.ie, Voice and the Rediscovery Centre.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OWOKMAXW6VDPFG5JYVQ6BU76UM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736173680219},"content":"Angela Ruttledge is a former restaurateur who writes about food and sustainability","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Angela Ruttledge"}]},"description":{"basic":"Call me Scrooge or the Grinch, but my favourite part of Christmas is now - when the season of excess waste is over"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Recycle sportsgear, eliminate party bags: four easy climate resolutions for every household","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"IX5JTMEY4K7RWGBSN36ZAVBUQ4","auth":{"1":"1aefaef445304126414a8d3873e7cc4168140a1993bf52ff40a6a18a5fff68a6"},"focal_point":{"x":1574,"y":1502},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IX5JTMEY4K7RWGBSN36ZAVBUQ4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/recycle-sportsgear-eliminate-party-bags-four-easy-climate-resolutions-for-every-household/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"QKDANKYMVVCXTHLTQ5FMND26BM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":341,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6ffeeb95-ad80-416a-9c3b-b1582e7d2690/versions/1735916731/media/fb3439db9a21f47ceb9d10f4d97faa68_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/orla-oconnor-women-dont-want-a-rest-on-nollaig-na-mban-they-want-decent-childcare-equal-pay-and-access-to-healthcare/","content_elements":[{"_id":"HBVJLAHRPJEVHOWMSPLZ7PQSIM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559588},"content":"As government formation talks gather pace, many women will be marking Nollaig na mBan, also known as Womenâ€™s or Little Christmas, today. It is the day women traditionally take a rest, get together and celebrate their Christmas while men do the housework.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FR7SB5N74JEWXE2NVDH3BHXQEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559589},"content":"It is a well-earned break. Because never is the gendered division of labour more apparent than at Christmas. From the physical and emotional labour of managing a household to the extra care work involved at Christmas, it is far from a time of rest for most women.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SRPS36EQXRDCHE73XU5VILMIHY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559590},"content":"But unrecognised care work is not just for Christmas. According to research carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), from one end of the year to another, women carry out twice as much unpaid care work and housework as men.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z7ILE2S5URDARHI7E3E5PQURUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559591},"content":"And so the message today from many women to those negotiating the next government and its programme is clear: we need radical change over the next five years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EAUZXKBCHNDMPOBT2ILKMJUSLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559592},"content":"The deal breaker for the advancement of womenâ€™s equality in the next political term is public childcare. Currently, the lack of affordable, accessible, quality childcare means women are often forced into part-time, more precarious work. Some women feel they have no choice but to leave the workforce altogether. This results in a key driver of the gender pay gap: the motherhood penalty. Womenâ€™s earnings plummet after the birth of a child, while menâ€™s remain static or even improve. Research from Maynooth University in 2023 found a significant 27 per cent decline in womenâ€™s earnings after childbirth.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPYUP2L3SJH2PLPORGOBJRG5QU","additional_properties":{"_id":"VGBO7XQ2GZC6NKMVHYDQVCJWQI"},"content":"Is free, publicly funded childcare possible in Ireland?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"E3ZRXSXLMNFXDD3COJQHHQ3BLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559593},"content":"Delivering a public system of early childhood education and care would tackle this penalty and provide enormous benefit to children, women, families and early years educators. It would mean a guaranteed childcare place for every child, irrespective of their background, their needs or where they live. Combined with well-paid family leave, it would offer real choices to women and all parents to participate fully in every aspect of their lives. And it would mean better pay and working conditions for the mostly female early years educators, commensurate with their education and experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2RY5V7BPTZGR5JATUYETCV43IE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559594},"content":"Women are also calling for radical change when it comes to tackling the epidemic of violence against women. Fifty two per cent of women in Ireland have reported experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. In 2023 An Garda SÃochÃ¡na received domestic violence calls every 10 minutes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M2FSIP455JDSXAZPO3TWP2LQLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"VGYFIMPBYBFVXIQAYZFSMWMCEY"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-45283","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"AKKVWFHRLBBUFANOIQUSWPJKYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559595},"content":"The commitment to a zero tolerance strategy in 2022 and the creation of Cuan, the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency, represents important progress to tackle violence against women. The new government must now drive forward to a society where women can live free from violence, abuse and harassment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EWZK6HMRIRCQ7ODXOYS7QEHSZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687334},"content":"Cuan must be fully resourced to carry out its mandate and implement the strategy. Frontline services need secure multiannual funding so they can continue to provide their vital services. The courts and judiciary must be reformed to provide a more victim-centred approach which does not retraumatise women.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MMICDCG4ERADHBUZA24G5UM63I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687335},"content":"Finally, we must understand and tackle the serious impact of the housing crisis on women. The homelessness rate among women in Ireland is one of the highest in the EU. Women fleeing domestic abuse and violence and those caught up in sex-for-rent exploitation must be able to access secure housing and accommodation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MVXMOXITAJB5BNSH54P75B3FGE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559596},"content":"This Nollaig na mBan, women are demanding radical change in the area of womenâ€™s health. Marginalised women in particular face significant barriers in accessing the healthcare they need. The introduction of the free contraception scheme, free IVF and free HRT were important, positive milestones over the last few years. This progress must continue with a renewed focus on the delivery of a universal healthcare system and increased, dedicated investment in mental health services that meet womenâ€™s unique needs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TOF722UTTZAR3KF2L5BQC6ICHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687337},"content":"One demand that should be completely uncontroversial is the delivery of the long-awaited mother and baby unit. This unit is urgently needed to allow mothers experiencing very severe and complex perinatal mental health difficulties to receive in-patient care and support without being separated from their babies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WZPCAEWRCRFV5HE3VYOSXSYLOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559597},"content":"And with more than 1,000 women having to travel from Ireland to Britain for an abortion since 2018, we want to see a clear commitment from government to implement the recommendations of the independent review of abortion care by Marie Oâ€™Shea. This includes an end to the mandatory three-day wait and the full decriminalisation of abortion care in Ireland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UVZCCYW2UJGRPGWMLNQ5XUEE5M","additional_properties":{"_id":"5ANV34YKJZB7THZOJCRX2FQ6ME"},"content":"Taoiseach says abortion legislation review requires â€˜careful considerationâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UXDFUGIY3ZDSDB3CMEGOXSJHTE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559598},"content":"These are some of the calls from women to the negotiators of the next programme for government and all newly elected TDs, including a record number of 44 women elected. With significant resources available to tackle some major, structural issues for women, the time to act is now. Women deserve more than a rest for Nollaig na mBan; women need equality.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W7OBZTJFFRC3DFIVW6XBSG6IYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559599},"content":"Orla Oâ€™Connor is the director of the National Womenâ€™s Council","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Orla O'Connor"}]},"description":{"basic":"Lack of affordable, accessible, quality childcare means women are often forced into part-time, more precarious work"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T05:45:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Women donâ€™t want a rest on Nollaig na mBan. We want decent childcare, equal pay and access to healthcare","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"WCZHAVDCD5DCNO4T2Y5CLJVHGQ","auth":{"1":"9a54f16d62571a9d9fbd891f9490f2cd7f57297734aeefb1f7298405805924e2"},"focal_point":{"x":3009,"y":1477},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/WCZHAVDCD5DCNO4T2Y5CLJVHGQ.JPG"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/orla-oconnor-women-dont-want-a-rest-on-nollaig-na-mban-they-want-decent-childcare-equal-pay-and-access-to-healthcare/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"HEAOYWTBSFDXLPRR6DRYEFKXK4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":420,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/f8d5926d-077e-4178-84b1-ce2e65dce677/versions/1734967959/media/7b14c6f60ab4e99795e9bb9b7e3c2433_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/ben-tonra-europe-is-deluded-if-it-thinks-it-can-manage-donald-trump/","content_elements":[{"_id":"CI2N6POQO5AX5IMSSSXFKKPTME","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281048},"content":"The re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has profound implications for European security and the future of transatlantic relations. How worried should we be? Very.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7B5QM4PVPJDQ3FZNV57ECFPRNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281049},"content":"Trumpâ€™s previous tenure in the White House was marked by an innate contempt for the very premise of collective security, an intrinsically transactional approach to allies, a profound hostility towards the European Union and a preference for the company of autocrats. His worst impulses, however, were constrained by the so-called â€œadults in the roomâ€ â€” most of whom opposed his re-election.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SERSOQZYRZFLTHOXF63CO7OKBU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281050},"content":"Throughout his election campaign, all this was again on full display. According to Trump, Russia could â€œdo whatever the hell they want(ed)â€ in Europe â€” especially to those not paying their rightful Nato dues. His framing of Natoâ€™s 2 per cent defence spending target is that of a mob bossâ€™s racketeering scheme â€” pay for protection or lose protection. His running mate suggested that Nato protection would be withdrawn from EU member states if they threatened the business interests of big US companies such as Elon Muskâ€™s X. Musk is now, of course, a close adviser and cabinet member.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXI35T6TZRGBBMSWJD5IX5E22E","additional_properties":{"_id":"GUC6S4H3FZG7BGLXGRJHKXADYY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"46HIMQJ2IZCINNDIY67EHOFHFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734543056723},"content":"Trumpâ€™s economic policy calls for universal import tariffs which will inevitably spark equivalent tariffs from the EU and threatens a much wider trade war. Appointments thus far to Trumpâ€™s national security, foreign policy and economic teams suggest nothing if not a doubling down on these ideas and this â€œAmerica Firstâ€ strategy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JUDX33TW75HP5O3IQMNE6ZJAXA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281051},"content":"Many seasoned European diplomats extol caution in response. It was an election after all, they tell us. Things said in the heat of a campaign â€” especially from a candidate not known for his tempered restraint â€” can be at least partially discounted. Moreover, the laws of economic and political reality still apply, and US national interests are predicated upon strong alliances. Trump is also highly transactional and loves the â€œdealâ€ even more than he loves the excitement of shaking things up. In any event, they tell us, we survived Trump 1.0 â€“ why not the same for Trump 2.0?","type":"text"},{"_id":"6YL734BICFEV7EQEZWBLY2RICY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281052},"content":"Apart from the renewed ideological vigour of this second Trump administration â€“ to be found in his Project 2025 manifesto, from which he has distanced himself â€“ we have yet to factor in what lessons Trump himself has taken from his first government. As noted, his personnel choices are eliminating any prospect of checks and balances coming from within his own White House. He has also secured majorities â€“ and Maga [Make America Great Again] majorities at that â€“ in both congressional houses and he has a bespoke supreme court majority. He also has scores to settle. His nemesis Angela Merkel may be gone, but the kinds of European leaders he despises are all there. He also intends to take a scythe through the US military establishment, the senior leadership most attuned to the needs and strengths of Americaâ€™s military alliances. Trump has also forged close ties with many on Europeâ€™s right-wing populist front â€“ celebrating, for example, Hungaryâ€™s Viktor Orban. The bottom line: this isnâ€™t likely to be a rerun of Trump 1.0.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BAT7WUDHCVBQNBAPDC7ZZZJXTQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"JMZYOPNUUVFSHH7H46M7KFY6VM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"CLJOOYZ7RZGXZCN53GVQMAZE6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281053},"content":"From a security standpoint, itâ€™s also useful to remind ourselves that Natoâ€™s credibility does not rely on treaty text. Indeed, in drafting the treaty it was a US demand that Natoâ€™s response to any crisis would rely on what each state â€œdeemed necessaryâ€ rather than any automatic military response. Thus, there is no need for Trump to withdraw from Nato to destroy the allianceâ€™s credibility. He has only â€“ through his own words and actions â€“ to continue to disparage the US commitment to the alliance to allow Natoâ€™s adversaries to draw their own conclusions and to accelerate the kinds of hybrid attacks we are already witnessing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GJ45BAXCBGTZMZSVNOLZLHZZI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281054},"content":"The European strategy in responding to all of this is to trust in Europeâ€™s capacity to â€œmanageâ€ Donald Trump. This will be accomplished, we are told, by explaining how much Europe is contributing to Ukraineâ€™s defence, by pointing to the number of Nato members already meeting or far exceeding the 2 per cent threshold, by underlining Europeâ€™s potential role in leveraging China on issues of importance to Washington, and by serving up political â€œwinsâ€ to Trump that he can showcase as evidence of his deal-making genius. This is the opening European strategy â€“ but is it also European wishful thinking? Is it perhaps the diplomatic equivalent of whistling past the graveyard of the transatlantic partnership?","type":"text"},{"_id":"MK4X4LRAC5EZ7NPY75O6M27GRQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281055},"content":"If this second Trump administration makes good on what has been said and on what is said to be planned, the transatlantic relationship will enter a period of profound crisis and potential collapse. Options are limited. It is possible that the European Union will respond with the kind of collective power it evidenced in the euro and Covid crises. EU defence bonds may put hundreds of millions into national defence budgets and the bones of an EU common defence may come into being. Europe may fill much of the gap in helping Ukraine defend itself. Europe may even stand toe to toe with the US in the upcoming tariff battle, withstanding threats of blackmail. The United Kingdom, France, Germany and especially Poland may also rise to the occasion, creating a bold coalition of the willing, capable as a Euro-Nato or EU+European Political Community to forge the necessary will and deploy the resources required to thwart Russian imperialism and proxy Chinese adventurism via North Korea.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2NQJ2T442ZDYBNZLKO7N5THGUA","additional_properties":{"_id":"H4WDXNEM6NCVVAGKVUUCLGRKLQ"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"YAT5FKXN2VBR3ESDKZIHIRIH4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281056},"content":"Alternatively, European capitals will beat separate paths to Washington to supplicate at the court of Trump, and to secure whatever bilateral assurances and guarantees may be available. Trump may craft his own illiberal coalition in partnership with Orban, Le Pen, Fico and others, thereby collapsing the European Unionâ€™s foreign policy and drawing into question its own political foundations. Russia will keenly exploit Europeâ€™s weaknesses, possibly even creating its longed-for buffer zone of client or neutered states across its western borders.","type":"text"},{"_id":"426G4LMZWFDSJBTVKRLJLGBFEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281057},"content":"The lamps have most certainly not gone out over Europe, but there are now threatening winds blowing from the West and Ireland will inevitably be caught in some severe storm-force crosswinds.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EGULSKA6AVG6ZDPVXGYW5DG2CM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734543056731},"content":"Ben Tonra MRIA is full Professor of International Relations at UCD. A version of this article was published with the UK in a Changing Europe project","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Ben Tonra"}]},"description":{"basic":"If this second Trump administration makes good on what has been said, the transatlantic relationship will enter a period of profound crisis and potential collapse"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Europe is deluded if it thinks it can â€˜manageâ€™ Donald Trump","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BT6HP4N2MW5MAVHG2VEEKI4GEU","auth":{"1":"741a93a28a0ce70bb9d34bf22639cff164efccfb49b6259e0622115abb2f7485"},"focal_point":{"x":4525,"y":2171},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BT6HP4N2MW5MAVHG2VEEKI4GEU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/ben-tonra-europe-is-deluded-if-it-thinks-it-can-manage-donald-trump/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"ZVQGITB2GBCRTIKWV3YBHAZTA4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":421,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6dd86b15-6d1d-46cb-96ea-0bec55c2ef31/versions/1734447654/media/ce405307e18a052baebc6cca8e33620a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/planning-to-join-a-swimming-pool-in-the-new-year-read-this-first/","content_elements":[{"_id":"7QYV5QH74JD4RJUM47MFD4ZQT4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539620},"content":"It has been an incredible year for Irish swimming â€“ three Olympic medals, fantastic performances at the World Championships and short course Worlds, and national record after national record put to bed. If, like many, youâ€™ve been inspired all the way to the local pool, we warmly await your cap-clad arrival to the poolside of your choosing. But please, tread carefully.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNYAVT76IVEC3I56RQZWPCXAGY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539621},"content":"As a twice- or thrice-weekly lunchtime lane-swimmer, I have advice to help you glide seamlessly into this world without enraging your new colleagues. Swimming is unusual among sports for how close it forces you to be with your fellow athletes and it can involve some calibration to maintain a decent rhythm. But lane selection is perilously self-assessed. I see crimes at both ends of the spectrum â€“ fast people menacing the fine citizenry of the slow lane, and splashy slow swimmers disrupting the fast lane.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IP22TVV7HJCKNEJB5LTBXW5I7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539622},"content":"Often, I can see the latter coming. Theyâ€™re men in good shape, and they choose lanes on identity grounds (â€œIâ€™m just a fast lane kinda guyâ€) rather than swimming ability.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5J23YCTELFDCJN5LQIV7PHJBYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539623},"content":"The following happens frequently. Iâ€™m in the fast lane, swimming medium/fast laps of the pool (50m in under a minute, at least), stopping every 12 laps. Someone enters the lane, and just as I am, say, 4m from their end, about to turn and go again, the person takes off. Now, I canâ€™t just tumble-turn and continue, as Iâ€™ll swim directly into the back of them as I come out of the turn. So, I stop. Or rather, I am stopped. They canâ€™t see my reaction, which is visibly frustrated, so thereâ€™s nothing to stop this becoming a continuing theme in our shared lane experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3S5WYPYORZC73EXDUJ4GFWTK2Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539624},"content":"Occasionally, Iâ€™ve attempted a discussion, but swimming pools are terrible mediation spaces. â€œIâ€™m sorry but, I notice you keep just beginning as Iâ€™m about to turn. Could you please, em, just wait until Iâ€™ve turned or go when Iâ€™m at the other end?â€ They look genuinely confused or roll their eyes, and a weird mood captures the lane â€“ one heightened by all the inscrutable goggle-wearing. If, instead of talking, I respond by just turning anyway and immediately overtaking, they often speed up, and an exhausting, close-quarters race ensues.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJBXXHSOO5G7BGL246G3LZ6DN4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539625},"content":"The next point: if someone taps your foot, donâ€™t panic. When returning to lane-swimming, I learned the main rule was that if a swimmer behind taps your foot, thatâ€™s a signal they want to overtake, and you should respond by making that easy â€“ donâ€™t stop dead, but swim on slowly to allow them to get around you quickly. The one time Iâ€™ve attempted this recently, it was met with complete bafflement (they stopped and turned around, thinking I was trying to chat). Unfortunately, the intersection between the set of people who swim enough to know the rule, and the people likely to need to be overtaken, is vanishingly small. Thus, a foot tap in the wild is likely to be interpreted as anything from an unwelcome rogue tickle to an act of physical hostility.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DWPR47FRMJHYLHDM44K72262PM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539626},"content":"Iâ€™m no Daniel Wiffen. I find it intimidating when someone faster joins my lane. If thereâ€™s a free one, or another one thatâ€™s moving well, Iâ€™ll often switch. When I canâ€™t switch without sacrificing a good training session, Iâ€™m very mindful of not messing up their rhythm. Iâ€™ll swim four lengths for every six they do and slide to the corner, or up on to the edge, giving them lots of room to turn and overtake.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AFK2OVM66BAPXJ4U2564ZWUXFY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539627},"content":"This sounds neurotic, but I have come to think the neuroticism is linked to ways women have of perceiving their bodies and the space they take up. Itâ€™s why I get so frustrated when a person cuts me off. I avoid attributing malice where obliviousness is plausible. So, when I think about what it must be like not to be worried about blocking someone elseâ€™s way, to be so completely unconscious of the space my body takes up as to not see that Iâ€™m going to force someone else to stop, Iâ€™m both jealous and annoyed. For me, taking off just before a faster swimmer turns would be no less craven than chasing and then lying down in front of a jogger.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IJ4YUH2FBAT3HFY2RZ6Z4VXBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539628},"content":"Some philosophy I read recently illuminated my rage. Phenomenologists believed the history of western philosophy had relegated the body to a kind of shell that the mind, as the proper seat of consciousness, merely drags around with it. Descartes & Co prioritised the mental over the physical. For phenomenologist Merleau-Ponty, we are our bodies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TYTTRJTDQVHI5GDDKQNRGIMCNA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539629},"content":"In Throwing Like a Girl, Iris Marion Young uses phenomenology to explain how women can struggle to achieve a harmonious relationship with physical activity. According to Young, at our most primal, people are bodies, interacting freely with our environments. The body is capacity â€” a set of powers. But this can work differently for women. Young describes a corrupted version where the power is inhibited, its relationship with its surroundings flounders, causing feelings of incapacity, frustration and self-consciousness.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZOD4GOZ3FCBNGKAMMWYG4RPEQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539630},"content":"In laymanâ€™s terms, we regard our bodies in a way that interferes with the experience of them as primarily powerful. We think about our bodies as objects rather than subjects â€“ things that other people see or, in the case of swimming pools, things that may be in someone elseâ€™s way.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2SWIUISZJFHCJH4UVUD3KPFW7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539631},"content":"This is why, in addition to manspreading, we have womansquinching. Consider the shared armrests between public seats, like those on planes and trains. For those of us whose phenomenology has been beaten down by life, those armrests will always be about occupying space. The idea of freely engaging them simply to reduce the weight-bearing load of our arms, without a thought for the rival elbow is mere fantasy. Similarly, I overthink my lane etiquette, constantly worrying over the possibility of my body becoming an encumbrance to another. Itâ€™s a shame, because it is while swimming uninterrupted that I feel the most primal relationship with my body. I feel like the driver of a decent car, and less like a road hazard.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PX5T55FO3VFHZJXEGECLN23ZEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539632},"content":"So, if swimming is your new yearâ€™s resolution, and you are in the fortunate camp for whom your connection to your body is so natural that you donâ€™t anticipate when you come close to causing a two-body-pile-up, I implore you, try to pick the right lane.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3SVSYYW5V5CLFCJWQHJ5DGWOC4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539633},"content":"Dr Clare Moriarty is a Research Ireland postdoctoral fellow at Trinity College Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Clare Moriarty"}]},"description":{"basic":"Watch your lane etiquette; never take off just before a faster swimmer turns; and donâ€™t panic if someone taps your foot"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Planning to join a swimming pool this January? Read this first","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4WRUQ7ZSCFA2ZI4APCIE6P6QNU","auth":{"1":"a6f5d2782307d31e95c3b62d621a7f7fc4360bda3a0af6f2b569fd6312bbc9b7"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4WRUQ7ZSCFA2ZI4APCIE6P6QNU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/planning-to-join-a-swimming-pool-in-the-new-year-read-this-first/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DHI4UUZ5VVCKFELP746V6ALK44","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":368,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/bb5384d8-c8d7-4e2b-b002-9e9cd49ac888/versions/1734699657/media/c03fff12f928a9a399083dd3f9d5960d_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/rachel-odwyer-my-friend-sends-me-a-dizzying-list-of-pills-for-what-she-calls-biohacking-perimenopause/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WWIW56LBFBG7NICGJYB4ELA73A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795772},"content":"My friend Suzy and I visit a luxury forest spa before Christmas. Neither of us are really sure what we are supposed to actually do in the luxury spa for three hours. Along with a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, many of the rooms â€“ â€œexperiencesâ€ â€“ appear to simply be designed for sleeping. There is a Scandinavian snug, for example, with a fire and huge fluffy blankets that you can lie under with a view of the forest beyond. I lie blearily on a chaise longue, watching robed figures wander through the trees outside and thinking about Ari Aster horror films. The spa offers a class in sleep as it happens, another in mindful meditation, and a third in skincare, which is just beginning when we arrive. Behind a glass partition, a row of women in identical fluffy white robes all face front. Thereâ€™s a distinctly Wall-E feel to the whole spectacle. They stare earnestly ahead at an invisible instructor, all gently massaging the delicate skin around their eyes with the fourth finger of each hand in neat, circular motions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBWCOSOUWRDKLKE34YVTJAX2PY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795773},"content":"What comes to mind when you think of wellness? It might be colostrum serums, aura points or simply having enough free time to go running. (The word â€œcolostrumâ€ alone is enough to conjure shivers of deep personal failure in my own psyche). A wellness trend Iâ€™ve seen forecast in several places for 2025 is â€œlongevityâ€, which is simply the aspiration to be so healthy that you live longer than everyone else. Maybe it speaks to cynicism on my part, or at least a cynicism about the future, but Iâ€™m surprised that younger people want to live forever when the planet is burning. Maybe this cynicism also explains my own approach to new yearâ€™s resolutions, which is less aspirational and always just â€œmake it from January 1st to March 20th without doing myself a violenceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RGIXCYDMNBB4LJAOETGUW5QPLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795774},"content":"For many of us, the Covid pandemic sounded the death knell for any residual cries to â€œlean inâ€. Many Gen X and millennial women worked and cared and parented past the point of burnout. They continue to do so. If the womanly dream of â€œhaving it allâ€ has been revealed to be simply â€œdoing it allâ€, wellness promises something different. It suggests there can be healing from all that striving, that self-care could replace the demand to be a girlboss, hustle or achieve. And maybe this is why wellness is so appealing, promising that a new you might be purchased as easily as a fancy jade roller.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HGRXQT7DFE2DPLOMHAWK455TY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795775},"content":"Figuring out how to be well feels dispiriting at a moment when so much of the language of healing and transcending has been absorbed into the vernacular of corporate productivity and self-optimisation. Iâ€™m stating the obvious here, but even the very state of wellness as opposed to simply â€œbeing wellâ€ implies a luxury product we consume rather than something we simply are, a sentiment still perfectly encapsulated by the yoni eggs sold on Gwyneth Paltrowâ€™s lifestyle website Goop, designed to be inserted into the vagina to â€œharness the power of energy work, crystal healing and Kegel-like physical practiceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"COJSHRNSONCG5F733MY7KB2QJA","additional_properties":{"_id":"EUZNX5AMRNAMFMFPUAFDR55ZA4"},"content":"My smear test dilemma: How do I confess that this is my first one, at the age of 41?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UU7QVFHHU5HGVGDN3NL67LI3PQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795776},"content":"If, on the one hand, we have Paltrow shilling us expensive Kegel toners to fill the aching voids in our lives, in the past year or so Iâ€™ve noticed another less glamorous but frankly more useful approach to health and wellness among millennials. This age group are using tools like the internet, AI and the wisdom of crowds to navigate womenâ€™s health issues. My cohort are well used to navigating a Reddit wormhole. If we donâ€™t entirely trust the health system to care for our bodies we would rather trust in the hive mind to help us sift through the noise surrounding topics like perimenopause and postnatal depression.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PGN4TY3HOREKTKIJSY442MOHBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795777},"content":"The results are mixed. â€œHave you tried low-dose naltrexone? How about metformin?â€ A friend in the States texts me. Iâ€™d been complaining about a general unwell feeling for the past few months, tired and achy in my joints. But maybe this is just what getting older feels like? â€œWhat are they for?â€ I ask, quickly googling to discover that the first is prescribed in higher doses for addiction but used at lower doses off-label for numerous purposes including long Covid and the latter is prescribed for diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. My friend has none of these conditions as far as I know. â€œI donâ€™t know, Reddit told me it would keep me skinny and make me young,â€ she quips, proceeding to describe a dizzying list of supplements and medications she calls â€œbiohacking perimenopauseâ€. Alongside the aforementioned, thereâ€™s low oestrogen birth control as a precursor to hormone therapy and Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant with stimulant properties. â€œItâ€™s shocking how much my parenting has improved.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQK6FBVJEFGCJFB62HY6TVB6BU","additional_properties":{"_id":"N74J2YRYPJFZTCQGHETFO5WYUA"},"content":"Men are deemed more masculine for taking up more space, women more feminine for taking up less","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"7Q4GT7WW3NBXBHDPY2FRVTD4NY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795778},"content":"I notice that many of my WhatsApp groups ostensibly devoted to motherly admin are frequently highjacked to poll health supplements: magnesium, strength training and the best (okay, fine, least worst) hormonal contraceptives. Even though picking up heavy things has always topped my list in terms of boring forms of exercise, it clearly tops the shared list of recommendations for recommended stuff to do as you get older. The shared consensus, too, is that supplements advertised for menopause are simply magnesium and vitamin B at a much higher price tag and not worth your money, however many influencers try to shill you a fancy version of Starflower oil. I add them to my online shopping cart. Itâ€™s cheaper than a crystal egg.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7Q3S4RJ2RH63ILS2D7A4BIB4E","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795779},"content":"Rachel Oâ€™Dwyer is a writer and lecturer in digital cultures in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Rachel O'Dwyer"}]},"description":{"basic":"My generation prefers to trust the hive mind to the health system when it comes to caring for our bodies and minds. The results can be mixed"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"My friend sends me a dizzying list of pills for what she calls â€˜biohacking perimenopauseâ€™","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"CWZ7N6KUJZCDLLEMSELAFH4VW4","auth":{"1":"3b1c0fe58af6ce06db8182d3d1a5eff819469ebae741958bf210018af75da722"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CWZ7N6KUJZCDLLEMSELAFH4VW4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/rachel-odwyer-my-friend-sends-me-a-dizzying-list-of-pills-for-what-she-calls-biohacking-perimenopause/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"PORZ7NMM75GCVPS7T6ZOHVAJ5M","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":327,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/bb471816-cf06-4853-b567-3bb279c94ea4/versions/1735230765/media/428284ccdec3b285d1817dfdaa00dc4a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/freedom-of-religion-an-empty-formula-unless-places-to-worship-available/","content_elements":[{"_id":"PGQZYLLZ55D3TDXH2T2HAN23YU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171814},"content":"Places of worship in this country were traditionally guaranteed by well resourced religious institutions. In recent years religious worship has become more diverse and many worshipping communities now exist outside wider hierarchical structures. Their resources are limited.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H4D7MX57UNHJPM4DTIYEMR2ULM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171815},"content":"Access to places of worship is a big challenge and, when found, they are often inadequate. â€œFreedom of religionâ€ is an empty formula unless people of faith are able to gather to worship under suitable conditions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JDA2MIQWFNBE5HVEOXMKXCK6E4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171816},"content":"In the changing face of religion in Ireland, people of Muslim faith make up a large proportion of regular congregational worshippers. Of the 24 mosques and Islamic prayer rooms in Dublin, three are in the north inner city, the only place in the Republic where they outnumber Catholics.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EAR7O3AEUFHPROTQZJRMA54TLU","additional_properties":{"_id":"37XVNNQAHZESLJPTKLTQ4EAC7I"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"HTT2JCSEOJAPVPBJBMO7Q6LIHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171817},"content":"One of these north inner city mosques â€” Masjid Rahma (Mosque of Mercy) â€” was previously renting a premises in Temple Lane off Gardiner St, which held 400 worshippers, until the lease was terminated in order to develop the site. This story is typical of the many new faith groups in Ireland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TLG5ZVWTJFDBVJGOC6NJEIAEZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171818},"content":"When they do succeed in finding a place to worship, the costs are daunting, the tenure is uncertain and often the conditions are inadequate. Other mosques in the area face the same problem of inadequate space, which means that they are forced to multiply weekly services when the norm is for the entire community to gather at the same time.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TN2NURL2VBA6BN6MSNKIAI3YYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171819},"content":"Masjid Rahma now occupies a former garage which can hold only 70 worshippers. This means that the majority of its community is no longer catered for. Most of its members live in the immediate area. They send their children to the same local schools and they share the same workplaces as their Irish-born neighbours.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LZEMSIZQNFA45OQ7T3KPR3MEL4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171820},"content":"This part of the city is no stranger to ethnic diversity. As early as the year 2000 there were 10 ethnic groups in Gardiner Street National School. There are now 30.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NTWJ7T3RDNA55CCA5KEHMLG7KA","additional_properties":{"_id":"RENLEZVMX5DSLJDFVNYQIEHCJQ"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"ME4NCZINNJGERJUDEQIN5V22OA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171821},"content":"According to official statistics, the population of the Republic is due to increase by one million by 2040. Some of that increase will be due to immigration as the economy offers new opportunities to fill much needed roles and draws the attention of people from other parts of the world in search of better life.","type":"text"},{"_id":"27GW7LCQSRGRTPQHR4LPNKVGIE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171822},"content":"Indeed, they will be doing what so many Irish people have done over the past two centuries. Wherever they went around the world, they drew strength and support from their Catholic faith. This is typical of all migrants from any part of the world and, as they find their way in a new country, these new arrivals will look to religious faith for support.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TJQ2CEEOTRGRJDSCUTI3N6WLCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171823},"content":"This pattern is already clear among immigrants who have been living in Ireland for some time. Dublinâ€™s northeast inner city is a preview of Irelandâ€™s future with its rich diversity of religious groups.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DJY3WU26E5CLPE7TAMPMUPOYAY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171824},"content":"There should be no repetition at national level of the indifference shown in the northeast inner city. The changes which we face will lead to dislocation, with potential for conflict, unless they are planned for.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3EHYJC2EU5FYHOIGSH2HDJHD5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171825},"content":"There is a growing public awareness of the need for a different kind of planning than in the past â€” one which takes into account more than simply the building of houses, though housing is fundamental. The common good requires that everyone has access to what they need to thrive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6OUVAOC47FB3RBLCHCUR7ITX64","additional_properties":{"_id":"AUJECCHMEBEY5KOU5NQS6ZQ46M"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"MT4ZMY5WENEFLA7PTFVP7NLC6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171826},"content":"The large isolating housing estates of the past were not grounded in building sustainable communities, and many did real harm to those who lived in them. The National Planning Framework, launched in 2018 and being reviewed currently refers to â€œspatial planningâ€ whereby housing has to be seen in relation to various facilities such as schools, transport and hospitals. It also refers to care of the environment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RWIVRTGQGZGNLH26XOWGVHND5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171827},"content":"There is no reference in the National Planning Framework to providing space for worship, as part of creating spaces that build and sustain communities. This will be a significant need for the various ethnic and religious groups living in Ireland today and in the years ahead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6PJ5D4TJBVHXBHVCWNDTQ22BKI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171828},"content":"For anyone who is part of a faith community, congregational worship is as fundamental to their wellbeing as a school or a hospital. This will call for fundamental change in our attitude to land and its use. After air and water, it is the most valued resource in every society.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MERLQNFU65A6LJ3WKVZA2U4MM4","additional_properties":{"_id":"2FJVES72WZA3VOOMMOAO2F6BMM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"DW3U3RHZ4FFUPEGVD4HZABLPHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171829},"content":"If it is simply seen as a commodity, instead of a human need, many people will be denied the basic requirements of a dignified life. The prevailing approach to land development, which lends itself too easily to a culture of land speculation, is based on a supposed right to private property, but that right, according to the Constitution, is subject to â€œthe exigencies of the common goodâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"76NT7BAN6VCDZCEC7VBG3F4DRI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171830},"content":"The right of speculators to have it their way is about as legitimate as the right of 19th landlords to exact exorbitant rent from impoverished tenants.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZKQLQWVNVBC6PEDNSK3YYG2DGE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171831},"content":"Imam Shamsudeen MacSeain of Masjid Rahma on Dorset Lane and Fr Edmond Grace SJ of the Jesuit Community, Gardiner St, Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Imam Shamsudeen MacSeain and Fr Edmond Grace, SJ."}]},"description":{"basic":"Rite and Reason: No reference in National Planning Framework to providing space for worship as part of creating spaces that build and sustain communities"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T00:30:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Freedom of religion an empty formula unless places to worship available","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MWLQRSG4T5FJHLXJK766LIDEZA","auth":{"1":"e9c1cdd8637874a605fc775d25a31d58675491800c8aa7d11dd3c3af46f9ff76"},"focal_point":{"x":3439,"y":676},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MWLQRSG4T5FJHLXJK766LIDEZA.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/freedom-of-religion-an-empty-formula-unless-places-to-worship-available/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"63ZOKCCBFFD4RBNBAQEG4TA5G4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":369,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/654c38c3-3323-4c09-947b-8316f858712f/versions/1735333648/media/55ba4e1163439c12e81252b486cfaf73_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/rivkah-mckinley-i-long-to-escape-the-tyranny-of-yoga-fruit-and-my-weekly-glycolic-peel/","content_elements":[{"_id":"ABNNKLOIEBEQ3JMHCUJ5EBS6EU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352005},"content":"My boyfriend and I were talking about success. â€œI feel successful because I eat fruit every day. Between breakfast and lunch. Iâ€™m always full of vitamin C.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"TFC6VRIUNVEDFKMK2VPIQXWHSY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352006},"content":"He is bemused. Itâ€™s strange to him, this idea of success â€” bodily care. But to me it feels gratifying, it feels good. To serve my body as if it were another. My self, I think, virtuously. A man wouldnâ€™t understand, I venture. You think success lies in writing books and rescuing people from fires and making money. I feed the body fruit. Good body.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GRQTZ2TRZEAJKL5RNY7HX2TPE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352007},"content":"This makes me think of the childrenâ€™s books. The books for boys â€” about train drivers and builders and firemen and postmen and all of the things that you can do when you dive into the world and begin to act. Well, boys can do. And the books for girls â€” about love and flowers and hugs and kisses and being nice and the colour pink. All of those lovely things that I so appreciate myself, deeply, and always will. And about the highest form of girlhood you can aspire to â€” princessness â€” where you donâ€™t have to do anything at all because youâ€™re rich in some mysterious way that you donâ€™t think about. You just brush your hair and are lovely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7VCDB44DORE5RFRL6AYMRRZOMY","additional_properties":{"_id":"CJYUCABNUFEUBITGS5KECM3W5Q"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"CAGZN3XUTRBE5CPSKP7MLESY6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352008},"content":"All of this has been recognised and widely known, though not remedied, for a long time. Boys are trained to act, women are trained to care for others. We are lovely after all. And without a doubt, the little boys could use some more of this loveliness in their training â€” I still remember with terror the great mystery of why boys always wanted to come over, say something mean, and push you over in the mud. Youâ€™d been peacefully weaving a friendship bracelet and talking about what kind of pony youâ€™d like with a dear, dear friend. And then this violent being appears, and you never understand what theyâ€™re doing or why.","type":"text"},{"_id":"POAYHTZADNGGZJT7PDMUOJDZHM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352009},"content":"Women as carers. We know this story well: weâ€™ve watched it crush female potential since the start of history. Iâ€™ve watched it, growing up, and always said: not me. Iâ€™m a writer.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3HHTP525QBC43MNIWEX267VN6Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352010},"content":"In the meantime, it seems weâ€™ve all discovered another form of caring. One that women can do, all day every day, without ever having to feel that weâ€™re wasting our short lives, our energy or our minds. It turns out that the problem with care was its selflessness. So weâ€™ve found a way around that, misusing another academic term so that it can be used to sell things. Self-care. You know, that trillion-dollar industry that immobilises women. Well, immobilises me. I was a kind of rabid femcel communist before someone bought me a smartphone. Iâ€™m much, much calmer now. Science says that dark undereye circles do not go away, but Iâ€™m a bastion of hope and I will prove them all wrong. I appreciate that this is probably some kind of capitalism vs women thing, but Iâ€™m tired of that discussion. I want to glow.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T6LHCL2ZCFAPFLL6LP6IBI7WQU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352012},"content":"Self-care means, for me â€” I havenâ€™t prepared my classes, I havenâ€™t written anything, and I havenâ€™t had any fun, but I feel very, very good. I feel like virtue itself. Because I did a hair mask before I got into the shower, even though it was boring. I ate a bowl of beautifully sliced fruit. I did yoga for so long that my thoughts are pleasant and slow and peaceful. Hours pass inexplicably, but virtuously. I am completely on top of things.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GIKX7RNVSNGDXKXAI5MPDUHNRE","additional_properties":{"_id":"3LSRKHFWF5GA5M7PLOYODKESXM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"66KU5233ZRBRFGUQ3PUXVD7SO4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352013},"content":"One thing Iâ€™ve learned from teaching literature, where the discussion is often ethical, is that everybody wants to be a good person. This is always an earnest conversation â€” no one wants to miss the argument that might better their souls. How do I treat others right? What do I do, in this world of horror, but also any world; what is the right thing to do? Goodness. Everyone wants goodness. Simone Weil wrote: â€œEvil when we are in its power is not felt as evil but as a necessity, or even a duty.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"D2DESR6QAFBGNMG24E62QIBNYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735331683318},"content":"Sometimes my students talk about things that are wrong, but which, even as they strive for goodness, they have been made to feel are the only possibility â€” it might be prisons, capitalism, or some other cruelty. No one ever thinks that these things are good or kind. They just canâ€™t yet make out the other options.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CLIMDQBZVJCCBBBDXYCCJXFCPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735331683319},"content":"We want to be good. We buy eco-friendly, and we offer to do the dishes like our mothers taught us. And sometimes this translates into letting a piece of writing or work or something I deeply care about sit idle while I scrub a countertop, or, because it is 2024, exfoliate my feet. I crave virtue and I need to care for someone. And I know I shouldnâ€™t be making my boyfriend salads all the time, I know that for the sake of womankind, I should try to escape the forms of oppression that have swallowed up lines of women before me. But how has this become a weekly glycolic peel, a thing that I donâ€™t want or believe in? Distraction, procrastination, lack of a Xanax prescription â€” sure. All of these personal things. But this stuff has all found its outlet in one particular way, and that is for one reason only. Because I am a woman.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2FBJVD6M45BKBHANOZULHU7PB4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352016},"content":"Rivkah McKinley is an Irish writer living in Amsterdam and working on her first novel","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Rivkah McKinley"}]},"description":{"basic":"Women as carers; we know this story well, weâ€™ve watched it crush female potential since the start of history but ... now thereâ€™s something even more insidious â€” the self-care industry"},"display_date":"2025-01-04T00:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"I long to escape the tyranny of yoga, fruit and my weekly glycolic peel","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"5STD4GRWQFF3DPNCZO67K3P46A","auth":{"1":"4d860db202c96640e9ca53fdca110ff0d645ae6a6595787e0845934999607bb3"},"focal_point":{"x":1440,"y":1058},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/5STD4GRWQFF3DPNCZO67K3P46A.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/rivkah-mckinley-i-long-to-escape-the-tyranny-of-yoga-fruit-and-my-weekly-glycolic-peel/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DAHTOJ2NXJH5PC6OKN5HZ6RSVQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":449,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/4ecd3e69-a2fe-44ba-bf46-0a96476b0cf2/versions/1734617062/media/aeadeecd477db20fb157d18d35719b7c_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/02/david-w-higgins-australias-economic-fairytale-wont-last-forever/","content_elements":[{"_id":"7KF3RDB3ERCVNCIWHY4S4HANAA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012153},"content":"Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, faces re-election in May. It feels like only yesterday that the country ended nine years of Liberal rule in favour of Labour. The countryâ€™s short three-year terms are meant to give voters a regular opportunity to pass judgment on their politicians. It also means governments have less time to get things done.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4MVQ2ZCWQ5EQ5JW7IUIXVDR3ZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012154},"content":"But even amid the rush of high office, every politician needs their breaks. Albanese clearly had this in mind when he recently purchased a holiday home on the coast of New South Wales, an hour north of Sydney. Given that Sydney has the countryâ€™s most expensive house prices, itâ€™s no surprise that the getaway mansion comes with a hefty price tag of AUD $4.3 million (â‚¬2.65 million).","type":"text"},{"_id":"W2QRMKHUH5BE7KXT746BXX3XFY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012155},"content":"Weâ€™d all be suspicious if an Irish politician paid so much for a property. â€œWhere did he get the money for that?â€ â€œWho does he think he is, Charlie Haughey?â€ But in Australiaâ€™s red-hot property market, such a purchase is in line with what others on his salary pay. The Demographia International Housing Affordability survey found Sydney house prices are 13.8 times the median household income. Among the 94 metro areas in the report, only Hong Kong has more unaffordable housing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UBKBN2I5YFF7FLD6KCYOCEHKG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012156},"content":"The thing about Australia is that it never had a property crash like Ireland did. It had a bubble, sure, but while Irelandâ€™s popped, Australiaâ€™s kept on growing. The period after 2008 saw a global recession but a steady recovery as Chinaâ€™s appetite for raw materials remained insatiable. It left Australia with continuous growth. No recession, no property crash.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YWMRF6JSYNEHVBMSRYDR5DRQ4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012157},"content":"Many Irish owe thanks to Australia for these circumstances. While Irish unemployment peaked at 15 per cent in 2011, it was closer to 5 per cent down under. The many Irish workers let go from our boomtime construction sites found their livelihoods sustained by Australiaâ€™s fortunes. They also found warmer weather.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IOV6GILQBAMLMKJ3OONCPFOQ4","additional_properties":{"_id":"TXDZLFNWYVA4VERNPRQD7GLMMA"},"content":"In Australia rents are high, costs are rising. Can it remain a mecca for Irish emigrants?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"WWRC5W5RFZA2DDPGPZXPTKF46U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012158},"content":"The late 2010s recovery in the Irish economy led to an easing of numbers leaving for Australia, but its attractiveness has seen something of a post-Covid revival. Boosted by a better exchange rate, and pandemic-induced wanderlust, a new wave of young Irish are emigrating to Australia in the highest numbers for years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LL47YZYJDFAE3D7H3VJ4PUVFBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012159},"content":"In the areas where rents are similar to home, many Irish report more space and higher-quality properties. There is a tendency to compare the worst of rents in Ireland with the best of Australia. Itâ€™s part psychological. Comparing Dublin with Perth is attractive because both have between one and two million inhabitants, but itâ€™s comparing the largest city in Ireland with the fourth largest in Australia. If we compared in reverse (Galway to Sydney), the rent appeal vanishes. Comparing like for like doesnâ€™t reveal the same stark difference.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FBQI7KWWSBEIFKLVTQ5QTXMYC4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012161},"content":"But us economists shouldnâ€™t get too bogged down in details, especially as young mid-twentysomethings continue to head off.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E44HHZ4MZBDITJLFH4X6JUQXBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012162},"content":"Australia isnâ€™t unattractive today; it very clearly is, but there could be clouds ahead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FHA6VGAXSRFTPC3AFHZCRSH2RQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"7T2LRGK3MRAI7HPJ6QBRORIO3A"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"BAQZWAQCAJCDFJYLH6QVTJH4NU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012163},"content":"Rents have seen double-digit growth in recent years and, ironically, a surge in inward migration (Irish included) is partly responsible. Stories are emerging of falling rent quality and long queues to view a limited number of rentals. While the housing market feels very â€œDublin 2007â€³, the rental market appears very â€œDublin 2017â€³.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PSMHRR2I7RGDXIOGVKYPPTI2CY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012164},"content":"The question for the young Irish in Australia is whether they want to make Australia their forever home. Most donâ€™t but some consider it. If youâ€™ve found love there, or a great community you just never had at home, nothing in this article should change your mind. Ultimately, do what suits your personal circumstances. But be aware that the extortionate levels of property prices there are bound to face a correction sometime. Itâ€™s crucial to remember what this meant for the generation that bought their first Irish home during the 2000s. They were stuck. Negative equity meant many had to ride out the 2010s in the same properties. The only rational decision was to stay put until prices recovered to their old levels. Otherwise, you sold at a loss and still owed money to the bank.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMLTGTUPOVFB3FTWVQGQLQYJXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012166},"content":"When could this correction emerge? The honest answer is no one knows. Predictions for Irelandâ€™s crash came a decade before it happened. Buying an Irish home in 1999 wasnâ€™t foolish. It was foolish not to. The curious thing about Australia is that just when you think the boom is over, it keeps on going.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3CS3NGZCJVCHBEF3NVT6YFTQ5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012167},"content":"Australiaâ€™s bubble stays inflated by a policy known as â€œnegative gearingâ€. Landlords of rental properties incur costs such as mortgage interest and repairs. If these exceed the rental income from the property, the difference can be used to lower the landlordâ€™s income tax bill.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PLL7ZVCGNZA3FH4YSUUEIJJICY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012168},"content":"Where higher interest rates usually weigh on property prices, in Australia it encourages growth. Landlords have an incentive to take on more debt and another investment property. Who cares when you know that everyone else is doing the same thing, and prices must go higher from here? It all sounds so familiar.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5WL2L2JE4JE5BJN67CDDTFAPYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012169},"content":"The difference to Ireland 1999 is that thereâ€™s unlikely to be upside ahead in Australian property. The OECD reports that Irish household debt was less than 100 per cent of net disposable income in 1999. If you devoted one whole year of your net disposable income to paying off your debts, youâ€™d pay them all off. By 2009 that had doubled to more than 200 per cent. Australia is already at those high levels today.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KNMXBHSKFBFH5OBJHIKUOTQSAI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012170},"content":"You have to ask if taking on such high debt repayments is worth it. Even if property prices donâ€™t fall there, thereâ€™s no joy being a slave to debt. Ireland learned a hard lesson on that front, and we now have rules to cap mortgage borrowing. Lending to landlords has almost been regulated out of existence.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B3ABZHLKDFHVBFJHDBCCJXD6ZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012171},"content":"The Demographia survey includes Dublin among its 94 metro areas. Despite the real challenges in Irish housing, weâ€™ve managed the position of the seventh most affordable market (with prices 4.8 times median household incomes). I use the phrase â€œboomerang emigrationâ€ to describe the emigration of young Irish to Australia. With property prices so high there, most still conclude that itâ€™s better to come home again.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZQH7ZD3XFVGU3JUBN77Y343Q3I","additional_properties":{"_id":1734533598429},"content":"David W Higgins is an economist and co-host of the Next Round podcast. A version of this first appeared on his Substack","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"David W. Higgins"}]},"description":{"basic":"The extortionate level of property prices there are bound to face a correction some time. When prices crashed here, a generation that bought their first Irish home during the 2000s was stuck"},"display_date":"2025-01-02T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Moving to Australia? Beware, their economic fairytale wonâ€™t last forever ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"JN4HLRT6TXPABNPU26IATOFA4U","auth":{"1":"aad9a9cd775977e9c5d162555dcf5dd5f67b2b6e65cc1ef12869ff6f2db8ea8a"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/JN4HLRT6TXPABNPU26IATOFA4U.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/02/david-w-higgins-australias-economic-fairytale-wont-last-forever/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"MS4IYMA6ERB3JOVLNEFSJDIUBQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":374,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/0240996e-4a15-4811-81e1-6b6a3dcb5d06/versions/1734448892/media/7ce05636e611310145d8d4e433d47f0a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/01/a-neuropsychologists-view-on-how-to-thrive-in-an-angry-unpredictable-world/","content_elements":[{"_id":"BQG3EH6J6JH5TEVJ2XFC6AI7QA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479379},"content":"Thereâ€™s a lot to feel anxious about on this first day of a new year â€“ war, the economy, climate, housing and more. And there is anger too â€“ at the awfulness of Gaza, Sudan and other warzones and the more personal reasons to be angry that haunt many injured family, friend and work relationships.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DCHF5YM7EVBUPFZOJBYXXOPGOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479382},"content":"Unshackled from routine in these strange midwinter days, it is all too easy to find ourselves immersed in ruminations about the state of the world, or individual hurts and perceived injustices.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WX7OJ5ADDJHDXFKIZQMZQAO7QM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479383},"content":"Emotions evolved because they served a purpose â€“ they helped us to survive and pass on our genes. Anxietyâ€™s purpose was to make us run from danger. The purpose of sadness was to gain succour from others; disgust is designed to stop us being poisoned, and happiness to attract a mate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZUDEOBBDSZEFJNNQUT5B7TDICE","additional_properties":{"_id":"O4EOZZQ4KVCUVM46MDI3RJJL5I"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"SLBICFS5RRDN3EVG2O5AUMWULQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734445812288},"content":"And then there is anger, a more complex emotion with a less obvious purpose.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NY4IKOOMTVC4TJ4BRDC5DCQRW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734445812289},"content":"The poet Maya Angelou said that you should be angry but not bitter because bitterness â€œeats upon the hostâ€. Instead, she says, you should avoid bitterness and use anger by taking action of some kind. Aristotle said something similar: anybody can become angry â€“ that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose and in the right way ... is not easy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LNTNGDMYMRDPDNGXU7ZVGHJIUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479388},"content":"Angelou and Aristotle speak sense, neuropsychologically speaking. Deprived of a clear goal and a specific target of the emotion, anger is like a car engine disconnected from its wheels â€“ its revving becomes a useless whine which makes the car rattle and shudder but go nowhere. In striving for some grip, this inward-directed energy revs faster and faster because there is no resistance from the road.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H74A5OAZIFABRJQSJPG3MXFN6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479389},"content":"And here is the real sting â€“ anger and anxiety have more or less the same bodily symptoms as each other, including beating heart, dry mouth, sweaty palms and twisting stomach. Anger that is not connected to the engine of action leads to a spiralling torment where anger morphs into anxiety and anxiety into anger and so on until you face the risk of Angelouâ€™s â€œcancer of bitternessâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DTJQSEOO2RBP5GICS7FQWWJ2D4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479390},"content":"Research shows that people who have suffered a severe trauma â€“ say a road crash â€“ may not recover emotionally if they are angry about what has happened to them. Rather than gradually regaining their equilibrium over the years, many get worse, because their anger and anxiety resonate together in a toxic feedback loop that spawns an almost constant negative emotional state.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QDDCYO5D3BCTTK7M7K524RBKNU","additional_properties":{"_id":"KHDLTHUINZAZRCXJMMX5324WEA"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"IJQWYFHHZZARPHEUMNIAQ5RYMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479391},"content":"To be angry about generalities of injustice or unfairness â€“ whether global or highly personal â€“ risks releasing a virus of negative emotion through your body and your days. Instead, you need to harness anger by getting clear in your mind something feasible that you want a specific person or group to do. As Aristotle said, this must be done in the right way. Anger does not have to be shouted, it can burn quietly and will be all the more powerful because of that. This is because angerâ€™s evolutionary purpose is as a negotiating tool; the angry dogâ€™s low growl will soon quieten the wild yapping of its adversary.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OXGAPAI7UFEQJFMICBU5FZLJ5I","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479394},"content":"The biggest source of anxiety in humans is the same as what makes us angry â€“ other peopleâ€™s actions. Anger that is properly harnessed, targeted and expressed is, in fact, an empowering, positive emotion that helps release you from anxiety. But anger is a powerful tool and you need training to use it otherwise, it will injure you. So, if you are anxious about the year ahead â€“ and particularly if you are also angry with someone â€“ then harness these emotions into the redeeming outlet of action.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AYKWYWYZ7FB3VLFQJUDO6J7Q3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1734448239411},"content":"Talking to others about how to solve a problem, rather than wasting conversations fruitlessly complaining about it, can transform a state of anxious impotence into an empowered and mood-lifting sense of direction. This new focus of conversations with others and with yourself is on defining what should be done first, who should be asked to do it and how the request should be presented in a way that could result in consent rather than reciprocal anger and hostility. This will not alleviate climate change or the suffering in Gaza but it will put you into the mindset of taking action rather than engaging in emotionally-exhausting rumination. It will also focus your attention on specific goals outside of yourself and gently steer it away from anxiety.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IOPVT7464RHXBITC5R337JNK6A","additional_properties":{"_id":"BYWYDTA6SVGKFGVDQG6N35XWAY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"EDMTKX2ABZFSNKS6ACT2USFK7E","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479400},"content":"But the sheer unpredictability of what will happen in 2025, from Trump tariffs to Putinâ€™s threats, means that even when we are focused on taking action, itâ€™s hard to escape the uneasiness that uncertainty causes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HGXNJCUULJCHFMB3XWNX3K262E","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479401},"content":"We all differ in how much we can tolerate uncertainty. Low-tolerance individuals are much more prone to be anxious and depressed because uncertainty is everywhere, especially now. But you can learn to embrace uncertainty â€“ maybe even enjoy it a little.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RJZ6WOL6JRFDTK33UV7XHPEK74","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479403},"content":"Not knowing whatâ€™s going to happen makes us alert and attentive, and in this state, we are better at learning. You can even learn to enjoy this wait-and-see state of mind and body if you relax your impossible-to-satisfy need for certainty. This condition of edgy hope is nowhere more apparent than today in Syria.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PKTOQ7RQD5B3HDKALEGBJN2XNM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479405},"content":"Here is my resolution for 2025. If I find myself caught up in angry-anxious ruminations about anything, from Gaza to Donbas to the climate crisis, I will end that by embracing uncertainty and taking some sort of small action, ranging from making a donation to Unicef or contacting an advocacy group. Being alive in this incredible world is far too precious to allow our minds to be filled with anxiety and anger over things we cannot control. But there are things we can control and if we walk the walk rather than just talk the talk, the grand old stretch is already beckoning us toward springâ€™s promise.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Ian Robertson"}]},"description":{"basic":"All emotions serve an evolutionary purpose â€” the key is not to hide from anger, but to harness it productively"},"display_date":"2025-01-01T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"A neuropsychologistâ€™s view on how to thrive in an angry, unpredictable world","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"IFKP7A25GVHE7E2657DKV327ZI","auth":{"1":"89d05b253f0248e4b2f5ab62197615e0e2e36ffd1fe98c05a24d6e619f522899"},"focal_point":{"x":565,"y":342},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IFKP7A25GVHE7E2657DKV327ZI.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/01/a-neuropsychologists-view-on-how-to-thrive-in-an-angry-unpredictable-world/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DBB77MHJC5FPRCQ5UJHLJQSKG4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":449,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/52c76aa5-023b-49ac-8f14-3d2f0ebe3ce2/versions/1734534432/media/41eb82e2e918294a49e06008e886c138_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/31/lara-marlowe-unstable-new-world-order-has-frightening-echoes-of-the-1930s-and-40s/","content_elements":[{"_id":"4JBUBMRMMVDLZPALSU5THAP5W4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045766},"content":"Standing on the steps of the Ã‰lysÃ©e Palace on December 7th, Donald Trump made a for-once accurate observation: â€œIt certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now,â€ the US president-elect said. Anyone who followed the news in 2024 would agree.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CUM4GW225JC3VC2BTDS7MUWHF4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045767},"content":"Trumpâ€™s election to a second term was part and parcel of the global turmoil. â€œThe election of Donald Trump and the uncertainty he maintains regarding his diplomatic intentions, like his very personal practice of strategic ambiguity, act as a catalyst on the most serious crises of the moment,â€ Sylvie Kauffmann wrote in Le Monde.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KP7MMTD3EFHOHNKUWT6EI3EUFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045768},"content":"Russian and Ukrainian forces are struggling to seize territory before Trump takes office. Russia conducts a â€œhuman safariâ€, picking off civilians in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson with FPV drones, and continues its advance in Donbas. North Korean troops joined combat in the Kursk province of Russia, which Ukraine had invaded. Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to use US-made Atacms missiles against targets inside Russia. Vladimir Putin retaliated by launching an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile with multiple re-entry warheads against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The Oreshnik (â€œHazelnutâ€) missile is designed to carry nuclear warheads; Putinâ€™s message was clear. Ukrainian intelligence then assassinated the Russian general responsible for nuclear, biological and chemical warfare in a Moscow street.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UYKOHYJQMBE5VOA6XGPBT6HRYY","additional_properties":{"_id":"QR3XKD6YHBHEPBUQXO254L4EFQ"},"content":"Russia detains suspect over killing of general in Moscow bomb blast","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"F2K7FBTN3BCDHCT5GM325PIIHM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045769},"content":"The world seemed to have lost all sense of morality and justice. By December, Israel had killed more than 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, in response to the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attacks which claimed 1,200 Israeli lives. The US made itself complicit in the slaughter by continuing arms deliveries to Israel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y5CD5KKOJJBWHIVF5TLRYZYBYM","additional_properties":{"_id":"HUKLQ4NQOZENPFRSXXEY6R6M3I"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"52YGTRMYWZCQLOZEG5DVUS3XBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045770},"content":"â€œIn 37 years in the intelligence profession, I have never seen the world in a more dangerous state,â€ Richard Moore, the head of MI6, said on November 29th. That was nine days before conflagrations in Ukraine, Palestine and Lebanon resulted in the unforeseen overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, because Assadâ€™s Russian allies were otherwise engaged and the Lebanese Hizbullah, who had served as Assadâ€™s Praetorian Guard, were decimated by Israel. Iran lost its land corridor to Syria and Lebanon, a serious blow to the mullahs. Israel and Turkey, which backed the victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, looked like the new masters of the Middle East.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HBHRJXKH7FH7XARTGP3BHFTMYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045771},"content":"Back in the 1990s, the worldâ€™s future looked promising. Liberal democracy appeared to have triumphed. It was, the US academic Francis Fukuyama wrote, â€œthe end of historyâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VMUPB5DHXRAFTFTTEQ7RE4K6DM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045772},"content":"Globalisation benefited world elites but further impoverished the disadvantaged. Some felt alienated by progressive social policies such as marriage equality and LGBTQ rights. Liberal democrats were ill-equipped to deal with Islamic extremism and mass immigration, phenomena which pushed western electorates to the political right. A combination of economic and cultural backlash and reliance on social media fuelled the rise of nationalist populist authoritarian leaders.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QCI2G6MWBBD6VH2BZDG3GHDTPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045773},"content":"Trump seems to regard the wars in Ukraine and Gaza as pesky distractions to be quickly dispensed with so he can concentrate on China and immigration. On December 16th, he reiterated that Volodymyr Zelenskiy â€œshould be prepared to make a deal, thatâ€™s allâ€. Trump is unlikely to grant Ukraine the security guarantees it needs. He opposes a two-state solution for Palestine and has promised â€œhellâ€ in Gaza if 100 remaining Israeli hostages are not freed by the time he takes office. He may allow the Israeli far right to drive Palestinians out of the West Bank and Gaza, killing all hope of Palestinian statehood.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5LSQ7VLRE5FDVMXHQSNDJURHBU","additional_properties":{"_id":"I6NGK5DWHNDGDILMYXJ6MIXKSU"},"content":"Trump says Ukraine â€˜needs to reach dealâ€™ with Russia","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"S5OAIRCBSFCTVPEZQX2J5X7MK4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045774},"content":"Trump is part of a seemingly unstoppable wave of far-right populist nationalists, autocrats and dictators which has stretched from Asia to Latin America.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQJ6AOPQOBCKJOBGSP7WIGW654","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045775},"content":"Within the EU and Nato, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, seconded by his Slovakian colleague Robert Fico, impedes attempts to help Ukraine and confront Russia. In France, Marine Le Pen may succeed the embattled President Emmanuel Macron. The far-right politicians have often shown sympathy for Putin and were heartened by Trumpâ€™s victory.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6GXBNEZMJ5GWRDBPESPRXVA4PE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045776},"content":"After 24 years in power, Putin is the granddaddy of the autocrats, and the leading agent of chaos. â€œRussia plays a special role in the autocratic network, both as the inventor of the modern marriage of kleptocracy and dictatorship and as the country now most aggressively seeking to upend the status quo,â€ Anne Applebaum writes in Autocracy, Inc.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R5VUTZTTSVHKXLNYYUGSFHOU6A","additional_properties":{"_id":"CKS3VGKMENFCBH5QVJK4TM3LKM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"YIMXJYDSQBCUNIXOZNAT62ZBLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045777},"content":"Putin recently meddled in elections in Georgia, Moldova and Romania, in line with his determination to re-establish the Soviet sphere of influence. â€œThis is not about Ukraine at all, but the world order,â€ Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said shortly after Russiaâ€™s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia is also stepping up â€œhybridâ€ attacks on its western adversaries, for example cutting undersea cables and shipping incendiary devices to the UK and Germany via DHL.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DTBUQJ7M5JD2RCGNKMTDMT3C3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045778},"content":"The new instability has unhappy echoes of the 1930s and 1940s. Putin is rehabilitating Stalin, and German parliamentarians have sought to ban the far-right Alternativ fÃ¼r Deutschland because they see in it a resemblance to the Nazis. During his presidential campaign, Trump denied allegations by several past close associates that he praised Hitler and Hitlerâ€™s generals.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RLYXYJGTBRADVNWAJC66MBUSPA","additional_properties":{"_id":"5PVYYS6AP5DL3ALUVDJXAGOQZI"},"content":"Why did Israel single out Ireland and accuse Simon Harris of anti-Semitism?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"774Q6S2NGJGP5FXKTNOWAYJXWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045779},"content":"Trump is not the first to proclaim â€œAmerica Firstâ€. The America First Committee was an anti-Semitic, isolationist movement which in 1940/1941 opposed military aid to the UK and said Nazi Germany was not a threat to the US. Its most prominent orator was the aviator Charles Lindburgh.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C5BWIFO7E5APFKPDQZK4GWWUAQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045780},"content":"In 2017, millions joined marches around the world to protest at Trumpâ€™s inauguration. Women wore pink â€œpussyhatsâ€ â€“ an allusion to Trumpâ€™s assertion in the Access Hollywood tape that â€œYou have to grab them by the pussy.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"OTR7NUHHUBCQLFFJO6IWNPHL6A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045781},"content":"At a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on December 16th, Trump boasted that â€œin the first term, everyone was fighting me. In this term, everyone wants to be my friend.â€ Foreign leaders, tech barons and media moguls are trooping to pay obeisance to the president-elect. In our post-truth era, no one any longer seems shocked by â€œalternative factsâ€, the evisceration of US institutions and international treaties, the betrayal of Ukraine and the Palestinians. The will to fight seems to have gone out of the body politic.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Lara Marlowe"}},"name":"Lara Marlowe"}]},"description":{"basic":"Trumpâ€™s re-election fuels global turmoil in which Putin is the biggest of many autocrats blending kleptocracy and dictatorship. US institutions and international treaties are fading, and Ukraine and Palestine have been betrayed"},"display_date":"2024-12-31T06:45:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Unstable new world order has frightening echoes of 1930s and 1940s","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"QYF4A5CTKIMLFVXLLMK7BFVAKY","auth":{"1":"0a7b2ebf4094453655b9c7e0a2004c6590a3065fecae5d2605310a7637f9bfb0"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/QYF4A5CTKIMLFVXLLMK7BFVAKY.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/31/lara-marlowe-unstable-new-world-order-has-frightening-echoes-of-the-1930s-and-40s/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"ZSUP64U5KVBMLH3GFZ3IQ4TIQY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":437,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/dc415396-e53a-493e-a053-1d1cd3185b3e/versions/1734525531/media/24b7039f25c55632592f9c20a8d645d4_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/30/vincent-durac-one-of-the-casualties-of-12-months-of-war-in-the-middle-east-was-the-rule-of-international-law/","content_elements":[{"_id":"GZ3D7GBAJJAUJEMXHQJYWYTSXY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734370585959},"content":"The past 12 months have witnessed a transformation of the Middle East to an extent not seen since the eruption of the Arab uprisings 14 years ago. Across the region, as conflict has raged in Gaza and Lebanon, old certainties have been shattered while the future remains, as ever, unclear. For the most obvious reasons, global attention has focused on Palestine, where at least 45,000 people have lost their lives in an Israeli onslaught on a scale that no one could have anticipated, following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7th, 2023.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L46QN5KEARHXZCDBXZRQQCJSI4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596525},"content":"In addition to the human cost, Gaza has been devastated to the extent that senior UN officials were describing it as â€œuninhabitableâ€ as early as January of this year. Sixty-six per cent of Gazaâ€™s buildings are either damaged or destroyed and 90 per cent of its population are internally displaced. Despite all of this, there is no clear end to the conflict in sight. To the contrary, there are clear indications that the Israel Defense Forces are intent on indefinite occupation of parts of northern Gaza, paving the way, many fear, for annexation and resettlement. Hamas, on the other hand, continues to insist on a permanent end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as central to any cessation of hostilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EUIVVX4DZZHK3H53S4UXVJ7ZHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734370585960},"content":"The conflict in Gaza has had hugely significant ramifications for the region. In particular, the last year has seen the isolation of Iran and its weakening as a regional power. The dismantling by Israel of Hamas in Gaza was followed by an extraordinary set of attacks on Hizbullah in Lebanon, both of which fed into the fall of the Assad regime in Syria earlier this month. In the space of a single year, the Islamic Republic effectively lost three of the key elements in its so-called axis of resistance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QVJF6R6TYNHX3LTMJX6HBXIHVY","additional_properties":{"_id":"O6VQWHQIWZC5BARADS5T6ENVHA"},"content":"Assad dispatched $250m of Syriaâ€™s cash to Moscow","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"XGX5NEGFGZCLVJZOIZUFTEMP7U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596527},"content":"Iran itself has been subjected to direct attacks by Israel, to which, despite some sabre-rattling, there has been no meaningful response to date. Earlier this year, the election of a new president in Iran appeared for a brief moment to signal the possibility of some rapprochement with the West. In August, following the surprise success of Masoud Pezeshkian in presidential elections, Iranâ€™s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, somewhat cryptically proposed that engaging with the enemy might under certain circumstances be warranted. This was interpreted as lukewarm support for renewed negotiations with the United States on Iranâ€™s nuclear programme.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VGVXI6JFLBGBXDKIZDEV2S3J74","additional_properties":{"_id":1734518147334},"content":"Pezeshkianâ€™s new foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, was deeply involved in the negotiation of an earlier deal in 2015, which saw Tehran curtail its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. But in 2018, during the course of his first term in office, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal. In the intervening years, it is reported that Iran has made major advances, such that it is now close to the capability of developing nuclear weapons, should it choose to do so.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PJEZV3R55VEAPGAZ5V7S4EFTWA","additional_properties":{"_id":"CLWGEJRMKRC7FPNIML2XNTLRYI"},"content":"Syriaâ€™s path to stability remains deeply uncertain","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"QC7JNLVM5NEOZMJ6HS77NWF7KA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596528},"content":"The Biden administration was dismissive of the possibility of renewed talks on the issue, not least because the prospect of negotiations with Iran was seen as potentially harmful of Kamala Harrisâ€™s hopes of success in the November presidential elections. Recent reports suggest that incoming president Trumpâ€™s transition team is examining a range of options to place additional pressure on Iran to desist from any provocative behaviour, including the possibility of supporting an Israeli attack on Iranâ€™s nuclear facilities, but not excluding a direct US attack on Iran. Quite how an isolated Iran reacts to the changed regional environment will be hugely significant for the Middle East in 2025.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YHFA4QD3GZA2BC7F6IYBMVA4GY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734370585961},"content":"Iran was not the only regional power to be severely damaged by the fallout of the conflict in Gaza. The consequences of the war have proved fatal for the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who was forced from office by an extraordinarily rapid offensive led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5SEBL3HO5BE6LFJWWS6YBOSZBU","additional_properties":{"_id":"TG66FJBTBJCXFBQB464YBZ5PVY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"ARSOAM4BWVBCHNYVNX22CFLF3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596530},"content":"While the future looks uncertain for a country that has been ravaged by civil war and external intervention since Assad set out to crush a popular uprising in 2011, the new rulers of the country have made encouraging sounds. The interim prime minister, Mohammad al-Bashir, stated that the new government would protect the rights of all people and all sects in the country, while it has been reported that enforced wearing of Islamic dress for women is to be prohibited.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JPGHSH4VSBHCNAK5SZTQVF42FQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596531},"content":"But many inside as well as outside the country remain sceptical that a movement that has its origins in al-Qaeda is poised to oversee an inclusive transition from 54 years of authoritarian rule in Syria. The challenges facing the country are deepened by the array of external actors with interests at stake. Turkey has launched air strikes against Kurdish forces, while Israelâ€™s response to the fall of the Assad regime was to embark on a series of attacks which destroyed much of the countryâ€™s remaining military assets. Israel moved its troops into the demilitarized zone to occupy previously unoccupied Syrian territory for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur war. The response of the international community to what would usually be considered a breach of international law has been muted for the most part. France called on Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone along the border with Syria, while Germany and Spain urged â€œrestraintâ€ during the transitional period post-Assad.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UUPH3DM6RBHBLA3TNNZDWWIG2Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596532},"content":"The Biden administration, by contrast, repeated the Israeli position that it was acting pre-emptively against potential threats from across the border â€“ despite repeated claims from the new rulers of Syria that their focus was on reconstruction and not conflict with Israel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5ZSB2BJLNVBSTF2EUNHG3HRVHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734370585962},"content":"However, selective adherence to the norms of international law has been another feature of the past year in the Middle East. In September of this year, 50 days after the International Court of Justice declared that Israelâ€™s occupation of Palestinian territory was unlawful, UN experts warned that the edifice of international law stood â€œon a knifeâ€™s edgeâ€ as most states failed to take meaningful steps to comply with their international obligations reaffirmed in the ruling.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZDPQFH5DWRG3LKZ7T5JUW3NFKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734522610211},"content":"The response of the Biden administration to the ICJ judgment had been to criticise its â€œbreadthâ€ because it would complicate efforts to resolve the conflict. When, in November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, his then minister for defence, Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas military leader, Muhammad Deif, Biden issued a statement that the issuing of the warrants was â€œoutrageousâ€. Among the many casualties of 12 months of war in the Middle East may be the health of international law and the institutions set up for its vindication.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VQBHKS52FZGHZMJ7H2IXSCUNOU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596534},"content":"Dr Vincent Durac lectures in Middle East politics in the UCD school of politics and international relations","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Vincent Durac"}]},"description":{"basic":"In the space of a single year, the Islamic Republic of Iran effectively lost three of the key elements in its so-called axis of resistance"},"display_date":"2024-12-30T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"One of the casualties of 12 months of war in the Middle East was the rule of international law","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"3H5HZ4AUXGLPE2FKVOJUUNEDEE","auth":{"1":"f92bb5bcb543e99994a4fb7792b675b9fb660b619d93c54c8bc4f4d00afe7403"},"focal_point":{"x":2501,"y":2035},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/3H5HZ4AUXGLPE2FKVOJUUNEDEE.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/30/vincent-durac-one-of-the-casualties-of-12-months-of-war-in-the-middle-east-was-the-rule-of-international-law/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"KMGRIUK3EVDLVAXYPVM4ZP4M2Q","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":360,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/2ecf41c0-7b7e-44ee-8f11-7da23c7d180b/versions/1734951733/media/e061b2611044552f19b78b4fcfaa97c0_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/29/the-catholic-churchs-jubilee-year-2025-is-a-time-of-celebration-an-expression-of-praise-to-god/","content_elements":[{"_id":"VGPHAYVQUFFWTJWD4WLDUTDYAQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715971},"content":"On occasion, the Catholic Church can be unfairly pilloried as a faith group that demands of its adherents to simply â€œpay, pray and obeyâ€. Such a dour and cruel comment, as well as being laden with cynicism, ignores the reality of the beauty of the Church, and that she offers so much to all who are part of her life and mission, generation after generation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TKGUOXRNVJDB3NFOAO7K6BIJYA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715972},"content":"This joy that we hold for the gospel manifests in the universal Church every 25 years in a worldwide celebration where we come together to rejoice in our Christianity. This year-long initiative is referred to as a â€œJubilee Yearâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NBRKBGTBNNHZ5NWSQCZ5UJGLRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715973},"content":"Jubilee 2025 will begin in a few daysâ€™ time on the theme conferred by Pope Francis: â€œPilgrims of Hopeâ€/â€Spes non Confundit â€“ Hope Does Not Disappointâ€ (Romans 5:5). Each Jubilee at its core commemorates and celebrates the great event of the birth of Jesus Christ, and the 2025 theme of hope encourages each of us to be a messenger of hope in our very troubled world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTY42ET5AZBHJO3MP4WV2QIKLE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715974},"content":"Everyone is invited to participate in this special year of faith through prayer, by supporting liturgies and events locally in dioceses, and/or in Rome for the global celebrations.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LFPUHQWHEFBKFKS3ACDVHW7CEI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715975},"content":"The concept of jubilee has deep roots in our biblical tradition. It is a time of giving thanks for the providence of the Lord and the fruits of the harvest. Jubilee is a time of celebration, a time of singing, sounding of trumpets, an expression of praise to God. It is a time of looking back in gratitude and anticipation of more from a God who is close to us and provides through all seasons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AL2WHIYWJFDKLDJEYACY4DFM5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":"IPSSDLYMURBQHMG3UZZVCRIP2Y"},"content":"Pope reprimands Vatican staff for gossiping, calling it â€˜an evil that destroys social lifeâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"M23KT5NC75D2RF6MOTW7554OYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715976},"content":"Jubilee is associated with rest, relaxation, reviving the spirit, a period of taking stock and planning ahead with renewed resources, rejuvenated by that celebratory time of sabbatical. It is a special time to avail of what the Church calls a plenary indulgence, an assurance of grace or favour from the Lord in response to that faith assent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2FH6FWTZZBMJCDCUQCOCLBQHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715977},"content":"So why will Jubilee 2025 be the most significant for humanity of all of the jubilee years held to date?","type":"text"},{"_id":"WU3TZVUOIJEHBCN4J5AZMULWQ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715978},"content":"Well, look at the world around us at this time, at home and abroad. Jubilee is a time associated with mercy and forgiveness. It is a time of amnesty, forgetting past wrongs, wiping the slate clean, giving those in debt a second chance, a time to start afresh. So many of our neighbours deserve such mercy in 2025.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y4FUHD3IKRBOBAMFCA4KSKCPG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715979},"content":"Jubilee is also a time of pilgrimage. As â€œpilgrims of hopeâ€ we embark on ritual and real journeys to sacred places in search of that hope that we long for. For Jubilee Year 2025, each diocese in Ireland will nominate a local pilgrimage site, and the bishops of Ireland have designated the following three as national pilgrimage sites: Our Ladyâ€™s Shrine, Knock, Co Mayo; Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo; and St Patrickâ€™s Purgatory, Lough Derg, Co Donegal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TRQJ53IBKFCXRJ6NEO3FQNUHVM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715980},"content":"So, how can we put our best foot forward and prepare for Jubilee 2025? In the last few weeks Pope Francis has published a book on the theme pilgrims of hope called Hope is A Light in The Night.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2LZJDVX3ZNH3LCEHDEFN3PRQHE","additional_properties":{"_id":"EBEIEDIEX5B2NPTGW4ATCKR6I4"},"content":"In times of war, â€˜we have a duty to hope, as without hope all is lostâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"OMA3L3ZWMJHSHCWXX7JMPHEP4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715981},"content":"Hope, of course, is the second of the three theological virtues, the others being faith and love. The book contains a series of excerpts from homilies and speeches of Pope Francis on the theme of hope.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QER65TVDHNGLBHB6NLFB3DSCFA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715982},"content":"Helpfully, the pontiff situates the need for hope in the challenging world in which we live, with so much conflict, darkness and sadness â€“ the antithesis to hope, a world of what he calls â€œgloomy discouragement and ill-concealed cynicismâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BW7BXSM4FRBS3MJHZGCSCRN65U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715983},"content":"Hope, he tells us, is both a gift and task for every Christian. It is more than what the secular world might wish for, an ideal or a sense of optimism, eg; hoping for fine weather or success in passing an exam. It is very real, concrete and present to us because it has been infused into our soul at Baptism, gifting us the pathway to eternal salvation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5BDQGEDOMJD2DMOH7HUXAHIJPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715984},"content":"Pope Francis says: â€œTo hope, then, is to welcome this gift that God offers us every day. To hope is to savour the wonder of being loved, sought, desired by a God who has not shut Himself away in His impenetrable heavens but has made Himself flesh and blood, history and days, to share our lot.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"JBPOFSTH2FFNRA7EP4XNBQ6ULY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715985},"content":"I encourage everyone to read this inspiring publication, especially at this time of volatility for humanity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T5QCPQJY2RDKDP7DBCB7L47WIY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715986},"content":"Finally, Jubilee 2025 will be a time of transition. This movement from old to new is captured symbolically with the ritual of opening of â€œHoly Doorsâ€. Holy doors are liminal spaces in sacred spaces; cathedrals, basilicas, places of pilgrimage. In continuity with that great tradition, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door in St Peterâ€™s Basilica on Christmas Eve, and every diocese in Ireland and around the world is encouraged to launch their own Jubilee of Hope this Sunday, December 29th, inaugurating the great year of Hope.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SIB2RIXU6NHGNOYWQ5GOL77N3I","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715987},"content":"The purpose of Jubilee Year 2025 is to allow pilgrims to share our faith as well as opportunities for reconciliation, indulgences, prayer and reception of the sacraments. All of these activities will strengthen our personal relationship with Jesus Christ and enrich our faith journey.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6IHTUEL66BEJLOVMLT66DKBVA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715988},"content":"Dr Fintan Monahan is bishop of Killaloe and the Irish bishopsâ€™ delegate for Jubilee 2025","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Dr Fintan Monahan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Rite & Reason: Pope Francis situates the need for hope in the challenging world of â€˜gloomy discouragement and ill-concealed cynicismâ€™"},"display_date":"2024-12-29T00:30:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"The Catholic Churchâ€™s Jubilee Year 2025 is a time of celebration, an expression of praise to God","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"JUOBZ25BPLRAU42XW6GHT7VSDQ","auth":{"1":"f7fab58e270eaeda8ffdf4d3203830e5e5b2eb8ac9ed42e28a342ab92b2ff4b6"},"focal_point":{"x":2526,"y":681},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/JUOBZ25BPLRAU42XW6GHT7VSDQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/29/the-catholic-churchs-jubilee-year-2025-is-a-time-of-celebration-an-expression-of-praise-to-god/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"VBXMIBGXXNDTTKEGX27TZEF3HE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":439,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/da06dfb2-ef82-4db0-bf38-86d5ed5c888b/versions/1734015577/media/125caee0cc1a06232135017b8e1ffaa0_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/could-social-housing-be-the-next-property-bubble/","content_elements":[{"_id":"3N6OYUMHVBEH3G7R3UFLBUJK24","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449262},"content":"In April 1933, a commission of inquiry into the sale of State-owned cottages and plots under the Labourersâ€™ Acts reported that â€œit is scarcely necessary to argue the advantages of ownership ... In the security which it gives, better citizenship is developed.â€ The commissionâ€™s findings ultimately resulted in the Labourersâ€™ Act of 1936 that formalised a process for rural tenants to buy their council housing, and was only extended to urban areas in the Housing Act of 1966.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XCX27LOSUJCOFNPNLCJHFPQTOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449264},"content":"Encouraged by government, Irish councils were happy to sell off their housing (seeing it as a maintenance cost-cutting measure), as were politicians (seeing it as a vote-buying measure). At Fianna FÃ¡ilâ€™s 1988 ardfheis, PÃ¡draig Flynn announced he would sell off another 40,000 of the Stateâ€™s stock of 120,000 council houses, in â€œthe most attractive house purchase scheme everâ€. More than 18,000 council houses were sold the following year. By the mid-1990s two-thirds of the 360,000 council houses built since 1922 had been sold at significant discounts to their tenants.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IX3DHKIF4JFI3HKKY4QSNJETRM","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449266},"content":"Tenant purchase of council housing continues to this day with discounts of up to 60 per cent for low-income purchasers. Since 2016, councils put an â€œincremental chargeâ€ of 2 per cent per year on houses they sell if they are re-sold, equal to the discount the tenant received. It reduces by 2 per cent each year until no charge remains, usually 20 to 30 years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4UDTBWSXOJHUJOGSQA6U4HTFOA","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449267},"content":"In 2023, local authorities directly built about 1,317 houses out of the total social housing new-build output of 8,110. All councils except Offaly sold a total of 476 existing council houses, or 36 per cent of their direct-build output. Since 2017, councils have added 18,889 houses from various sources to their stock (now 150,224 dwellings) but have sold almost 4,000 or one-fifth of the quantity they have added. Each year many councils also buy thousands of second-hand houses to supplement their supply. Often former council houses, the State now pays twice for the same house.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KK4XM4OPSZG6XIFJCPOLEUGWVQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449269},"content":"There are plenty of reasons why tenant purchase is a good idea and the policy has created many secure and stable households and communities across the country. But is the continued discounted sale of council housing to its tenants a risk to the Stateâ€™s ability to tackle to the social housing waiting list of 58,824 households? Housing experts Dr Aideen Hayden and Prof Michelle Norris of UCD recommended suspending the scheme in their 2018 report, The Future of Council Housing, and this year the Housing Commission also recommended ending discounted tenant purchase.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QHUVD47545HLPLKVEBZFEPJJ5A","additional_properties":{"_id":"MJBX6CT2HBDWXIKFFMSPQQKZPU"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"AHLWSPQ6KZGGVFK6Y22ETHZIOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449271},"content":"Should tenant purchase stop then, or are there other options? Could councils sell their housing but only at replacement cost, or replacement cost less a discount per year of rent paid? Maybe councils could retain ownership of part of houses they sell â€“ for example, the land â€“ so they can limit the future re-sale of ex-council stock to those in need. This could be to purchasers on incomes of â‚¬36,000-â‚¬90,000, the households really struggling to access home ownership.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SNHTJIILM5F7FDCHKVD3L4VK3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449272},"content":"The sale of social housing is a risk elsewhere too. For the last seven years, councils have accounted for just 32 per cent of all social housing output. The balance has been delivered by approved housing bodies (AHB), nine times out of 10 using turnkey acquisition (buying new housing from developers before construction or when built), which was more than 4,000 units in 2023. Councils and AHBs are acquiring so many new apartments for social housing from developers who say they canâ€™t afford to build them for private clients, the State is effectively propping the sector up to the tune of a childrenâ€™s hospital, or nearly â‚¬2 billion, a year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L5HT3O5GQRHILCUF6J3CTSMEA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449274},"content":"AHBs now control more than 61,500 houses, or about â‚¬8.3 billion of housing stock with â‚¬7 billion debt, a highly leveraged, high-speed, high-risk expansion from â‚¬2.8 billion worth of stock in 2021, and all on the State balance sheet. At this level of borrowing (84 per cent average, with some undoubtedly more leveraged), a small fall in property values would see many AHBs owing more money than they have in assets; negative equity, in other words.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5F4VWG3WDNB65DZ4TKIFAK2YHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449275},"content":"This surge in social housing output through turnkeys could also be temporary as it suits developers cutting their losses in a falling private market.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EJCE7B2SCBACJNPZ3VD5Y7CW4Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449276},"content":"The six largest bodies control 85 per cent of the AHB portfolio, but this AHB portfolio is not part of the Stateâ€™s housing stock. And although not-for-profit entities, once an AHB repays its government loan, ownership of the housing transfers to them at which time they too could sell their housing to help pay for ongoing maintenance of their remaining stock or charge higher rents. The sold stock could quickly become high-priced market housing rather than the low-cost housing originally intended.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6IKWT67QKJERBGT5XVXU24PFTY","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449277},"content":"The State doesnâ€™t give grants to AHBs as happens in other countries, only debt. It lends them 30 per cent of their funding needs (they borrow the rest, sometimes from another State body, the Housing Finance Agency) compared with 100 per cent of council housing (which is entirely paid for upfront), and has therefore been happy to rely on AHBs for delivering social housing. However, it should be remembered that only local authorities bear a statutory responsibility for the provision of social housing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QNNMMAWLVZBUFBVFI2HWW72ZGA","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449278},"content":"Stopping the sale of council housing is toxic for most politicians (only Labour tackled it in its election manifesto), but there are other options that would give the same benefit of secure and affordable homes in perpetuity. Putting the duty of delivering social housing back on councils is commensurately undesirable for policymakers as it would mean having to fund them properly to deliver at scale.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F26B7663S5ET5MR73ZNKEQAEOA","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449279},"content":"With more than half of all new social housing now market dependent, the State is vulnerable to lower tax receipts (possibly Trump-dependent), rising interest rates, price falls, supply fluctuations and â€œhard landingsâ€. The State has insufficient control over its current plans (social housing by others and by turnkey) and wonâ€™t control what it can (funding councils appropriately; selling discounted social housing).","type":"text"},{"_id":"LBAFXR4APVGVVA4HKGMECXCXR4","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449280},"content":"High costs, high borrowings, high risk, high exposure. Itâ€™s all very 2006, but this time for social housing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HNUWFORSYZGZPGKTC6EOCH763M","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449281},"content":"Dr Lorcan Sirr is Senior Lecturer in housing at the Technological University Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Lorcan Sirr"}]},"description":{"basic":"High costs, high borrowings, high risk, high exposure: itâ€™s all very 2006"},"display_date":"2024-12-28T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Could social housing be the next property bubble?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"GNC2N5ECK2LHLA4IIKKJVYXAKA","auth":{"1":"481897141d9c991052109aac928d832fff92937a0673ea9e5e0b6cb4c0779bad"},"focal_point":{"x":2386,"y":1511},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/GNC2N5ECK2LHLA4IIKKJVYXAKA.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/could-social-housing-be-the-next-property-bubble/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}}],"count":10000,"_id":"cc204342f0b450a8d1a178e16d956b20279905cabd42528287c743d17c3d8d02"},"expires":1737069945184,"lastModified":1737069644989},"{\"arc-site\":\"irishtimes\",\"offset\":0,\"query\":\"(taxonomy.primary_section._id:\\\"/opinion\\\") AND (subtype:\\\"Columnist\\\") AND 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Our conversation turned, as a conversation between two people working in creative fields inevitably will, to the vicissitudes of making a living in any kind of artistic endeavour. Like most musicians of her generation, my cousinâ€™s music career has roughly coincided with the rise of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, and so her music has always been available, to anyone who wanted to hear it, for free â€“ or, more accurately, for a monthly subscription fee to those tech companies. The trade-off, in theory, is the potential to reach a wider audience than would otherwise have been possible. But even as her music has become more popular on the platform, she told me, and as the crowds at her shows have grown, the smaller that hill of beans has become.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CJ7AXJ3BNBC4JLXH5G6BYVMMPU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763514},"content":"This has been the case, with Spotify, for almost all musicians. The more dominant the platform has become, and the more damage it has done in the process to the livelihoods of recording artists, the smaller its payments to those artists have shrunk. It probably shouldnâ€™t be surprising that the companyâ€™s multibillionaire founder, Daniel Ek, is wealthier than any musician on the planet; last year alone, he made $345 million from his companyâ€™s users streaming the work of musicians, which is more than Taylor Swift â€“ the most-streamed artist in the platformâ€™s history â€“ has made in all her time on the platform, but itâ€™s dispiriting nonetheless.","type":"text"},{"_id":"N43KIACG5FFVTLNOFY4PWRDL3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763515},"content":"I switched to Apple Music years ago, because it pays artists a slightly more generous pittance, and streams at a higher quality, and therefore seems to represent a marginally less grim version of the same market dynamic. But anyone who still uses Spotify will tell you that the experience has of late been in steep decline. One of the companyâ€™s primary innovations, in its early phase, was the â€œDiscoveryâ€ function, an algorithmic gimmick that pointed users in the direction of new music based on artists they had already listened to and liked. It always seemed to me a surprisingly effective way of finding new music â€“ far more reliable than I was at seeking it out myself, having only a vague and slippery grasp of what it was I actually liked. But talk to anyone who uses Spotify now, and they will tell you that those days are long gone. All the app wants to point them toward now is artists whose labels have apparently forked out enough cash to game the system in their favour â€“ along with, increasingly, playlists clogged with anonymous made-to-order filler.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y2IWX5ZEVVH43MINS4KUKWOBSY","additional_properties":{"_id":"ZE537KSBZZD3JPVMATIF6YXOLE"},"content":"We are up to our necks in a rising tide of AI-generated slop","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"JPM6X2POSZDKTC6SSAFY7TUCZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763516},"content":"This latter category is the subject of a fascinating article in the latest issue of Harperâ€™s magazine, by the American writer Liz Pelly. Spotify has in recent years, Pelly claims, been filling its most popular playlists with what the company refers to as â€œPerfect Fit Contentâ€ (PFC) â€“ stock filler music attributed to pseudonymous musicians, referred to as â€œghost artistsâ€, produced in order to lower even further its royalty payouts. This stuff is, she suggests, commissioned by Spotify, from production companies that pay musicians a flat fee to churn it out, within strictly defined parameters based on what is already popular with listeners.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XKB6OSBQANENZIZUIYU4JVAB74","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763517},"content":"Pelly interviews a professional jazz musician whose pseudonymous side gig involves making this stuff to order. The musician, whom Pelly does not name, describes the process of recording this filler as a kind of feedback loop: the production company sends links to target playlists as reference points, and the composer â€œcharts outâ€ new songs that will work well for those lists. When it comes to recording, there will usually be a representative of the PFC partner company at the session, giving feedback â€“ the gist of which tends always to be to make the music as simple as possible. â€œThatâ€™s definitely the thing: nothing that could be even remotely challenging or offensive, really,â€ says the jazz musician.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O3UQF55XJNEVJDDDFLA7YNXGHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763518},"content":"In one sense, there is nothing particularly new about any of this; itâ€™s a digital-era version, in a way, of Muzak, the proprietary brand of background music that has played in hotel lifts and supermarkets and so on for as long as anyone can remember. But whatâ€™s insidious here is the extent to which Spotify seems to intend this stuff to replicate and replace the music of artists with whom listeners might previously have formed a connection, and sought out other work by, gone to see play live and so on â€“ simply because it allegedly costs the company less money to stream. Itâ€™s a stark example, in this sense, of the remorseless way in which the profit motive tends toward cheapening, degrading and eventually destroying cultural production.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5IAEKYA5TZFVLILD5LJMWQIJD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736522081859},"content":"Spotify denied to Harperâ€™s that staffers were encouraged to add PFC to playlists, and that playlist editors were discontented with the programme.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NHTDA4R6ZNEBNC35VM5F26SZQM","additional_properties":{"_id":"O67GPINKBZBW3OTWL6G73XUSMI"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"HQGF6FFSRFDLZAGCBXL6HAOW6I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763519},"content":"I am listening, as I write, to a station on Apple Music â€“ on which platform this stuff absolutely still exists, but is (for now at least) pushed less relentlessly than on Spotify â€“ called Lo-Fi. The music it plays is the kind of relentlessly chill and soothing instrumental ephemera popular with people who like to listen to music while they work or study. Itâ€™s all tinkling piano and quiet guitar over polite, dusty breakbeats with the occasional wordless croon, and on this station everything sounds like itâ€™s made by the same person, although you never seem to encounter the same â€œartistâ€ twice. And if you happen to do a Google search for any of the artists to whom these songs are attributed, you will find nothing but links back to their songs on streaming services. No interviews, no listings of live shows, no merch, no Wikipedia pages with lengthy explications of the singerâ€™s problematic political views and links to the Church of Scientology. This, I suspect, is because they exist on, and for, these streaming services alone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6ILRRI2UORB4BB6DKXHW6SAG7E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763520},"content":"Such a model, argues Pelly, distorts our relationship with music and our understanding of its purpose. â€œThis treatment of music as nothing but background sounds â€“ as interchangeable tracks of generic, vibe-tagged playlist fodder â€“ is at the heart of how music has been devalued in the streaming era. It is in the financial interest of streaming services to discourage a critical audio culture among users, to continue eroding connections between artists and listeners, so as to more easily slip discounted stock music through the cracks, improving their profit margins.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"CCT6CETPCFETFLGWS666JFK76A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736424763521},"content":"And the real damage, of course, is only beginning. Although the model may up to now have involved paying a flat fee to the pseudonymous artists who produce this music, that presumably wonâ€™t remain the case for long. Because if youâ€™re happy to listen to music made to order by human musicians on an already algorithmic production line, you may not even notice when all of it is produced entirely by generative AI. Youâ€™ll only barely be listening anyway, as the model intends.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark O'Connell"}},"name":"Mark O'Connell"}]},"description":{"basic":"When so many of us are listening to music made to order by pseudonymous human musicians on an algorithmic production line, will we even notice when AI takes over?"},"display_date":"2025-01-12T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"If you find music on Spotify increasingly bland, it might be the ghosts","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VI6GVB4VMZABRGOLBBAN2PRA6A","auth":{"1":"e6d81c870bcc160d7e8d6313111b38f7efdfb0d050be62e3b1e4419caf2afeb3"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VI6GVB4VMZABRGOLBBAN2PRA6A.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/mark-oconnell-if-you-find-music-on-spotify-increasingly-bland-it-may-be-the-ghosts/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"W6POV64P35DDPLMEJWM57VRYWY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":391,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/59e86716-8067-4185-8611-0a5bcdeb6d55/versions/1736525858/media/ced0451d4c16d7de63a79fc020fa781a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/12/brutal-reality-of-todays-world-is-that-a-woman-is-killed-every-10-minutes/","content_elements":[{"_id":"33CGK2ZF3JAPFAMMKEZCPQNRMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677767},"content":"Gender-based violence (GBV) breaches fundamental human rights at a very basic level and is a significant barrier to achieving equality. Women, girls, and people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are most at risk. The statistics are staggering.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NXHOU5HB3FGXFNYULNYN2TVQ3U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677768},"content":"Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed simply because she is a woman. Thatâ€™s the brutal reality of the world in which we live.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PI3YD3W5GNC6ZPBUEBV7V5B3KI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677769},"content":"The UN has identified violence against women as one of the most severe human rights violations globally. In humanitarian crises, the problem worsens â€” 70 per cent of women in crisis settings experience GBV, compared to 35 per cent worldwide.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4XQ72TY6LVD4PKCGEHJQ6BTK7I","additional_properties":{"_id":"DRK5SKKUVBDRPLUD2JCWUR3RQY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"BGYD75Q2HZFSFBYK7TPGZ3FYBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677770},"content":"The evidence is all around us, reflected in the heartbreaking reports of violence against women, nationally and internationally, unfolding across our screens daily.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4ASCCTVS4BATNPF2ZY7BWPNSGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677771},"content":"Sexual violence is used systematically as a weapon in conflicts all over the world, devastating men, women, children, and LGBTQI+ communities. The impact is compounded by the destruction of critical GBV services and the loss of skilled staff during conflicts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IPOPCZFZLZE6RFXVPJQMDN3EXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677772},"content":"In Sudan, the need for GBV-related services has skyrocketed â€” increasing by 100 per cent to 6.7 million people as of December 2023. Internally displaced women and girls face the highest risk, enduring conflict-related sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2SN2NMSQNHKJENAR3Q5SXKFJI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677773},"content":"The Irish Consortium on Gender-Based Violence (ICGBV) was established in 2005 in response to extreme levels of sexual violence faced by women and girls in Darfur, Sudan. An alliance of 14 international human rights, humanitarian and development organisations, including NGOs, Irish Aid and the Irish Defence Forces, it was set up in response to reports of this ongoing and systematic sexual violence against women and girls in Darfur. Since it was established nearly 20 years there has been progress in shifting GBV policies and practices to recognise survivors as the architects of their recovery.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PFXSQZIXMNA6JFNKNMXB6MEFLA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677775},"content":"The ICGBVâ€™s recent report, From Survivor-Centred to Survivor-Led: Lessons from Promising Survivor-Led Gender-Based Violence Accountability Initiatives, highlights valuable lessons from survivor-led efforts in GBV prevention, mitigation, and response. As ICGBV patron and President Michael D Higgins put it: â€œThis report gives voice to those who have too often been silenced, voices that can make a difference, voices of those who have not only survived violence but have found the strength to lead in the pursuit of justice and healing.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"QWEFDDCMRVDKTCXKSFKIC6T4HQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"4YSUOHSTPFEEBNGM7CLIJIE2DA"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"7YY4LACKUVAVZOVQKANYPRBEB4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677777},"content":"Survivor-led accountability requires that survivorsâ€™ dignity is upheld and that they have the resources and skills to lead the process of justice and recovery â€” if they choose to do so.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CXW7SEDSZFFR7HYSN22UR54LPA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677778},"content":"Empowering survivors at every stage is critical, especially considering the profound loss of agency they experience during acts of violence. Research suggests that even well-intentioned survivor-centred approaches can unintentionally decentre survivors, reinforcing paternalistic systems within humanitarian protection. True survivor-led approaches shift power dynamics, recognising survivors as the best decision-makers and experts, based on their own lived experiences. Higgins also noted the â€œtransition from survivor-centred approaches to survivor-led action seeks a profound shift in policy and practice â€” one that places survivorsâ€™ agency at the heart of justice efforts. It is a powerful, enduring call for justice, dignity and action, highlighting that those who have endured the deepest wounds must be central to building solutions, shaping policies, and ensuring accountability.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"XK7VDPCQVFDZPGOUTQY63NGCJE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677781},"content":"ICGBV research emphasises the shift from â€œsurvivor-centredâ€ to â€œsurvivor-ledâ€ accountability. Empowered survivors advocate for themselves and others, creating a ripple effect that strengthens community resilience and advocacy efforts, influences policy, and ultimately leads to long-term, sustainable, and systemic change. Survivor-led approaches also strengthen accountability mechanisms, making services more responsive to survivorsâ€™ needs and driving better outcomes, including increased funding opportunities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JWJIYAEVHZAVRH4CQJJ3UIMV3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677783},"content":"However, supporting survivor-led approaches requires dedicated resources to run their initiatives, including fair compensation for their expertise and time. Advocacy for systemic change is resource-intensive and often takes years. Despite the significant economic cost of GBV â€” more than double the expenditure on education in many countries â€” and its long-term impact on future generations, funding to tackle gender-based violence remains low, accounting for just 0.69 per cent of total humanitarian aid and less than 1 per cent of official development assistance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OK7RTEX3YZGHZCKFEQCPDBBLXY","additional_properties":{"_id":"ULXCY2O6SBE35LC3WFJEAQCGE4"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"LLQUD5VTUNCT5BJWZGYFIBB5JA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677785},"content":"Flexible, unrestricted, multiyear funding is crucial to support the comprehensive work needed to change the norms, attitudes, and behaviours that drive GBV. It is also essential that priority is given to fair and equal involvement with survivor-led gender-based violence accountability initiatives that are in line with their responsibilities. We are approaching the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and platform for action, considered one of the most progressive blueprints for advancing womenâ€™s rights globally.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQ6WLZN2BJCIDNBP7I7HVUV2AE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677787},"content":"Many believe it would not be possible in todayâ€™s environment. It is therefore timely that we mitigate against the current challenges that affect its implementation and the achievement of gender equality more broadly. Eliminating violence against women is paramount to this agenda and the only right path to achieve it is by following the courageous lead of survivors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4T75DDWB3JDURM3PMBK5NV7HXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677789},"content":"Mary Van Lieshout is deputy chief executive and director, external relations, Goal and co-chairwoman of ICGBV.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Mary Van Lieshout"}]},"description":{"basic":"Rite & Reason: Funding for gender-based violence remains critically low, accounting for just 0.69 per cent of total humanitarian aid"},"display_date":"2025-01-12T00:30:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Brutal reality of todayâ€™s world is that a woman is killed every 10 minutes ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MQP5KCMQQUBMAEVU6TNQHSFWEM","auth":{"1":"9fa605278514960842e604788e0ae08c4cc10ed1ebc0db9d123fab0a6a7de75d"},"focal_point":{"x":2080,"y":1137},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MQP5KCMQQUBMAEVU6TNQHSFWEM.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/12/brutal-reality-of-todays-world-is-that-a-woman-is-killed-every-10-minutes/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"2DT3H2J5JZDHTG3MPMXEZXY5MQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":373,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/fea10b81-60b1-4edd-993b-87b0034ebf5f/versions/1736520001/media/ee1f16b679b6caa68a121e33b954ec51_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/dundrum-apartments-decision-a-symptom-of-broken-planning-system/","content_elements":[{"_id":"NMKP6WYRCRAMHDX2QCE5J4F2CI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736509911202},"content":"News that An Bord PleanÃ¡la had turned down a proposed development of 881 apartments on the site of the old Dundrum shopping centre follows an all-too-familiar pattern. A lengthy and complicated process has a project shot down due to objections and the decision of planners that rules had been contravened. Initial plans to redevelop this site go back as far as 2004, with the latest decision relating to an application process that started towards the end of 2021.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VASX6NWBKFETXBM5HKGL5QPARI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736456514286},"content":"I am not qualified to give an opinion on the reasons the scheme was turned down, which ranged from height to the nature and scale of the residential plans, to flood planning and transport concerns and a view that it did not fit within planning guidelines. Reading the decision gives an insight into the complexity of factors involved.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AUOQ5CGHCVBZPJ2KZTLK5C3J3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836614},"content":"But what is clear when we stand back is that this is another example of the planning and development system not acting in the wider national interest. There is, after all, a housing crisis. Here is a site that is ideally suited to development. It is in an urban area where, on the basis of all the national and local plans, development is desirable. National guidelines underline the vital goal of more â€œcompactâ€ living â€“ developing sites near city and town centres and transport links, necessary to achieve climate goals. This site is 50m from a Luas stop, beside a host of bus services and near schools, shops and other services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PCUG4ULTOFDRPKZW7XV5FOL25E","additional_properties":{"_id":"C5IY6T2DYBH3PCYTZEVP7DJCFE"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"TJHJFCSR2ZBDJMOGR6CI7MHXME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836616},"content":"Yet somehow the developers and planners cannot come up with a scheme to get it done. In a logical scenario, the two sides would sit down at the start â€“ based on clear planning guidelines â€“ drawn up after local consultation and offering appropriate rights to objection and agree what could happen. Once the developer stayed within the rules, it would happen.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IPDPDXB47VBFDNJVGMOQ2Z7RNQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736456514289},"content":"Instead, the Irish system looks back to front and upside down. Developers face delay and uncertainty. Planners are trying to guard against their decisions being legally overturned. The courts rule on narrow matters of law and this is not always in line with the wider interest. The odds are stacked against progress being made, particularly in the case of complex infill sites such as Dundrum.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W3KBW7MNHZAJ3PEEMDZDFFQAJE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736513274677},"content":"Reading Dundrum, it is clear that the local and national guidelines are not always completely aligned, or at least leave room for significant interpretation. There was a pre-planning meeting between the developers and the planners in late 2021 designed to scope things out. But, in the light of this, reading the planning judgment leaves you mystified about the gap between, on one side, a developer who felt their scheme was fully justified and, on the other, a planning authority who felt the exact opposite.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6YRW7SVN4VDUFPESBA25QUARLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736456514290},"content":"Difficulties in developing urban sites are common, though reasons vary. Just down the road, the site of the old Central Mental Hospital has also been through the planning hoops, held up by an objection from another developer to a scheme approved by An Bord PleanÃ¡la. A joint venture between the local authority and the Land Development Agency may finally get the vital provision of more than 800 social and affordable houses started. But with years of delay.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GRG4GYJWB5AV5NGYYUJ3BZVXD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836619},"content":"Two build-to-rent schemes in Blackrock and Dublin 18 proposed by Cairn Homes were turned down by An Bord PleanÃ¡la after lengthy consideration â€“ one due to an â€œover-proliferationâ€ of such schemes in the area. Cross the river to the north side of Dublin and you find the Supreme Court ruling against the planning approval for more than 1,500 apartments on the old Clonliffe College site, because enough consideration had not been given to potential damage to the adjoining lands and structures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MR4FD5VUCVASHOKNIU5AFTN7IQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"Y6TWWUD2V5BWLNKRP7MN7ZYA3U"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"E6SABXN25RBYDG3BPGWIE5UXXE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836620},"content":"And a scheme to redevelop an old pitch and putt course beside the Cadbury factory on the Malahide Road was turned down by An Bord PleanÃ¡la because it ruled that an assisted living element to the site did not go far enough to meet â€œmixed-useâ€ guidelines (meaning that sites should comprise more than just housing), concerns about light in a minority of the apartments and a finding that the developers had failed to adequately consider the impact on Brent geese. A survey had shown no evidence that the geese â€“ a regular feature of appeals in north Dublin â€“ had used the site at all in recent years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QDGQ65ENOJDA7EGXZ3X2UNXGXM","additional_properties":{"_id":"UHRQWP5BB5BMNOFD7BZL4VXQ4E"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-93104","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"V56N3H7VWZCTLJ6UZGF5VBLUIE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836621},"content":"This is not an argument to allow proper planning and vital environmental rules to be ignored. But if compact living is the goal of national policy, then Ireland needs to get a lot better at this. The Strategic Housing Development scheme introduced in 2017, designed to speed things up by allowing developers to bypass local authorities (and under which the Dundrum application was made) has been a disaster, spurring a host of legal challenges. At least its replacement seems better. Meanwhile, in some aspects â€“ such as the designation of new urban development zones â€“ the new planning act may help, though its implementation is going to take time and planning experts warn about the impact of some provisions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NBV22ZTQAJCHXNMHNA7EQU42QQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736513274682},"content":"The Sinn FÃ©in housing plan, meanwhile, had sensible suggestions about just how developers and local authorities could co-operate more effectively to get redevelopments on â€œbrownfieldâ€ sites such as the one in Dundrum planned and delivered more effectively. And the Commission on Housing has a good analysis of the particular planning and financial challenges in redeveloping these sites and how to address them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GFHCSSZMIBH35FGSSDHPMEE6KQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836622},"content":"At the moment nobodyâ€™s interests are served â€“ except the lawyers and planning consultants, of course. Or maybe, quietly, it all suits some people quite well. A number of the objections to rental housing schemes refer pejoratively to the creation of a â€œtransientâ€ community or one that is not â€œstableâ€. Developments for renters, in other words, are not welcome. Local homeowners and businesses often have legitimate concerns, but the better-off use any legal tool to maintain the status quo. And local politicians quoted in the case of Dundrum, for example, were happy to support the idea of development, but also to repeat the objections of constituents to this scheme.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KDLDDEU47BA3HBFB7CJ3GZ2HJY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736508836623},"content":"A malign mind might argue that rather than this all being seen as a problem that goes to the heart of national spatial, social, economic and climate policy, a lot of people are happy enough with the way things are. And to see lack of supply keep the value of their house on the up.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Cliff Taylor"}},"name":"Cliff Taylor"}]},"description":{"basic":"If compact living is really the goal of national policy, then Ireland really needs to get a lot better at this. Our planning system rarely acts in the interests of renters"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T07:15:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Dundrum apartments decision a symptom of broken planning system ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4SL23CHCOFCQHKGXKDHUWU2JLQ","auth":{"1":"e96d98660807fa77146f246424dcb45b17a92b08cc06f5ebc6efe038f3d99158"},"focal_point":{"x":1830,"y":1184},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4SL23CHCOFCQHKGXKDHUWU2JLQ.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Business"},{"name":"Economy"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/dundrum-apartments-decision-a-symptom-of-broken-planning-system/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"YUORR75KO5BMXIMHJCSA5H7K4M","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":352,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/0ba11f52-4c2c-4261-afe8-3ed5dd0f50b5/versions/1736518607/media/5fe7c8df02aa9a7840f1c575c5b6e9bd_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/enoch-burkes-lonely-vigil-at-the-school-gate-has-not-been-entirely-pointless/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RGQ2FIIMTRFL7BOYGZKYT4K7M4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126948},"content":"Anyone who professed themselves astonished to see Enoch Burke leave his warm bed in Castlebar and trek across the country in sub-zero temperatures to take up his lonely vigil outside a school in Westmeath as the new term resumed canâ€™t have been following his story too closely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YJEQAPDRGNAB7PMKULS7ESNDMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126949},"content":"Burke was released from jail before Christmas, having spent 500 days there because he refused to comply with the terms of his suspension from the school where he taught, and from which he remains on full pay pending the conclusion of a disciplinary process. This followed an alleged public confrontation over the wishes of a 15-year-old pupil to be referred to as â€œthey/themâ€ and his subsequent refusal to comply with a High Court interim injunction preventing him from attending the school.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KWIDBB6SNFD5NAN6ROVYBZHTII","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126950},"content":"In the High Court in December, Justice David Nolan described this as one of those very rare cases where imprisonment should stop, at least for the moment, but added that the school could return to court to seek his return to prison â€œor any other appropriate measureâ€ if he refused to stay away.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P7MR4D25EJFQVMYVODFUOC2JXE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126951},"content":"It now seems inevitable that, for as long as he is not incarcerated, Burke will keep turning up at the school gate as he did all week. The more impediments he faces â€“ ice, snow, orders of the court, the threat of being returned to Mountjoy, public opprobrium, the despair of parents and school authorities â€“ the more his religious zeal seems to harden, and the more his conviction that he is a righteous martyr crystallises.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZP6QXMRUXFFBBPEF3TZARKVN7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126952},"content":"So what is to be done? The threat of imprisonment has not deterred him. Nor have the rapidly mounting fines, now hovering around the â‚¬200,000 mark, and recently doubled to â‚¬1,400 for every day he attends the school property.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q36WKFU2WZGT7P5UNQM66MLJ2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126953},"content":"As I wrote here two years ago, my personal views on Burke â€“ or anyoneâ€™s views on his views on transgender people, LGBTQ+ people, womenâ€™s reproductive rights or what he calls the â€œdepravedâ€ school curriculum â€“ are not the point. The notion that the courts can send someone to jail indefinitely for civil contempt â€“ refusal to obey an order of the court â€“ is one that should make us baulk, particularly when imprisonment for the more serious matter of criminal contempt â€“ behaviour calculated to prejudice the due course of justice â€“ has a clear end date. The reason for this is that civil contempt is primarily designed to be coercive, whereas criminal contempt is meant as a punishment. But the line between the two has become increasingly blurred.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CMLDHLK46NAAZKGOUAC3BFWA34","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126954},"content":"In practice, coercion only works if the threat of jail is actually a deterrent. As Chief Justice Donal Oâ€™Donnell noted in 2016, there are two basic problems with civil contempt â€“ the first is how to get the individual involved to jail and keep them there, and the second is how to get them out, so that they donâ€™t end up incarcerated â€œfor an unconscionable amount of time ... creating [a] stalemate which is often more awkward and embarrassing for the court than for the individualâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2WYPCH4C4NGZJJVPTXTCNCGFDA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126955},"content":"Burke presumably doesnâ€™t relish being in Mountjoy, but in his mind the stakes are far greater than any earthly punishment can deliver. He answers to a higher power. Short of the Lord himself ordering Burke away from the school â€“ and perhaps not even then â€“ heâ€™s going nowhere. This is why the effort to coerce him to behave has been an abject failure.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DMVVD2F2WNFMPNHVLVHAK2DE5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126956},"content":"All of which means there are now more serious issues at stake for the school, for the courts and for society generally. The first are the rights of the children in the Westmeath school. He may not be directly interfering with their ability to come and go from school in peace. But his presence at the gate isnâ€™t benign either â€“ otherwise he wouldnâ€™t bother being there. He is there because he wants to keep his row over the rights of transgender pupils and what he calls â€œbowing to every form of sexual perversionâ€ in the spotlight. As long as he continues turning up, so too will the photographers and journalists and occasional bands of sign-wielding wellwishers. Over time, he may become a magnet for international far-right activists.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SS3IBPK47JDLBHOD3KQUG26A3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126957},"content":"So while little good may be served by returning Burke to jail, beyond increasing the chances of consolidating his position as a martyr for the culture wars, the courts appear to be left without much choice. There are risks to the integrity of the judicial system if an individual persistently refuses to comply with an order. Unfortunately, our law of civil contempt, which has evolved in a fashion the Supreme Court judge Peter Charleton recently described as â€œa thicket of contradictory and uncertain rulesâ€, leaves little scope for more imaginative solutions. Rather, as he points out, â€œin practice, judicial experience has been underscored by an increasing number of courtroom disruptions, abusive attacks on the judiciary going unanswered and, in civil cases, instances of those who refuse to purge their contempt of court orders ... There may be circumstances where no form of coercion, no matter how long a stay in prison it may be, is going to induce a civil contemnor to change his or her mind.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"EYZH5MJ5DBGI3P235DKATTZRUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126958},"content":"Twenty years ago, the late barrister Paul Anthony McDermott wrote about the need for more â€œcreative remediesâ€ than prison in cases where â€œlitigants may pursue their imagined grievancesâ€ with â€œobsessive zealâ€. There has been no move since to reform the laws of contempt. And so now, short of the courts being able to come up with a more inventive remedy â€“ an order to make deductions from the wages that he continues to receive from the school, for a start â€“ Burke might end up back in jail.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MEVK3A3GYVA2FNJGOFIGOEFA5I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736516126959},"content":"His lonely vigil at the school gate has not been entirely pointless â€“ it has at least served the purpose of underlining the urgent need for reform of the law of contempt of court.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Jennifer O'Connell"}},"name":"Jennifer O'Connell"}]},"description":{"basic":"It now seems inevitable that, for as long as he is not incarcerated, Burke will keep turning up at the gates of Wilsonâ€™s Hospital"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T07:05:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Enoch Burkeâ€™s lonely vigil at the school gate has not been entirely pointless","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"XPQCNAFS5LZ4XIWATFDPUKXIYQ","auth":{"1":"6dc49a0715f1fc3d6913481668207c95d4ee877770165b79de526452f5018f18"},"focal_point":{"x":2792,"y":1054},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/XPQCNAFS5LZ4XIWATFDPUKXIYQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/enoch-burkes-lonely-vigil-at-the-school-gate-has-not-been-entirely-pointless/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DUFDEPFMJBE7TDQ6JGHXNYTROI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":440,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e915502f-8c90-4c09-bfa4-f313f0929a12/versions/1736504668/media/5b0e1498a4c9b9de08a10619b1269e8e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/moves-by-elon-musk-and-mark-zuckerberg-set-the-scene-for-confrontation-between-the-eu-and-the-us/","content_elements":[{"_id":"KG2JIYA3DBHELOBVJQOIKZIECE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838468},"content":"Four years is a long time in the social media industry. On January 7th, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg suspended Donald Trump from Facebook for â€œusing our platform to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected governmentâ€. On January 7th 2025, Zuckerberg apologised for â€œtoo much censorshipâ€ and announced that he wanted to â€œwork with President Trump to push back against foreign governments going after American companies to censor moreâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WOGIGHRVTBCPZFAGG3YBRFAUIA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838470},"content":"This volte-face is part of a swathe of changes across all the Meta platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Threads.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UFDE67YTHNBT5DVN27AF6LZPWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838471},"content":"The Meta fact-checking system is to be abandoned in favour of a crowdsourced â€œcommunity notesâ€ system such as that used by X. This means removing the key restrictions on fact-checked content: misinformation and disinformation will no longer be demoted in the algorithm, nor trigger a warning page before you see a post. While we donâ€™t yet have full details, it will presumably also eliminate other fact-checking safeguards including the ban on ads which have been debunked and the rule preventing misinformation repeat offenders from monetising their Facebook pages.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G2XGLB6DKBE6RA4PU2Y2VYYQCI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838472},"content":"While Zuckerberg now describes this as â€œcensorshipâ€, in its reports to the EU, Meta has previously said that fact-checking is â€œthe basis to prevent the spread of large-scale misinformation and disinformationâ€ and was a key part of its approach to election integrity during the high number of EU elections in 2024.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZU67EQRNPBCMFJ7OG3NWTKC7E4","additional_properties":{"_id":"S4ARVRFMLZC2LGWEK5WB6654TY"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-82181","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"XCL7GSL6MZGJZAURG6IKA4YLTM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838473},"content":"Meanwhile, the hateful-conduct policy has already been changed to cater to the far-right by loosening restrictions on hate speech targeting women, migrants, and transgender people. For example, the policy now allows â€œallegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientationâ€, allows â€œinsulting language when discussing transgender rights, immigration or homosexualityâ€, and no longer bans describing women as â€œpropertyâ€ and â€œhousehold objectsâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FKD5B2GVOBGXDGQ6FFZDMGYTGQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838474},"content":"The nakedly political nature of these changes is highlighted by Zuckerbergâ€™s announcement that content moderation roles will be moved away from (liberal) California to locations such as (conservative) Texas because of â€œconcern that biased employees are overly censoring contentâ€. As it happens, research does confirm that pro-Trump accounts are more likely to be restricted or suspended on social media â€“ because they share more misinformation and are more likely to be bots. However, this has not got in the way of the conservative narrative of victimhood and grievance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6KPETQNJ2RDKLF4K3ZQKSY3SGA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838475},"content":"There is probably opportunistic cost-cutting also. Meta will save on payments to third-party fact checkers, shift US staff from California to low-wage states, and reduce its overall reliance on content moderators by cutting back on moderation and relying more heavily on crowdsourcing and AI moderation. Meta is facing worldwide litigation by moderators who say they have suffered serious psychological harm from being exposed to violent and graphic content such as beheadings, suicide, and child abuse images, and these changes might reduce its liability in future cases.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ACTL5UTLCFEM7CA5UB7UOGASUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838476},"content":"What are the implications for Europe and Ireland?","type":"text"},{"_id":"W3FE67FIDRCVNPJIC2QPFH2NAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838477},"content":"Zuckerbergâ€™s capitulation to Trump must be seen in the wider context that a small number of foreign entities control European social media. Public discourse is largely in the hands of two billionaires aligned with the far-right, and one Chinese-founded firm (TikTok) that is under formal investigation by the European Commission on suspicion that it allowed Russian interference in the 2024 Romanian presidential election. We should be very worried about what this means for election integrity and the growth of the far-right in Europe in the coming years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"54Y6FT47UFHGZIWSFAZ74URT3A","additional_properties":{"_id":"4DCYJXB6U5HEPAK3RMVVZIJBGQ"},"content":"Musk says â€˜things will get much worseâ€™ for Germany unless voters rally behind far-right party","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"BMWALXVO2FGQ3NV23RAKCT5Y5A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838478},"content":"Meta claims it has no immediate plans to end fact-checking in the EU. However, this is probably only a temporary reprieve. Zuckerberg has accused the EU of having â€œan ever-increasing number of laws institutionalising censorshipâ€ and said that â€œthe best way to defend against the trend of government overreach on censorship is with the support of the US governmentâ€. This endorses Elon Muskâ€™s project to use American power to dismantle EU controls on social media, exemplified by the incoming vice-president JD Vance, who has threatened to withdraw US support for Nato if the EU imposes penalties on X.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QHIADLLZCZAQNHNHLNCBHZF5IY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838479},"content":"The scene is set for a showdown between the US and the EU over social media regulation, though the flashpoint will come with the increasingly manic Musk rather than the more cautious Zuckerberg. Musk has heavily promoted the far-right across Europe, including by attacking the then taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, in the wake of the Dublin riots. In the last week alone Musk has been accused of interfering with the German elections by hosting a live-stream with the radical Alternative fÃ¼r Deutschland party, has promoted the UK anti-Islam extremist (and imprisoned criminal) Tommy Robinson, and has set out to undermine the UKâ€™s Labour government through misinformation about child sexual abuse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z7UIUOEBUNA7FLSW6CSD6F4PWA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838480},"content":"As a purely legal matter, the European Commission is already investigating X for multiple breaches of its obligations under the Digital Services Act, and these new provocations very likely also breach Xâ€™s obligations regarding algorithmic transparency and disinformation. These should ultimately result in significant fines. However, enforcement will depend on whether there is political will within Brussels to stand up to US pressure. National governments are split on this issue with some, such as the Italian government of Giorgia Meloni, choosing to cosy up to Musk instead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DBO5NQKRXRBFLOPJLZJRH6QFVY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838481},"content":"At the moment Ireland is largely on the sidelines. While X and Meta have their European headquarters in Dublin, enforcing the Digital Services Act against these very large platforms is primarily the responsibility of the European Commission rather than the Irish CoimisiÃºn na MeÃ¡n. Meanwhile, politicians have been distracted from responding to current developments by government formation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IZKJG4QXQZDITPF6JZTTWELRVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838482},"content":"Nevertheless, there are several things we must do. First, the Irish government should vocally support action by the European Commission against X and any other firms that choose to break the law. Second, it should immediately revisit the hate-speech offences that were dropped from the Hate Offences Act last year in order to get it passed before the election. Third, it should fully implement the Electoral Reform Act 2022, which will address online political advertising and electoral misinformation but has not yet been brought into force. Finally, we need to move Irish government bodies off platforms such as X that promote the far right and on to decentralised alternatives instead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXCMPMGWSFGFLJOTXHPRKWIVVQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838483},"content":"Dr TJ McIntyre is an associate professor in the UCD Sutherland School of Law, consultant solicitor with FP Logue Solicitors and chairman of Digital Rights Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"TJ McIntyre"}]},"description":{"basic":"Meta will now allow â€˜insulting language when discussing transgender rights, immigration or homosexualityâ€™, and no longer bans describing women as â€˜propertyâ€™ or â€˜household objectsâ€™"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Moves by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg set scene for confrontation between EU and US","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"TPQU7CAORNBJBIR46WA4VCYG5A","auth":{"1":"4e020fc6eaeaada46c19a8f5b6239a49298f6ff23cd27f8aa16ce377255b7050"},"focal_point":{"x":734,"y":333},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/TPQU7CAORNBJBIR46WA4VCYG5A.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/moves-by-elon-musk-and-mark-zuckerberg-set-the-scene-for-confrontation-between-the-eu-and-the-us/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"PVCK2O6NJBBPDFSPYMOVIXHVLA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":407,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/dd6e95c4-be86-42a3-b0f8-0ba1f7b7c08f/versions/1736430934/media/c30c9e216b32dc9930cd1508e47a0aed_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/an-irish-economy-that-caps-its-airport-traffic-leaves-everyone-worse-off/","content_elements":[{"_id":"AM4TP2ZHAJEP5G5WDSK3QTWLQE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035029},"content":"Dublin Airport over New Year, who doesnâ€™t have their story? The nation of emigrants coming home and going back, the airport buzzing. For the past few weeks, the airport has been ground zero for returnees. It was not just busy with Irish people, it was also full of the enormous immigrant community heading back to Ireland after Christmas at home. And the airport isnâ€™t only jammed at this time of year, it seems to be rammed all the time.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SP3X2PMPBZHSTEFZVFSO22TGX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736453377796},"content":"No single location on the island captures the global nature of the Irish economy more than Dublin Airport and fewer public spaces are more democratic, because these days all creeds, classes and ages fly. Dublin is one of the most connected places on Earth, with more flights to more locations than almost any other similarly sized city.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QPNOALK4KNBSLPTT7LPU3N2ELU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427917952},"content":"Connectivity is key to a small, open economy. The more connections the better. At a time when many are worried about Irelandâ€™s exposure to a global economy that may be hurtling headlong towards protectionism, be reassured that the airportâ€™s myriad of destinations is a sign of strength, not weakness. The number of flights coming and going is the single best indicator of economic and commercial vibrancy. Perhaps more than any official statistic, the airportâ€™s traffic offers a snapshot of what is going on.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D6CKHOPZBJGLRDESCTJNVW2MXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035031},"content":"Letâ€™s have a look at the figures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MQQWMDCCEVBHJL5V75R3K4Z5UU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035032},"content":"In total, Dublin Airport offers flights to some 194 destinations across about 42 countries served by about 45 airlines. This diversity is a testament to the strategic importance of Ireland as a hub for global travel and business. According to data up to the end of October, 28.7 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport until that point in 2024, a 5 per cent rise on the same period in 2023. At that rate it was likely to accommodate more than 33 million passengers for the whole of 2024.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TK4TYX57MBD7TGP227DJKUDL6M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736545947032},"content":"In October alone, 2.9 million passengers came and went, making it the busiest October ever in Dublin Airportâ€™s 84-year history.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TP5BOM3QJESDFRQYOEYK2WOI4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035033},"content":"Travel is trade, and Dublin is distinguished not just by the volume of passengers but their varied destinations and numerous carriers. Ryanair is the largest airline, with about 763 take-offs each week, followed by Aer Lingus, with Delta, United, American Airlines and JetBlue. Lufthansa flies 28 times weekly to Frankfurt, Germanyâ€™s business capital, which prioritises corporate connections. KLM operates 21 weekly flights to Amsterdam, a crucial European business hub. British Airways runs 10 daily flights to London Heathrow and City Airport (LCY), catering to thousands of commuters travelling between two of Europeâ€™s financial hubs. Emirates and Qatar Airways operate 14 flights weekly to the Middle East, itself a hub carrying people further to Asia and Australia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QZKCMA76UVHWVD3ZC2RPHKGNRM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736453377801},"content":"Naturally given our climate, sun destinations remain a key feature, with loads of flights to the likes of Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife and Faro. Ryanair alone operates 234 weekly flights to Europeâ€™s sun destinations. From a macroeconomic point of view, the vast range of traffic in and out of Dublin reveals an economy which is deeply plugged in to the world economy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AWK3LCJIXFDCRMTYF5BQQEVJRY","additional_properties":{"_id":"ZY5CW6NW2NAFDHUHTZBG2AVYRE"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"PAI5XT4TNFFHJIGBLWXOHL6YTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035034},"content":"I recently visited Glasgow and couldnâ€™t help noticing the difference between both citiesâ€™ airports. If we compare Dublin Airport with Glasgow, Scotlandâ€™s largest city in a similarly sized economy, we see completely different travel patterns. The vast majority of flights from Glasgow are to sun spots rather than business centres.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VCIU4QQQ6NCKHKS7PLGAOO2ALM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035035},"content":"The reason being connected is important for economic growth is that connectivity reveals commercial diversity â€“ meaning the number of different things a country does with different people. And diversity is the key to economic resilience. In a diverse economy, if one industry, company or sector goes through a retrenchment there are other, unrelated ones to take up the slack. For example, finance is different from pharma, which is different from construction, which is different from biomedics, which is different from tech, which is different from agriculture and tourism. The more diversity, the more innovation and the more people coming and going, the more ideas are percolating and the more innovation is likely. A diverse region is a resilient region.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QD23JC3BB5HGBLNNSNZCSH52DQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035036},"content":"The more diverse an economy, the more interactions, people, networks and capital moving in and out, the more ideas, products and services are produced. A healthy economy is vibrant and international, the more exuberant and international the better. As the economy evolves and grows, rolling with various punches, the most diverse region succeeds because it doesnâ€™t become over-dependent on any single thing. For the essential process of innovation, diversity offers more options, combinations and novel possibilities for commercial cross-pollination. New products are usually fashioned out of things that are adjacent or close at hand, so the personal computer leads to innovations in microchips, leading to the mobile phone, on to the smartphone and it spawns an entire new series of social-media apps that change the way people consume information.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7WCUHDGMRREXHJDW66ONGXHMWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736453377806},"content":"No one could have predicted this chain of events. This is how economic growth happens â€“ unpredictably. But what we know is that dependency on one product or one region is never a good idea. As your granny would say, donâ€™t put all your eggs in one basket. The economy works best on the same basis.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QRI45FUZYBDNVFDRVKCHDTWHD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736377035037},"content":"The next time you are flying out of Dublin and scanning the flight information board, just take in the number of destinations, the number of regions, countries and continents and think of all the people coming and going. Consider all the ideas, schemes and plans, the commerce, the deals and the dreams.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TSTU3ZNBF5EMVI5QTCXCWKD3PE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736453377808},"content":"(Iâ€™m aware of the environmental arguments against flying, but that should probably be the subject of another column.)","type":"text"},{"_id":"4LZQRT3MNJFKBL7QDDCXPM7MZM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427917960},"content":"The economy is driven by humans, our endeavours and our projects. The more of us who are coming and going, interacting with others, the more likely this economic energy will create new products, new ventures and new opportunities. A small, open economy that caps the growth in traffic from its airport is not simply capping numbers but limiting the number of connections between the country, its people and the wider world, leaving everyone worse off.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KC7XDN7FV5ENPJ2AEE6XYKWVXI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427917961},"content":"When assessing the dynamism of the Irish economy, forget the official data, look up at the screen in the airport and marvel at just how plugged in Ireland is to the globe.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"David McWilliams"}},"name":"David McWilliams"}]},"description":{"basic":"Look up at the screen in Dublin Airport and marvel at all those destinations and what they mean. Think of all the people coming and going. Consider all the ideas, schemes and plans, the commerce, the deals and the dreams"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"No single location captures global nature of Irish economy more than Dublin Airport","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"NUFAET762NC3BFHJ4KRT653PTA","auth":{"1":"5327de74ad5b20e009dc88bba45308275a787e0b75b6e710df61ff8c02878656"},"focal_point":{"x":2398,"y":1842},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/NUFAET762NC3BFHJ4KRT653PTA.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Economy"},{"name":"Business"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/an-irish-economy-that-caps-its-airport-traffic-leaves-everyone-worse-off/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"OZOEKTSNLREXXBWLKMIGJI7FS4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":339,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/7aaa3e13-582c-46e7-830d-ce81ebf54388/versions/1736502136/media/873a2651a084e0ad4027529b642f4510_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/how-will-the-contradictions-in-trumps-policies-play-out/","content_elements":[{"_id":"IHUUZDSTWBGTJPKJTY5YAJZ7RU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598489},"content":"Donald Trumpâ€™s policy contradictions are legion and have been well-publicised in advance of his inauguration. In understanding and responding to him it helps to analyse how these conflicting goals and interests might play out between his strategic priorities and his own political will.","type":"text"},{"_id":"37EHEZ2VAZAELDYYFBEMON3J2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598492},"content":"The policy contradictions are firstly economic. Trump wants to eliminate inflation but also intends to impose 60 per cent tariffs on China and 25 per cent ones on Canada and Mexico, which will raise import prices. Economists say these goals are irreconcilable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ABLQCW2AOFCCXAK2OMPQ54GPZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598493},"content":"Trump wants to maintain the dollar as the worldâ€™s primary reserve currency, but weaken it to promote US competition, despite much evidence that tariff increases raise the dollarâ€™s exchange rate. The US trade deficit would be reduced by tariffs, according to Trumpâ€™s team; but he also wants to maintain capital inflows and outflows, which is very hard to do. This is the contradiction between reduced and continuing globalisation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OYF3WJAQVREJLPCBUW7ELAPPKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598494},"content":"Such economic and international tensions feed into the social basis of Trumpâ€™s electoral coalition. He wants higher tariffs, harder borders and lower taxes to protect poorer and less educated white Americans; but he attracted more support from black and Hispanic minorities, who also felt their lives had not been improved by Bidenomics (even though their number was dwarfed by the 7.1 per cent of Biden supporters in 2020 who failed to turn out for Harris). This is more a case of dealignment than realignment of working-class votes, which remain evenly split between the two main parties.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IUBYHJGLVG3DJ4YIJUACVJH3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598495},"content":"Tax cuts will hit the public programmes Trumpâ€™s rural and poorer base relies on, as will the public expenditure efficiency cuts to be led by the worldâ€™s richest man, Elon Musk. That conflict between popular votes and billionaire deregulatory interests is manifesting in the argument within Trumpâ€™s team between Steve Bannon, JD Vance and Musk over who should have priority. How can you make these Americans great again without reducing the USâ€™s huge wealth inequalities, which have doubled since 1980?","type":"text"},{"_id":"FY4OEGRTDVA4ZFHAALLMCWQEGY","additional_properties":{"_id":"TI2SNNXM6BBZJEDYPVJIIKEGRI"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"SYCGGRWTRJCPVPSQ77CHB6HNFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598496},"content":"This echoes the contradiction between Muskâ€™s interests in relatively open trading and investment relationships with China and the hawks determined to close them. Similarly, falling domestic birth rates require immigrant labour; skill shortages and cheaper labour costs encourage immigration against workers who insist their interests are best served by expanding trade union rights and stronger social protections â€“ conflicts of interests playing out over the H-1B visas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BHYED2KUSRGN5A2EKOE2EWJFZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598497},"content":"Contradictions reveal conflicting goals and interests and can be interpreted in several different ways. This may mean the goals and interests cannot be realised simultaneously, or are logically inconsistent. Contradictions can forge historical change; they are not static but dynamic and express conflicting, yet interdependent, forces at play in a society. They show up social dysfunctions and a lack of â€“ or a yearning for â€“ social stability and normality. The precise balance between such interpretative considerations and actual social practice informs critical social theory. But it passes over into political and social action too. Contradictions are not simply objective but need to be articulated into subjective public awareness and consciousness. They can then be asserted or actualised in alternative political programmes on goals and interests in social struggles and political conflicts. They may produce moments of crisis demanding far-seeing political leadership and power to resolve by systemic change. If this does not happen, prolonged impasse can result, when in Antonio Gramsciâ€™s celebrated formulation, â€œthe old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appearâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIEO342UUVHVBCMUG327JW7B74","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598500},"content":"In light of such reflections on the varying role of contradictions, what can we say about how they might play out in Trumpâ€™s second term? A few elements in the forthcoming US political process will be worth watching closely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYR35T3ECJEVXOB74RNZMFARTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598501},"content":"Trump says, firstly, that the US is in a crisis, one that he intends to resolve with strong leadership and regime change to take power away from its coastal liberal elites. His cabinet appointments value loyalty above competence, so much revolves around his own role. He will have to prioritise and phase goals and interests rapidly; most evidence points to him opting for deregulatory policies favouring the super-rich in this calculus. That will disrupt his electoral coalition and challenge his liberal and left-wing opponents to exploit such divisions. It will be a testing time in the creation of a new US left-liberal bloc beyond identity politics in social protests and conflicts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WEKSUVB6RZDYJJJEAZD5YLVM44","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598503},"content":"Trumpâ€™s authoritarianism will respond harshly and viciously to any such resistance, using State security and surveillance to enforce immigrant expulsions and target opponents. How the economic and international contradictions play out will determine whether he can claim transactional success in the medium term.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O5CKUI7VXZCKDPM2DB754IHNVM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598504},"content":"Many such impasses are therefore likely to appear over these four years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Paul Gillespie"}},"name":"Paul Gillespie"}]},"description":{"basic":"Worldview: With his economic and policy goals often irreconcilable, how these economic and international contradictions play out will determine whether the US president-elect can claim success"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"How will the contradictions in Trumpâ€™s policies play out?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"DEVQORE55U227W3E3HCOHCQOH4","auth":{"1":"44f204721e59f68876c741f2354f647342bbd939d1f7fb0767054621ae4c70c9"},"focal_point":{"x":2145,"y":746},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/DEVQORE55U227W3E3HCOHCQOH4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/how-will-the-contradictions-in-trumps-policies-play-out/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"2IB453WFAVGVTD5POM7FVKRGWM","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/11/martyn-turner/","content_elements":[],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Martyn Turner"}},"name":"Martyn Turner"}]},"description":{"basic":"Saturday, January 11th, 2025"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T02:52:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Martyn Turner","native":""},"label":{},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BWQXJ44DONEP3MAX36XEXB74QE","auth":{"1":"fdd3a668f659f394d87d1d46606cfd0beba805fc4f7cf4c9663a56f9262eb5c1"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BWQXJ44DONEP3MAX36XEXB74QE.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Cartoon"},{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/11/martyn-turner/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/cartoon","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Cartoon"}}}},{"_id":"BGJC2NWAF5EJPAM7GVMHT6H554","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":420,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/b7b59d25-164b-49d7-b420-08458338ecae/versions/1736435562/media/6d662b8ed41af26bd20cb2c927ae27e6_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/lara-marlowe-once-called-the-devil-of-the-republic-le-pen-died-knowing-his-ideas-are-gaining-currency/","content_elements":[{"_id":"KUQZKU6C2FGBBJI73ZWUKXPQR4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819144},"content":"Jean-Marie Le Pen, the extreme right-wing leader who died on January 7th at the age of 96, was the granddaddy of post second World War nationalist populist politicians.","type":"text"},{"_id":"A35ADSA4TFEE3A3O43A5J73Z2A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819146},"content":"Donald Trump and a gaggle of like-minded leaders â€“ several of whom have received Elon Muskâ€™s imprimatur â€“ in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden and the UK, may not have taken direct inspiration from Le Pen. But the man known to detractors as â€œthe devil of the Republicâ€ died knowing that his goals of mass deportation of immigrants and discriminatory â€œnational preferenceâ€ have gained wide currency on the far right in Europe and the US.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IV42OFSD6FHLRGJXWJZVNT6V2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819147},"content":"The xenophobic, anti-immigrant and racist politics which Le Pen pioneered since he cofounded the National Front (FN) in 1972 have been labelled the Reactionary International. It is on the rise throughout what was formerly called the civilised world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XTT4YW6QUFCBDEG6LICT5OAEHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819148},"content":"In France, Le Penâ€™s daughter Marine may succeed president Emmanuel Macron. Marine Le Pen â€œundemonisedâ€ her fatherâ€™s party by publicly disowning his oft-repeated statement that the Holocaust was â€œa detailâ€ of the second World War. But she did not address his more outrageously racist claims, for example that the intellectual growth of Muslims is stunted because their religion does not discourage masturbation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C3EWCQDHN5HDRF5HUTIKSGMKUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819149},"content":"Despite his extreme views and erratic behaviour, Trump was able to take over the Republican Party. Le Penâ€™s anti-Semitism made him a pariah, shunned by mainstream French conservatives. By expelling her father from the FN, rechristening it the National Rally (RN) and renouncing anti-Semitism, Marine Le Pen won over much of the conservative, neo-Gaullist Les RÃ©publicains party. Yet hatred of immigrants and Islamophobia remain an integral part of the RNâ€™s DNA.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X63OZFHN4BFULPM6KDGRTHGWJI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819150},"content":"Back in September 2001, party workers at what was still FN headquarters broke out the champagne on the night of the 9/11 atrocities. The subsequent, decades-long spate of Islamist attacks in the US and Europe, and mass migration sparked by wars, famine and global warming, fuelled the rise of the far right.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z3HQKWADNNCMXI7OCZ3LOMCDTY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819151},"content":"Le Monde newspaper called Le Pen a â€œTrumpist character before his time,â€ because he â€œshamelessly exploited the fears which torment the popular and middle classes in the era of globalisation: immigration, the lack of security, the spectre of declineâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DQLY67VMIZELHF6KE3G7YA5NM4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819152},"content":"Le Pen and Trump resembled one another: truculent, boastful, vengeful, unrepentant and deliberately provocative; they filled a need for bread and circuses. They dismissed criticism with tirades against political correctness and woke-ism. Both turned politics into a family business. French media likened the life of the Le Pen clan in a mansion overlooking Paris â€“ which Le Pen inherited in dubious circumstances from a supporter â€“ to the television series Dallas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PYZPTTE75VCHHMDDLOVHL4SHPE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819153},"content":"Le Pen was as polarising as Trump. While supporters this week eulogised him as â€œle Menhirâ€, after the megalithic stones found in his native Brittany, hundreds gathered in Paris, Lyons and Marseilles to celebrate his death.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MHM5PECECZ7KYLXB2JE4FVRV3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":"O5RGEH2TFVHNTHEUW6DILT22FQ"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"HDZYKUJEVVEGHLPKKW7XWL4KSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819154},"content":"Le Pen was convicted more than 25 times for defending war crimes, provoking hatred and discrimination, anti-Semitism and public insults. By election day, Donald Trump had racked up 34 felony indictments, one conviction, two impeachments and six bankruptcies. Like Le Pen, Trump claimed the justice system was rigged against him.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DEFM2FTLLJGBZICQZ5CZT3U2JI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819155},"content":"When his political career stalled in the late 1960s, Le Pen temporarily became a record producer. One of the records he published, entitled The Third Reich: Songs of the German Revolution, led to his first conviction for defending war crimes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WAEZS4475RCW5KCLW53D325Z2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819156},"content":"Le Pen told the far-right newspaper Combat in 1962 that, as a paratrooper in the Foreign Legion during the Battle of Algiers, he tortured members of the FLN liberation movement â€œbecause it had to be doneâ€. Though he later retracted the statement, a Nazi dagger engraved with Le Penâ€™s name and found in a torture room in the Casbah led to the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Le Pen for defamation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBR4OPMDBNGYLEEQMP6KFBLCHA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819157},"content":"Two weeks before the US presidential election, John Kelly, the retired Marine general who served as Trumpâ€™s chief of staff from 2017 until 2019, told The New York Times and The Atlantic that Trump met the definition of a fascist and that during his first term, Trump suggested that Adolf Hitler â€œdid some good thingsâ€. Kelly also quoted Trump saying that he needed â€œGerman generals . . . Hitlerâ€™s generalsâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4FHVWOPZHFBFHDRSVYOAF3S2BU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819158},"content":"Le Pen, like Trump, evaluated women based on their sexual attractiveness. And he could be every bit as lewd as Trump. Over lunch with a handful of journalists, including this correspondent, on the eve of his qualification for the runoff in the French presidential election in 2002, Le Pen judged then first lady Bernadette Chirac â€œun-f**kableâ€ and denigrated political adversaries as â€œmen who could no longer honour their wivesâ€. Le Pen later blamed the demographic decline of the West on â€œsexual egalitarianismâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KHLDG22ZXBEEVEYQDK2W36YDX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819159},"content":"Who could forget the â€œAccess Hollywoodâ€ video in which Trump advised Billy Bush to â€œGrab â€˜em by the pussyâ€? A US federal appeals court on December 30th upheld Trumpâ€™s conviction for the sexual abuse of E Jean Carroll and denied his request for a new trial.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F3OZNWJIRJCQDNXXQZNPMA3H3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819160},"content":"In both men, large, heavy frames and jutting chins created an impression of powerful physical presence. When Trumpâ€™s ear was grazed by a would-be assassinâ€™s bullet last July 13th, his facial expression and defiant, clenched fist constituted a pose reminiscent of Le Pen.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D3JAUBGHDFFQZEMRZNDYO2KS3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819161},"content":"Le Pen used to boast that â€œI say out loud what others think in silenceâ€. That sentiment is echoed by Trump and users of Elon Muskâ€™s X â€“ except that far right followers have been freed of their inhibitions. Trumpâ€™s denigration of Mexicans as rapists and murderers did not prevent him winning a substantial portion of the Hispanic vote in November.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GK5NOESANJF6BDT23K7CVJYWMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736427819162},"content":"Le Pen considered Charles de Gaulle a traitor for giving up lâ€™AlgÃ©rie franÃ§aise. He had fought in the last gasps of French empire, in Indochina and Algeria and in the failed Anglo-French attempt to retake the Suez Canal in 1956. Trump too displays colonial longings. On the day of Le Penâ€™s death, the president-elect told journalists at Mar-a-Lago of his designs on Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Lara Marlowe"}},"name":"Lara Marlowe"}]},"description":{"basic":"Le Pen used to boast that â€œI say out loud what others think in silence.â€ That sentiment is echoed by Trump and users of Elon Muskâ€™s X"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Once called â€˜the devil of the Republicâ€™, Le Pen died knowing his ideas are gaining currency","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"AIG3GTGDQHIW3QR6KLWWKTI6YU","auth":{"1":"3b18adbd5bbe4d4fd0c89e07185588c607d5f592098796a2bb52e2cc6a873dae"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/AIG3GTGDQHIW3QR6KLWWKTI6YU.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/lara-marlowe-once-called-the-devil-of-the-republic-le-pen-died-knowing-his-ideas-are-gaining-currency/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"LFSYAJABRVHNXFVTQIT434KGUM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":299,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/45fee48d-74a5-44c4-ac4b-30b0ce674610/versions/1736425487/media/b873daeff715b1080ed0f40b2a6ba6ba_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/stephen-collins-sinn-fein-is-mistaken-if-it-thinks-conor-murphy-in-the-seanad-will-inch-us-closer-to-a-united-ireland/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RS6XIJZIKZAK7FHOO23BHNCOZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658905},"content":"The decision by Sinn FÃ©in to transfer one of its leading Northern politicians, Conor Murphy, from the post of Minister for the Economy at Stormont to a seat in the Seanad is a reflection of just how serious a blow the party took in the November election.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JZX7NYXV2NFKNA5VBJIB5DP35E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658906},"content":"Much of the media consensus in the aftermath of the election was that it was a boring contest that changed nothing. In fact, it was a highly consequential election in which voters emphatically rejected the radical path offered by Sinn FÃ©in, including the demand for a Border poll as a stepping stone to a united Ireland. The partyâ€™s commitment to a united Ireland is its overriding objective. The strength of this commitment has been widely underestimated in the Republic, where the partyâ€™s emphasis on housing and other social issues has dominated the coverage of its activities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WY2AEXAL3JH5PAUPGF7J77AUZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658908},"content":"However, the drive for a united Ireland has always been the underlying motive force behind everything the republican movement does. The Provisional IRA did not wage a campaign of violence for more than 30 years to change housing policy. The strategy of the armalite and the ballot box was an adaptation to changing circumstances, but the old Fenian goal of a 32-county republic remained as the core ideology of the movement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7N33BCOBB5HCFBPKTAZJD24NDU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658909},"content":"One of the individuals who facilitated meetings between top Sinn FÃ©in politicians and leading Irish businesses, including the multinationals, over the past three years told me of his surprise at discovering the importance they attached to a united Ireland. â€œI felt they were prepared to make sensible compromises on economic policy if they achieved power but they were clear about one thing â€“ a united Ireland is the prime objective and they will never compromise on that,â€ he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DQY2BMYFANEPXMJCQO72LCKM2A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658911},"content":"Up to last spring there was a widespread assumption that Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s march to power on both sides of the Border was inexorable, hence the willingness of some business leaders to engage with the party. Opinion polls suggested it would be by far the biggest party in the Republic after the election, and that its demand to lead the government would be impossible to resist. The decline of traditional ruling centre-right and centre-left parties across Europe fuelled the view that Ireland would follow the trend, particularly as Sinn FÃ©in had succeeded in keeping the housing crisis at the centre of political debate since the election of February 2020.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CVNPPPVXGBB2DLDQWQTHX3IMSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658913},"content":"Instead, what happened was a sudden and precipitous decline in Sinn FÃ©in support, which manifested itself in the local and European elections in June and continued into the general election. The old firm of Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael held steady in the face of pressures from left and right and are now in a position to form a government without the need for a coalition deal involving a smaller party.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2EZTNTVUCNETFPKW3WMOYPSPLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658914},"content":"The failure of Sinn FÃ©in to make the breakthrough into government in Dublin is a severe blow to its unity policy and the demand for a Border poll as soon as possible. Murphyâ€™s move to the Seanad is regarded as an attempt to get some traction for that policy in the Oireachtas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HROHKBPDVRB33H4KIAFDKUHEU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658915},"content":"However, the Seanad is hardly the place to go about it. The upper house gets very little media coverage and, in any case, it is doubtful if the voters in the Republic will pay much attention to a politician who parachuted in from the North, particularly as his initial comments appearing to condone the IRA murder of Paul Quinn in Louth in 2007 have already come back to haunt him.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UDSK5JJUYBDPNFBFOALV7VPRJY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658916},"content":"Of course it may well be that the primary motive for the Belfast leadershipâ€™s decision to move Murphy south is not to persuade the public about the virtues of a united Ireland but to focus the attention of the party in Leinster House on the goal, given the failure of its social agenda to drive it into power. Another factor could well be Murphyâ€™s health. He suffered a minor stroke last year and while he insists this is not his motive for the move, it may have influenced it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R7YSTWHPNVGL5BGZAOEX4PCPT4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658917},"content":"Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s vision of early Border polls followed by a united Ireland stands in stark contrast to the outgoing Governmentâ€™s shared island policy devised by MicheÃ¡l Martin. The new government will certainly not be putting any pressure on the British government to hold a Border poll in the short or medium term.","type":"text"},{"_id":"256FFH2NEND53EMXMBMZRU2U4M","additional_properties":{"_id":"UC64HTH5QJEG7O77QFPE6F6SFI"},"content":"Newton Emerson: Conor Murphyâ€™s puzzling move to the Seanad crystallises sense of an unsettled Stormont","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"5XYB3SGD4ZCVFERYY2PHD3BWRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658918},"content":"John Humeâ€™s dictum that the future of Ireland should be about people and not territory is what underpins the Governmentâ€™s strategy. It is arguable that the structures established by the Belfast Agreement actually provide for the realisation of that vision in a way that the Sinn FÃ©in ideal of a unitary state run from Dublin does not.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RQLIZDCOORG2HNBXPJACIXPZDQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736421658919},"content":"While opinion polls have shown a consistent majority in the Republic in favour of a united Ireland as an aspiration they have also revealed a clear majority against measures such as changing the symbols of the State like the national anthem and the flag, never mind the extra taxation that would be required to make it work. Sinn FÃ©in faces a stiff uphill battle to get its united Ireland agenda to the centre of political debate in Dublin and it is doubtful if the arrival of one the partyâ€™s leading figures from the North will achieve it.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Stephen Collins"}},"name":"Stephen Collins"}]},"description":{"basic":"Partyâ€™s vision of early Border polls followed by a united Ireland is in stark contrast to the new governmentâ€™s approach"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Sinn FÃ©in is mistaken if it thinks Conor Murphy in the Seanad will inch us closer to a united Ireland","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"LGI2CIJ6WAZEKRIPHGSSWWH3FE","auth":{"1":"9a6dd171d2b936f99905d058fcae548707a79a069cc2acd2ef972f06775b6736"},"focal_point":{"x":3040,"y":833},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/LGI2CIJ6WAZEKRIPHGSSWWH3FE.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Politics"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/stephen-collins-sinn-fein-is-mistaken-if-it-thinks-conor-murphy-in-the-seanad-will-inch-us-closer-to-a-united-ireland/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"NSHODYIT2ZBFZDABV2YYKEKLFE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":310,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/2089c82c-9a29-4be0-9507-7b73ab49218a/versions/1736446125/media/e4f51516c0441ddfa22d78dc485e6e60_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/diarmaid-ferriter-forget-pandering-to-the-independents-these-are-the-issues-the-new-government-needs-to-deal-with/","content_elements":[{"_id":"YA5T3QEWXFG6ZNIA7IJPAEINQI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961743},"content":"Those pondering participation in our next government should make it their business to visit the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in the RDS this weekend. Rightly celebrated at this time of year, the exhibits always do much to showcase how young, inquisitive and motivated students choose to frame the challenges, not just of their generation, but of all of us, including in relation to climate change, artificial intelligence, sustainability and health.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYKPTQRRSJEA7KYCVMGZRCWN3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437408749},"content":"Significantly, the exhibitors are also adept at highlighting evidence-based solutions â€“ something to be particularly commended during an era when deriding evidence has become such a destructive political tool.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OPX5SLTALZC2VAGDPNYBO2LUOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961744},"content":"While many of the Young Scientistsâ€™ projects have a local focus, they are far removed from the myopic nature of constituency champions who, it is likely in the coming weeks, will celebrate their â€œvictoriesâ€ in cutting deals to make up the numbers for the new government.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G5WULATACZG7HOIG36EAHFID64","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437408751},"content":"The ghost of one of the most voluble of the Independent TDs from 25 years ago, Jackie Healy-Rae, will loom large; he boasted he had â€œdeliveredâ€ Â£250 million for his Kerry constituency from 1997 to 2002 for supporting Bertie Ahernâ€™s coalition government. The Independents that supported this government, dubbed the â€œpillars of clientelismâ€ by the political correspondent Dick Walsh, were marvellously indulged, with weekly meetings with government chief whip SÃ©amus Brennan, a civil servant in the Department of the Taoiseach assigned to deal specifically with their concerns and Cabinet ministers made available to them to discuss legislation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LSZYGYJFJJETJEQE44NVAE5ANA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961745},"content":"The deal was simple: give us your shopping list and we will buy your government supporting vote for five years. Roads featured prominently. And it delivered longevity for the coalition, which became one of the longest-serving Irish governments. As one of the Independents, Donegalâ€™s Harry Blaney, recalled: â€œI remember that there was nothing we asked for that they didnâ€™t say was okay.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"BNPWKIDHEFAKPOENTAH55J466A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437408753},"content":"As recorded in Liam Weeksâ€™s 2017 book Independents in Irish Party Democracy, the former Donegal TD Thomas Gildea, who was another Independent who supported that government from late 1998, said he â€œsaw it as an opportunity to be able to derive more benefit for the constituency, because at the end of the day, that is what it is all aboutâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PXGVOOF3DJGVVGTOTSHJYCWPHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961746},"content":"Gildea also noted that the commitments given to him by Ahern were not formally written down, but taken â€œon trustâ€ as â€œthe other parties could find out through the Freedom of Information Act what I was looking for if it was in writingâ€. That pesky irritation of transparency about taxpayersâ€™ money could be conveniently surmounted.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YLBHIU2H2RE2XPTNNDVPMA3DZM","additional_properties":{"_id":"Y2BKUBZOPRHILH7NK3Y7G4GO7A"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"UDY7M7JSPFBMXH2MDNDTJJF2JM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961747},"content":"Before the recent general election, Prof Brian Ã“ GallachÃ³ir, associate vice-president of sustainability at University College Cork, suggested that for future governments â€œthe longer they hold off grasping the nettle, the more the climate system will progressively warm and the bigger burden theyâ€™re leaving to our future selvesâ€. And that was before the Green Party was decimated.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TDNA6HXBCVDCNGRXK6DYWYIZAU","additional_properties":{"_id":"2CAMDUHBVBH4HPPFP4IMFYX3PM"},"content":"Political science must not trump climate science. Here are the key tests for the new government","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"HQHNW2JRYVEQ5I4HYTFZIRGU3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437408758},"content":"Ã“ GallachÃ³ir listed the pressing issues pertaining to climate change that needed to be acted on: car dependency, electrifying transport, decarbonising industry, investing in wind, solar and the grid, retrofitting and heat pumps. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AT2Y466APZEDJHCD5JBYLCW4NI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Also highlighted were the warnings of climate scientist Joeri Rogelj: â€œPolitical decisions that disregard evidence ... will be harshly course-corrected by the hard physical reality of climate change.â€ Recent months have brought a series of worrying reminders of that physical reality, but it looks doubtful such concerns will penetrate the politics of government formation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZAUW5TGK73RAUBCKJLH45MLDTY","additional_properties":{"_id":"RQBOIT43HFCSPDFGVUNJGRYYLI"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"WGIK2ZTSXNG4NCGSKJDSJGFTVE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961748},"content":"Are we back to the future, even as the consequences of business as usual are ever more frightening, especially in relation to the extreme consequences of climate change and even though eco-anxiety is so prevalent among our youth? Research last month from ECO-Unesco in partnership with SpunOut.ie found that 73 per cent of young Irish people aged between 14 and 29 are stressed about the impacts of climate change.","type":"text"},{"_id":"25TXTVACZFCOBC5YHDK54VPMKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961749},"content":"To counteract such worry, how about this for a list of issues a new government could address instead? The differential impact of climate change in regions of Ireland. An intervention to reduce eco-anxiety and increase climate engagement in teenagers. Water purification. A biological solution to heavy-metal pollution. An investigation into the concealed effects that chemically treated wood has on biodiversity and nature. Microbial fuel cells as an alternative energy source. Vertical-axis wind turbines: the new way to save energy. Harnessing tannins and food additives to clean up slurry tank emissions. The impact of the school run on air quality. The sustainable and renewable harvesting of Donegal seaweed. A novel solar desalination method to extract clean water, fertiliser and biochar from our coastal resources.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EW2LEJYH25EZLMZMDAPZCZCHUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736432961750},"content":"These are just a small selection of this yearâ€™s Young Scientistsâ€™ projects, representing schools in Wicklow, Limerick, Westmeath, Wexford, Carlow, Clare, Dublin, Cork, Donegal and Sligo. But who represents them? And how will their priorities and questions be addressed if we move backwards to the politics of constituency deals?","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Diarmaid Ferriter"}},"name":"Diarmaid Ferriter"}]},"description":{"basic":"The consequences of business as usual are ever more frightening, particularly in relation to climate change"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Forget pandering to Independent TDs, these are the issues the new government needs to deal with","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"YN34EAYFTNBPVPGJE2BCNROHTE","auth":{"1":"2def1eeb81ff4ea9f29d952c0da122d41e1a48a0eaf68c87dd26696aab03d719"},"focal_point":{"x":5710,"y":1793},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YN34EAYFTNBPVPGJE2BCNROHTE.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/10/diarmaid-ferriter-forget-pandering-to-the-independents-these-are-the-issues-the-new-government-needs-to-deal-with/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"GTPUAQ4TX5FYZPZVZU5QQT5C2I","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":304,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/c66759e8-e6f4-469e-a4d6-b9482fb4192f/versions/1736443532/media/42ec14a83d0619b37705e4bd351d04e5_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/01/10/xi-jinpings-anti-corruption-drive-needs-a-strong-judiciary-independent-oversight-and-an-active-civil-society-china-has-none-of-these/","content_elements":[{"_id":"J6SEFIADWJAKDNJAI4G3MWNI7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914088},"content":"With an economy on the brink of deflation and Donald Trump threatening to start a trade war, China starts the new year with an abundance of challenges. But for Xi Jinping, the greatest risk to the Communist Partyâ€™s authority comes from within its own ranks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TMP3PWGCNNC2JNRX34RJ5MAHLE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914090},"content":"â€œCorruption is the biggest threat facing the party, and countering corruption is the most thorough form of self-revolution,â€ he said this week.","type":"text"},{"_id":"35DK3MWJAJBRZCIKELNPQCQGLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914091},"content":"â€œThe current situation in the fight against corruption remains grave and complex. The existing amount of corruption has not been eliminated and new cases have continued to occur.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YJ24SIWL2ZEIFMSX3PVOBUBL5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736442868835},"content":"â€œThe task of eradicating the breeding grounds and conditions for corruption remains arduous and burdensome.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"NTZ3XW3O5NBQNBXNAOCVKZKDYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914092},"content":"Xi was speaking to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the partyâ€™s top anti-corruption body, which later promised to step up its efforts to root out graft among the 99 million-strong membership. They would take tougher action not only against those who accepted bribes but also against those paying them. They could face up to 10 years in prison.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HIDGCKLC5RE7LDLK72DV65MIDU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914093},"content":"When Xi started his anti-corruption campaign in 2012, many observers inside and outside China saw it as a ploy to target rivals within the party. It has certainly helped to tighten his grip on power as even current and former members of the politburo, who previously enjoyed a tacit immunity from prosecution, fell into its net.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IRXRQJ5OW5GSTFCIXEKYTJVHQM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914094},"content":"More than four million officials were prosecuted on corruption charges between 2013 and 2021, including almost 400 at or above the provincial level. Last year alone saw 596,000 cases of corruption and misconduct investigated, with 462,000 individuals penalised, according to official figures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GHC6JNENSXYPD65AVI6ONCBM3A","additional_properties":{"_id":"G2N7IIDGCJAFHPXSTIMDHAHFYI"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"WQDVIJJTCJHORIGCULAV235SV4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914095},"content":"At ministerial level, 58 officials were investigated. In a continuing crackdown on corruption in the military, two defence ministers and almost 20 generals were fired. High-profile figures, known as tigers, make the headlines, but most of those accused of corruption are low-level officials, known within the party as flies and ants.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K4NWQ3E3VRGILOPJU7HHM4KQCA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914096},"content":"In most cases, the investigation starts as an internal party disciplinary procedure, an extrajudicial process during which the accused is not entitled to legal representation. Those under investigation can be detained for weeks or even months before their families are told where they are and before any criminal charges are brought.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BOLWCSDIFNCRRCMVHTHHCRIWMU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914097},"content":"Xiâ€™s rationale for the anti-corruption drive is that low standards among officials were undermining the partyâ€™s legitimacy among the people and thus represented a threat to its position. In official statements, corruption is characterised as disloyalty to the party and its century-long struggle as well as a personal moral failing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPSMNWFSXXA4T667KQD4XFVFKM","additional_properties":{"_id":"PMNKSDRL65BXJOMNOGHTQABWCE"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"NXIOZXHXQBG3HECKDNASEBLWMM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914098},"content":"â€œFor party members and cadres, when faced with temptations and enticements, they must reflect on the partyâ€™s revolutionary ideals, think about the countless revolutionary ancestors who have sacrificed their lives and shed their blood, the weight of the party and people in their hearts, think about the consequences and harm of corruption, and think about the different fates of Marxist parties around the world,â€ the Peopleâ€™s Daily wrote this week.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MTBDW3UFD5FKLCHAUXKPBON3RY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914099},"content":"Party figures avoid conspicuous consumption nowadays and the expensive sports cars that were common in Beijing a decade ago are now a rare sight. Some egregious practices such as paying bribes to secure public service jobs are less common than in the past, but corruption remains endemic throughout Chinese society.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y7RAF53JKNHVFIG7WT37XSD4MU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914100},"content":"The crackdown has made officials and those who bribe them more careful, but money still oils the wheels of business, public procurement and the justice system. Police and prosecutors have broad discretion in dealing with some offences and some are susceptible.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QCUPWWDNZZHTXOZ474KVDXKY4Q","additional_properties":{"_id":"7F62RWC3ZJCZZMCEOTU6E5JOVU"},"content":"Trump invites Chinaâ€™s Xi to Jinping to his inauguration","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"DJDWNVZSUZATHP4WTBCVECYS4U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914101},"content":"The transaction often involves an intermediary so that the one paying the bribe will often not know the name of the official who will receive it. Some bribes are made in cash and others are paid to family members of the recipient, sometimes by paying college fees for children studying abroad.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QNZJLDAOYNCGVLFWL5EWGUINBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914102},"content":"The anti-corruption commission said this week it would use new technology including AI to take a more proactive approach to spotting suspicious behaviour or financial patterns. Inspectors are taking a closer interest in the family members of senior officials, tracking their financial transactions and watching what they bring through customs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"74EPKM3SJ25QPMIOI4NFU5SYPA","additional_properties":{"_id":"CDAT7GBUX5CXNLO7Z5CMBHWZNY"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"FY3V7L7AUFAQRGJ66AZAQLJEKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914103},"content":"International experience shows that most successful anti-corruption campaigns require institutions like a strong judiciary, an independent oversight agency and an active civil society to make the exercise of power more accountable. China has none of these, and Xiâ€™s campaign is a top-down exercise in party discipline involving the surveillance of officials and their public humiliation and shaming if they are found to be corrupt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T67H7B3K5VAJTMBAXN2YVXRVO4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736437914104},"content":"â€œFounded in 1921, the party, with its experience of ruling the most populous country in the world since 1949, must always remain vigilant to ward against degeneration from within,â€ a commentator wrote this week in China Daily. â€œIt must not forget the lessons of history and must not be slow to respond to its own problems to ensure that it retains its vigour and vitality.â€","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Denis Staunton"}},"name":"Denis Staunton"}]},"description":{"basic":"The Chinese leader is redoubling his efforts to stamp out graft, but many suspect he has a dark motive"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T05:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Money still oils the wheels of business and justice in China, in spite of Xiâ€™s corruption clampdown","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ETURXEFMPLF6KI7FYBQIM4XZPY","auth":{"1":"1ca916aed1b3fc1f504a2ddb01d60f1d3ec00630b1027173f63056c9063720a2"},"focal_point":{"x":3055,"y":886},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ETURXEFMPLF6KI7FYBQIM4XZPY.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/01/10/xi-jinpings-anti-corruption-drive-needs-a-strong-judiciary-independent-oversight-and-an-active-civil-society-china-has-none-of-these/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"WRJGXYZJENA6TBBFVP4TOJKBTY","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/10/martyn-turner/","content_elements":[],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Martyn Turner"}},"name":"Martyn Turner"}]},"description":{"basic":"January 10th, 2025"},"display_date":"2025-01-10T03:08:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Martyn Turner","native":""},"label":{},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PFK2XE2TK5FX3EWFAJI7ZOT6A4","auth":{"1":"a1746b951743d6ca7ab5705d886e94f5f7efaf2aa107c08ffef22e0eff78f3d8"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PFK2XE2TK5FX3EWFAJI7ZOT6A4.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Cartoon"},{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/10/martyn-turner/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/cartoon","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Cartoon"}}}},{"_id":"4EHI5YTAFFHJLCAFQ2OUU4DFAQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":230,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/f1a50872-2e37-4129-bb1f-31dd7a1d5556/versions/1736434229/media/d822a17f862e2e241adec1ce584539ec_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/why-has-ireland-joined-the-icj-case-against-israel-is-it-simply-that-its-the-right-thing-to-do/","content_elements":[{"_id":"56XQFNTIONDIDOBKFZYBMRRILM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439529},"content":"There are 193 member states in the United Nations. All of them are entitled to bring cases against other member states to the International Court of Justice. Just 10 of them, including Ireland, have joined the action being taken by South Africa against Israel, accusing it of genocide in Gaza.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UQPFCPK72FA4VL5ALHPJYSFKTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439530},"content":"If you were an Israeli sitting in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, it would be hard not to see the world as falling into two camps: those who support, or are neutral on, the war in Gaza; and those who are against it. If you had any doubts about which of the two camps Ireland falls into, these would have been scotched on Tuesday when Ireland officially joined the South African case.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S3XQBMZBWFDNVKEC3BXDKHJG3U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439531},"content":"Yet the Government remains steadfast in the assertion that Ireland is not anti-Israel. Squaring this circle has required a display of verbal gymnastics by various politicians over the past 15 months, for the most part along the lines of â€œlove the sinner, but hate the sinâ€. Israelis could be forgiven for thinking Ireland is engaged in some sort of diplomatic gaslighting: we are your friends, but we are also taking you to court for a heinous crime.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W6V42MXUHBFN7AZAME7DAOFPSI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439533},"content":"The row took a turn for the worst in the run-up to Christmas when the Israeli foreign minister linked Irelandâ€™s attitude to latent anti-Semitism. This provoked a robust response from President Michael D Higgins.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMRCP37F6JABRNP64YW7K5FUHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439534},"content":"Leaving anti-Semitism aside, the question as to whether we can really still say we are not anti-Israel is a valid one. Perhaps we would be better off owning our position rather than denying it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SJPDBSKVBBG27FN7VSAJ7APRWE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439535},"content":"There is one obvious reason we should not do so, which is our economyâ€™s deep links to the global technology sector, in which Israeli investors, and investors sympathetic to Israel, have huge influence. As Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave found out the hard way, it is not a sound business strategy to antagonise these investors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZGPFMR7SR5EO7DL3CR2FIA7OOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439536},"content":"This raises a question: why risk standing out from the crowd in supporting Palestine when you donâ€™t have to? The answer is, of course, that it is the right thing to do morally, but sadly that is rarely the rationale for government policy, particularly foreign policy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YDCVZ4SBAZD23IXDXNMAR6DFP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439538},"content":"A more compelling explanation for why we have put ourselves in this position is the unlikely conflation of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination with what might be called late-stage Irish republicanism. The political wing of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation has a long connection to Sinn FÃ©in. From one perspective they were natural bedfellows. Representatives of the PLO were regular attendees at ardfheiseanna and its military wingâ€™s connections with the IRA are also well established, but that is less relevant in this context.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZQPN64NSTNGDVFOEONTETX7CWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439540},"content":"As Sinn FÃ©in embraced the peace process and moved into the political mainstream, it did not â€“ to its credit â€“ ditch its Palestinian friends. If anything, they turned out to sit well in the context-free and romanticised republicanism that makes Sinn FÃ©in politically attractive to many younger voters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZHF4MCGUG5HZZG7US3AEYD5AME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426985038},"content":"Could this have a bearing on Fine Gael and Fianna FÃ¡ilâ€™s decision to go the extra mile politically for the Palestinians and the partiesâ€™ apparent determination to press ahead with a ban of products made in the occupied territories?","type":"text"},{"_id":"R3Q7AGXHPJBJ7CB3RNQL3X4JTI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426985039},"content":"It is not a complete explanation but might be a clue as to why the deep empathy Ireland â€“ in common with most of its European counterparts â€“ has for the Palestinian cause has not been tempered by the pragmatic realities of international diplomacy, as it has elsewhere.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V5DDMA7P7NBHRDDAOXESJ5PBBI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736352439543},"content":"When the dust settles in Gaza and the true extent of what happened emerges, we will know if we were on the right side of history.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"John McManus"}},"name":"John McManus"}]},"description":{"basic":"There are several reasons why our sympathy for the Palestinian cause has not been tempered by the pragmatic realities of international diplomatic relations, as is the case elsewhere"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T15:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Why has Ireland joined the ICJ case against Israel? Is it simply that itâ€™s the right thing to do?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"D3AKSDSLHU23JKGIBBOUWUBQ2E","auth":{"1":"f4ad24545ecb699cc50c846e916380c30e39a4a4d8bab56036320d6faa9705f4"},"focal_point":{"x":1928,"y":1726},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/D3AKSDSLHU23JKGIBBOUWUBQ2E.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/why-has-ireland-joined-the-icj-case-against-israel-is-it-simply-that-its-the-right-thing-to-do/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"4TJO7W6ASRFJ5GCF45QMWZNUSM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":323,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/43c9348b-13e3-4451-9e4f-b17f4ff8f7ea/versions/1736349838/media/1c2a1ab9cea1c7351392bb6da8c62c81_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/finn-mcredmond-ireland-cannot-rely-on-a-soft-and-woolly-international-reputation-anymore/","content_elements":[{"_id":"GOZQXF4IP5FJ3PP62AET2HMNBA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424179},"content":"In 2020 Ireland was riding high. Phil Hogan held one of the most powerful portfolios in Europe. Joe Biden â€“ whose love of Ireland was genuine, his desire to court the Irish American vote even more so â€“ was about to be elected president. The European Union had accepted the Irish view on Brexit negotiations. And the unpopularity of Irelandâ€™s policy of neutrality had not yet come to the fore on the Continent either.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UKH234LBDVFMTHEV5RFIDAUJUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424180},"content":"As Irelandâ€™s ego was inflating at a dangerous rate â€“ with Paschal Donohoeâ€™s presidency of the Eurogroup also bolstering the countryâ€™s international influence â€“ the Economist turbocharged things when it made the case in July 2020 that Ireland had â€œgood claim to be the worldâ€™s most diplomatically powerful countryâ€. A fair assessment then, perhaps.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVUBJRH2PRG7DGPNBO76DXQYOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349188422},"content":"But nearly five years on, Irelandâ€™s stock â€“ in Europe mostly â€“ has fallen rather precipitously. And now the prevailing view on the Continent is of a country that has squandered reams of goodwill earned over the Brexit years. Recouping it will be no easy task.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S6H4LY6ETFB5BGJEJLVY56EYKI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424181},"content":"Reputation management for an entire nation is an important task at any point in time. When the trajectory of the West is as precarious and unknowable as it is at the beginning of 2025 â€“ with capricious presidents starting their terms, collapsing centre grounds, highly disruptive technology and ongoing ground wars â€“ it could not be more urgent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XUHAO4PS3RCNVIT45TADVEZFJU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349188424},"content":"The greatest task facing the incoming administration, however it may be formed, is restoring Irelandâ€™s standing. And the most serious Cabinet appointment made over the coming weeks or months will be Minister for Foreign Affairs. The government should think with great caution, and no reflexive impulses, about who is offered the title.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C5M6V7AF6VGGBDKKKEENJHJBNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424182},"content":"It is remarkable to consider all the steps it took to get here. Perhaps it was in August 2020 â€“ when Ireland embarked on a major kamikaze mission against its own influence â€“ that the countryâ€™s poor instinct for realpolitik revealed itself. In the midst of a fit of national hysteria, Phil Hogan resigned his position as the EU trade commissioner â€“ hardly a more important portfolio for Ireland to hold at the time â€“ after the backlash to â€œgolfgateâ€ grew too noisy and distracting. This was an instance where Ireland prioritised its distaste for minorly-flouted Covid regulations over the diplomatic and political health of the entire country. The monumental foolishness (and self-righteousness) required to forsake the trade portfolio at such a critical juncture caused a lot raised eyebrows in Brussels. And Irelandâ€™s influence only waned from there.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C5RWWQQW2JFRTONP2GSFRILY5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424183},"content":"And now look. As Eoin Drea pointed out in these pages last September, Ursula von der Leyenâ€™s allocation of the democracy, justice and rule-of-law portfolio to Michael McGrath â€œshows just how far Irelandâ€™s stock has fallen in Brusselsâ€. The broad consensus on the Continent is becoming harder and harder for Ireland to dodge: a defence freeloader, a tax haven, an unstable economy too dependent on the whims of Trump, and a country that takes sometimes hardline and off-piste stances on foreign affairs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AV6KXHBP4ZH5LAJVYZROI2N6YU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424184},"content":"Take, for example, soon-to-be-outgoing president Michael D Higgins. During his presidency, Justine McCarthy wrote last week, he â€œ infuriated a smorgasbord of EU officials, the Israeli government ... critics of Fidel Castro ... Northern Ireland unionistsâ€ among others.","type":"text"},{"_id":"57QHNDE2NZDS7BYEN4QMUEHXPA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349188428},"content":"I would venture that none of this is a good thing for a country whose standing in Europe has tanked (â€œIreland gets â€˜screwedâ€™ as EU influence ebbs,â€ Politico reported on Monday, while this newspaper reported that Irish influence is â€œdecliningâ€). The same applies to Higginsâ€™s letter to the president of Iran (and his subsequent accusation that the Israeli embassy circulated it), not to mention the presidentâ€™s website playing host to a letter suggesting peace be brokered with Russia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SSSCNHGMLRGWXHUEZ77YDFNQCI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736347800499},"content":"And now thereâ€™s a president who has the power to totally upend the entire economic model waiting in the wings in America.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S4W4L3ZGS5HL5OED7RVBHNOFKM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349188430},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"GNLTBEVFI5CPNNX4MXEYCTSQNQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424185},"content":"Ireland may bask in its reputation for being a peacenik, and plenty adore Higginsâ€™s creative approach to the supposed impartiality of his office. And perhaps at peacetime none of this would matter so much. But Ireland no longer holds a central position of influence in the European Union, and the politics of the entire Continent have been thrown into disarray by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If Ireland wishes to foster and hold on to its policy of militaristic neutrality it has to face up to the material consequences of such positions: these include increased unpopularity in Europe, less and less control over the levers of the bloc, and in turn greater reliance on other partners.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VGAVLMG7YRARVEBNDO4ZYODUEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736340424186},"content":"None of this is a foregone conclusion. Simon Harris has explained his plan to engage with Trump. Donohoe also has the skills and intellect to steer Ireland through these choppy international waters. But first a dose of self-awareness: Ireland cannot rely on a woolly and soft reputation any more, as the gentle land of peaceniks, saints and scholars. The world is coarser and the country needs to adapt.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Finn McRedmond"}},"name":"Finn McRedmond"}]},"description":{"basic":"Greatest task facing the new government is restoring Irelandâ€™s standing in Europe and the world"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ireland cannot rely on a soft and woolly international reputation anymore","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ID7RQ2RPEVEONKJXPSH3GHAZ6Y","auth":{"1":"7eba058884128f7325e89a6560ddeb1ac8142e628f988ed8883633cf685edde5"},"focal_point":{"x":3660,"y":692},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ID7RQ2RPEVEONKJXPSH3GHAZ6Y.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/finn-mcredmond-ireland-cannot-rely-on-a-soft-and-woolly-international-reputation-anymore/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"3BLJPJU2JFCFLKJOZSOTCQBEPA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":373,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/a6200ca6-1b47-42a6-937a-1da7fccd2c1b/versions/1736351083/media/112cef89b267c637f4addb4741422a47_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/ireland-is-not-immune-to-the-wave-of-foreign-state-espionage-and-threats-sweeping-europe/","content_elements":[{"_id":"S3AY3POVRVEX3GPKC6FYKWC4OE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296350},"content":"In the coming months, the government will have to make a number of critical national security decisions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OINA7J5B2JG3VPIHFSPQCVKPZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296351},"content":"The first will be how to persuade the incoming Trump administration that Ireland is not a soft touch when it comes to industrial espionage â€“ that hostile states such as China and Russia are not stealing intellectual property for potential â€œdual-useâ€, military purposes. There have already been concerns raised by the outgoing Biden administration that Ireland lacks an advanced vetting system. Without such a system, Irish nationals and residents risk being excluded from working on private sector projects that US intelligence services conclude are sensitive to national security.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVHAQXUUVBAOPLI4EEA2ND3QWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296352},"content":"A severe thaw in relations between the US and Europe also has a potential impact when it comes to European defence. It is no accident that the United Kingdom has taken an ambitious lead role in a new non-Nato defence initiative, the Joint Expeditionary Force, a key component of which is to protect subsea cables in northern Europe â€“ Operation Nordic Warden. European countries such as the UK, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands know that they will have to look increasingly to their own defence capabilities, easing an excessive reliance on the United States, to deter and defend against Russian or other threats to European security. Ireland, severely lacking in naval assets, will have to decide whether it wants to join this or another European initiative to actively monitor and protect the critical infrastructure off the Irish coast that enables transatlantic communications.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HYVBU3ZI4FBBHD5CVNOE7TJFBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296353},"content":"Ireland is also facing a significant European-wide increase in far-right and Islamist extremist radicalisation. The horrific violence in Gaza and in Lebanon has been drawn upon by Islamic State and al-Qaeda to foment grievance and generate recruits. The director general of the UKâ€™s domestic intelligence service, MI5, recently reported an alarming increase in incidents of radicalisation of children under 18, individuals with â€œwith only a tenuous grasp of the ideologies they profess to followâ€, and in some cases viewing Islamist extremist material as well as far-right conspiracy theories and disinformation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X2DJZALEHNF5ZB5EQDBGEOS2MI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296354},"content":"Ireland is not immune to these trends. Michael McElgunn, the assistant commissioner in charge of the Garda national crime and security intelligence service, has warned of the myriad rising threats he and his officers face, especially from extremist actors and the spread of disinformation. Last year a teenager, whom gardaÃ believe was exposed to Islamic State-linked material online, was charged with the attempted murder of Defence Forces chaplain Fr Paul Murphy. The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that the boy be sent forward for indictment at the Central Criminal Court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ODARFCP7KRH3NHQG535Y32S7ZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296355},"content":"Europe is experiencing a wave of foreign state espionage. Much of this, as McElgunn observed, emanates from Russia. Moscowâ€™s intelligence services increasingly subcontract acts of sabotage and assassinations to criminal gangs in a range of European countries. However, Russia is not the only threat â€“ Iranâ€™s security services have cultivated links with the Kinahan organised crime cartel over many years. In recent years a wave of Chinese overseas police stations â€“ aimed at influencing and controlling its diaspora â€“ were uncovered in a range of European cities, including one in Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3HVSYC7IHRBFVKPKJ5KFHANVCA","additional_properties":{"_id":"YXU7XDPZAZDZHD2SCHXRDWAINY"},"content":"Itâ€™s a mistake to dismiss the Cobalt allegations as Carry on Spying","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"H64CB5WPNNHQVCZFIA46HHUEUM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296356},"content":"At the end of December the Sunday Times reported that an unidentified member of the Oireachtas allegedly recruited by Russian intelligence â€“ given the name â€œCobaltâ€ â€“ was suspected of having access to â€œhighly sensitive information on defence policy from serving and retired military personnelâ€. Taoiseach Simon Harris has not responded directly to the allegations, except to comment that Ireland was â€œnot immuneâ€ to hostile Russian intelligence activity. MicheÃ¡l Martin told that DÃ¡il that as Minister for Defence he had â€œ never received a security briefing stating that there is a spy in the Oireachtasâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AELZBY3OJEH7BT33DBZLE6SMU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296357},"content":"The Cobalt claims underline a number of critical security vulnerabilities that will only increase over time if not addressed. The first is a lack of advanced vetting and other counter-intelligence capabilities. Vetting and the proper classification of government material are integral to the security of any democracy that wishes to protect itself from unwanted intrusion by foreign intelligence services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4L7SCZBTG5B7NIZFL5DYMGLRCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736355402833},"content":"The public deserves some reassurance that the Cobalt allegations are being addressed. As in other European countries, it is possible to put some information into the public domain about intelligence threats without compromising operational security. A new government should state whether the Cobalt allegations, as reported by the Sunday Times, are accurate. Second, depending on the verification of Cobaltâ€™s alleged activities, some indication should be offered as to whether significant damage to national security has occurred.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KWZTVIGISZDN7EOWWIP3HSOIOQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296358},"content":"Finally, the government should offer an assessment of whether current legislation is fit for purpose when it comes to espionage offences. If not, it should commit to remedying this national counter-intelligence deficit. Public representatives or officials recruited as agents by foreign intelligence services may still cause significant damage to democratic institutions even if they do not gain access to secret information. Ireland is now increasingly a target for diverse and complex foreign intelligence activity. In order to build resilience, public confidence and awareness of threats to national security, the government should also announce a wide-ranging review of intelligence structures and capabilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GKD3VMJYLFFXRLDN4OCWLXEFFI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296359},"content":"Dr Edward Burke is assistant professor in the History of War since 1945 at University College Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Edward Burke"}]},"description":{"basic":"One of the first tasks of the new government will be how to persuade the incoming Trump administration that Ireland is not a soft touch"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ireland is not immune to the wave of foreign state espionage sweeping Europe","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VY2F25M4HJKMP565QBZ57TLOCE","auth":{"1":"2c6df1d58edbb1f141eaeee34e3c63f033ba5662a95f2f55f1766e05b25f3398"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VY2F25M4HJKMP565QBZ57TLOCE.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/ireland-is-not-immune-to-the-wave-of-foreign-state-espionage-and-threats-sweeping-europe/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"G7EAHLAYABEVLAJ2WR4UWDYAYY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":305,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/211f1f46-322b-429c-bf26-0adfdced8c64/versions/1736329648/media/95b46760bdb169be5d96ddab0b886dc0_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/conor-murphys-puzzling-move-to-the-seanad-crystallises-sense-of-an-unsettled-stormont/","content_elements":[{"_id":"2XAQWHTI7JFMZGYLVNQJWYCMTI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640488},"content":"Stormontâ€™s Minister for the Economy, Conor Murphy, is one of Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s six nominees for the Seanad, where his election is effectively guaranteed. This unexpected announcement is causing some head-scratching, North and South.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H365TSVSVNDJHL6WQIMRXPB7YM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640489},"content":"The party says Murphy will use his new position to advance â€œthe Irish unity debate in the Oireachtasâ€, yet he has vastly more scope to do so as a Stormont Minister. Among the Department of the Economyâ€™s responsibilities are universities, tourism, the labour market and inward investment. Murphy has been developing cross-Border polices in all these areas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3ZJSWQMBYVGP5JN2IRYXG6HH5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640490},"content":"No doubt his successor will pick up where he left off, but there is no meaningful way to assist from the Seanad backbenches â€“ at least, not one that justifies moving a senior figure from Northern prominence to relative Southern obscurity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"56FIUFM6HZFTHNF2PY7QSFKD4Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640491},"content":"Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s claims would make sense if Murphy planned to remain at Stormont after his election to the Seanad. This is permitted by law in Northern Ireland, provided the senator does not chair an Oireachtas committee.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WPAEJ6XGXFCG5MYIFQSBWXPNSI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640492},"content":"Attempting such a move would cause a sensation and be enormously popular with Northern nationalists. Murphy has ruled it out, however, saying he sees the Seanad as a full-time role and will resign his Executive and Assembly seats.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZPVJM4XN7JHY7IZUMGMFYMC554","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640493},"content":"Murphy had a minor stroke last year. He says this has played no role in his decision, but it is fair to suspect the Seanad is a step towards lighter duties. Sinn FÃ©in may simply be claiming the move advances a united Ireland because it makes this claim about everything.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I5O3DLNRJZDD7OVHBYKJYZTVXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640494},"content":"Amid the speculation on motives, the impact of Murphyâ€™s departure on Stormont has been overlooked. It crystallises a sense the Executive is unsettled, even if there is no apparent risk of a collapse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TAIX5XIRIVDZPGR4UYNU3IDOAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640495},"content":"Sinn FÃ©in had a strong team of Ministers and a cohesive set of policies on finance, the economy and infrastructure â€“ the three departments it chose when devolution was restored last February. The puzzling loss of its most experienced Minister suggests a degree of disorganisation behind the scenes. It follows growing complaints that Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s Executive performance is more spin than substance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2MLR4UMNWVBORABXTU7GDPQ6XM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736331690987},"content":"At the notoriously unmanageable Department for Infrastructure, veteran Minister John Oâ€™Dowd has been under fire over traffic chaos, planning delays and underinvestment in the sewage system. He has devised an innovative policy to fund investment through a levy on housing developers, avoiding the politically untouchable topic of domestic water charges. But his proposal is still contentious and Sinn FÃ©in is mysteriously reluctant to promote it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2EJ7K5JXYNDO7HF73INT3MCHUU","additional_properties":{"_id":"HX3XIIAYJNERFF2OZYIGH5WW5I"},"content":"The real danger now is of Sinn FÃ©in quiet quitting in Northern Ireland","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"IA26UNMN7NBTTBVLJWH36OO2VY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640496},"content":"At finance, first-time Minister Caoimhe Archibald made an impressive start, but criticism from the SDLP that she kicks decisions into the long grass looks increasingly warranted. The Opposition party has mocked Archibald for a much-heralded reform of property taxes that will increase revenue by less than 1 per cent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IEOZV43SWNHL3MU4F7PRVWZAGU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640497},"content":"Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s cohesive policy platform is more impromptu than widely realised. The DUP had been expected to take finance under the back room deal that usually precedes the formal allocation of departments, with Sinn FÃ©in taking education.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FGJAOWWVKZEVZA3X4USVYYU4MA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640498},"content":"The unionist party reneged on this at the final moment, presumably having baulked at the budgetary challenges involved. It chose education and bounced Sinn FÃ©in into taking finance, leaving the republican party with two economy-focused departments â€“ a narrower remit than it wanted. Any mistrust this caused was glossed over, but the Executive got off to an awkward start.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TT25E3GA6JCZFNOPTYCMR6KVUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640499},"content":"Sinn FÃ©in was polling at about 30 per cent in the Republic when Stormont was restored. It will have made plans in the hope of imminent office in the Republic, choosing departments with potential for all-Ireland policies, while pushing contentious decisions back until after the election. Stormontâ€™s lengthy process to agree a programme for government provided cover for inaction.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTPGE7AEN5AILECKJ6XXQTJLZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640500},"content":"Within days of restoration, the partyâ€™s polling went into decline. North-South harmonisation plans have now been delayed by years. Ultimately, Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s electoral setback in the Republic makes it more dependent on Stormont, but it appears a little stunned by the sudden requirement to deliver in the North if it is to deliver anywhere.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F4E3VA7HGZA7HE75X5JHCMNJ3A","additional_properties":{"_id":"6ZSC62RADVDMJHYA7ZDNDNTE6M"},"content":"Politicians need to decide if Northern Ireland is desperately poor or so rich it requires no help","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"5G366DRGX5HLPMLSG566AN5KJQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640501},"content":"The DUP also looks uncomfortable. It controls education and communities, the latter a catch-all department with responsibilities from arts to welfare. Having fallen to second place at Stormont, the party is trying to find more popular positions on social and economic issues. Its two departments are not bringing much clarity to this already-confused endeavour.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FTYQHO4RUZB33PG4PD6R7LHRMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640502},"content":"Sinn FÃ©in and the DUP both declined to take health, Stormontâ€™s largest department and greatest challenge. It was dumped once again on the UUP, which has so far used it mostly for Westminster electioneering and grandstanding against Archibaldâ€™s budget. The smaller unionist partyâ€™s boast of taking on a job other parties feared rings ever more hollow.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y4R3RHMO3ZFA7BSLC5O4E6ORD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736326640503},"content":"Replacing Murphy will give Sinn FÃ©in a chance for a mini relaunch of the Executive. It could do with one.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Newton Emerson"}},"name":"Newton Emerson"}]},"description":{"basic":"Sinn FÃ©in says Murphy will use his new position to advance â€˜Irish unity debate in the Oireachtasâ€™, yet he has vastly more scope to do so as a Stormont Minister"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Conor Murphyâ€™s puzzling move to the Seanad crystallises sense of an unsettled Stormont","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2OBKXFTE4W6IKYCY2DKVUHMDOY","auth":{"1":"6d065c462c986473e5af617da7949260fc3924f3e5451fd6476ca18016249451"},"focal_point":{"x":2072,"y":1175},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2OBKXFTE4W6IKYCY2DKVUHMDOY.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/conor-murphys-puzzling-move-to-the-seanad-crystallises-sense-of-an-unsettled-stormont/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"NV7AVAXYDBEB5EKPY65S2SQ724","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":372,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/dc8dfe2f-11de-4664-a092-adc67286c47f/versions/1736267787/media/bd1efd80ec881d3a8c27b246302cdf71_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/eamon-ryan-political-science-cant-trump-climate-science-here-are-4-key-tests-for-the-new-government/","content_elements":[{"_id":"LOW6RB24QJBDPMNF6FQMCIEATI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355429},"content":"Parties negotiating the new programme for government are â€œopen for discussionâ€ on weakening some of the key elements of our existing national climate plan, according to reports in The Irish Times on Monday. Taking such a course would be a terrible mistake. The exit poll after the recent election proves that the silent majority of Irish people, who want us to act on climate, would be rightly appalled. It would not only be morally bankrupt, but would cost us all in the long run. We would miss out on the clean industrial revolution that is already taking hold and all the new green jobs that are already coming here.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RPSQCOBLDZDKNDWDP7BKIH7A2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355430},"content":"Stepping up is not easy. The scale and speed of change required is unprecedented and is not always immediately popular. Fine Gael will miss some of its best climate leaders from the DÃ¡il and Fianna FÃ¡il has not had to grapple with the issue at ministerial level for almost two decades. Some of the Independents have also made a great name for themselves by opposing every measure. That cannot be a reason for steering the country in the wrong direction. It is vital that the programme for government gets the climate commitments right.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NJG2NDCQBVFXTF6P2OTBMSLNHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355432},"content":"Firstly in transport, any weakening of investment in active travel and public transport, or failure to implement the Moving Together sustainable transport strategy, which was widely supported in public consultations last year, would make it impossible to reach our targets. The recently revised National Planning Framework commits us to delivering compact, low-carbon and balanced regional development. Everyone in Government agreed that a large proportion of the new growth would have to be centred around public transport developments, creating social, safe and green local environments. That is the only way we are going to be able to provide the high-quality and affordable housing we need. Going the other route only makes us more car dependent and adds to the cost of housing. It inevitably ends in congestion and it leads to road deaths and injuries, which bring such terrible loss.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VK3I5QGZFRH45BVRFYE22VLWYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355433},"content":"Yes, we will have to spend a lot on new roads, prioritising those badly-needed bypasses of our most congested towns. However, if you switch the 2:1 ratio of spending on public transport and roads, as is apparently now being considered, there will not be enough funding for what we need, even with all the corporate tax money to hand. It would mean fewer metropolitan rail and BusConnects in Cork, Limerick or Waterford. No reopening of the Western Rail Corridor or light rail in Galway. No Navan rail line, and no way of making it safe for people to walk and cycle, which is where all the best international transport plans are going.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5I55OYD52JHC3EMZMAOO66AHZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":"27VEIE5QP5CKNDESSGTVUPDHZE"},"content":"There is something delusional about your frantic trips to the recycling bin","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"D4FBMGS3QRDVRBWD6XLTTWPBFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355434},"content":"The second test will be in finance. Some politicians depicted the carbon tax as the greatest burden known to man, but in truth it is the best way of protecting our most vulnerable people from the high costs of imported fossil fuels and poorly insulated homes. Rather than weakening our commitment to the tax, the new government should put the already agreed allocation of the revenues into social welfare, domestic retrofitting and funding for small farmers to restore nature, on to a legislative basis, so everyone can clearly see the benefits that the tax is delivering.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CXDEWT2D7RCPJHIZPUAHCIUF3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355435},"content":"Third in energy, a key question will be how the new government invests long-term funding in our electricity grid while avoiding the imposition of undue costs on the Irish consumer. And whether it can do this while attracting industries here, who will be looking for countries they can rely upon for clean, secure and ethical power. I donâ€™t believe there will be any rowing back from the new Green Deal in Europe. We will never be more competitive by relying on burning imported fossil fuels.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IEDXJJABF5HSPNEBEXFJK2JQKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355436},"content":"Fourth, it will be vital for the new government to complete the work of the Land Use Review taskforce that is due to report shortly. The aim of the review was to see how we could optimise the use of our land to support rural development, food production, the storage of carbon in our soils and forests, the return of pristine rivers and lakes and the restoration of biodiversity. The taskforce report could then be used by the newly established Just Transition Commission to consider how we make that complex series of developments happen in a fair and sustainable way. No doubt that is also going to require funding, which is one of the reasons why the programme for government should outline the proposed allocation from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, which needs to start flowing as early as next year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2QDDWNONENGLZPFM7JVZ7SXWW4","additional_properties":{"_id":"4SMTC4BOZRA65PFMB7DCCPQCJQ"},"content":"Letâ€™s get real: Irelandâ€™s data centre boom is driving up fossil fuel dependence","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"ZKTYMT5OARHQFAGNIIA5O6Q4YA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355437},"content":"Last but not least, the new government needs to recommit to the science-based targets that were enshrined in our climate law. It puts it up to every relevant Government department and minister what they have to do. Any watering down of the resolve would undermine the whole approach. The new government should collectively agree to what was promised in the Fianna FÃ¡il manifesto and join those countries willing to target a 90 per cent reduction in emissions by 2040. It is no doubt a massive challenge, but no harder than it will be to deal with the ongoing climate destruction that is increasingly happening before our very eyes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F3DORPBK4FH6DCIWX6XHP47UBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355438},"content":"I have no doubt that the Taoiseach, TÃ¡naiste and other future ministers have a real understanding and commitment to the climate issue, but for too long it seems that political science trumps climate science when it comes to delivering the change required. Perhaps in the negotiations they might draw some strength from the question that Pope Francis put to politicians in his letter, Laudate Deum, two years ago: â€œWhat would induce anyone at this stage to hold on to power, only to be remembered for their inability to take action when it was urgent and necessary to do so?â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Eamon Ryan"}]},"description":{"basic":"The scale and speed of change required to tackle climate issue is unprecedented and not always immediately popular"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Political science must not trump climate science. Here are the key tests for the new government ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"X6MSAHLE7BBGJJKX3EXJYASILQ","auth":{"1":"1490849e0d5f8fe73c21e90d21c2d62a6777789d518d690dd7f1e71ced68223f"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/X6MSAHLE7BBGJJKX3EXJYASILQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/eamon-ryan-political-science-cant-trump-climate-science-here-are-4-key-tests-for-the-new-government/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"33FPWPCWXRHD3BSK7LWMPAHAKU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":371,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/7f7e0e0f-4257-47a8-8eb4-c0a980402422/versions/1736259093/media/630345b1f5b633041d20eb29e7b2ec81_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/sucking-up-to-trump-and-his-coterie-of-billionaires-will-not-leave-us-on-the-right-side-of-history/","content_elements":[{"_id":"VXRPPTA7NJGN3PGTJY5XWSDHNU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445144},"content":"Some of us are old enough to remember the regular edgy inquiries 10 years ago as to why this paper was so damned preoccupied by the activities of one Donald Trump when we had plenty of our own problems to reckon with. That free-range anxiety currently hovering in the ether may help explain it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EWCBFXU5V5CEPPHZVJTHK4627Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445145},"content":"In previous years images of President Joe Biden awarding the Medal of Freedom to people such as Liz Cheney, George Soros and Bono might have looked like another clatter of wealthy privileged folk slapping each othersâ€™ backs. Last week it felt more like Bidenâ€™s last desperate message to an apathetic world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VJMKR57O4BDNHJ5FSV4MLU5DKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445146},"content":"â€œYouâ€™re like a dying wasp you are,â€ said Dublin criminal Gerard Hutch to RTÃ‰â€™s Paul Reynolds in November when the journalist doggedly challenged him at the election count. It was the first and worst insult the crime boss could think of and all the more stinging because it contained a germ of truth. Criminal reputations, corruption and crass ignorance are now badges of pride. That didnâ€™t begin with Trump â€“ weâ€™ve had plenty of our own examples in politics, banking, property and elsewhere â€“ but Trump gave it a public swagger that spawned imitators like flies. His latest notions about annexing Canada, Mexico or Greenland like a pound shop Putin are just what the Maga faithful expect â€“ but only because the notions come wrapped in the flashy power of his wealth. To everyone else they sound psychotic.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CKXHRVWU4FFJZP7U7K6M3FMQJ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445147},"content":"Wealth is not just a means of living in luxury but a way of changing perceptions of its owner.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X2WIBDSWMJDLHASQQZVSI24SOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445148},"content":"It allows Hutch to own properties around the world while simultaneously basking in the persona of Robin Hood, winning admiration and gratitude for his inner city philanthropy. It enables Conor McGregor to hire expensive legal services for himself and his co-accused, James Lawrence, in a civil rape case and to shrug off the juryâ€™s â‚¬250,000 damages award against McGregor as â€œmodestâ€. The jury found Lawrence had not assaulted Nikita Hand.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZJI3QH4DANE35CAKJOLUR4SCLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"JH66CG26INAZJOOGGQMSK5NNPM"},"content":"â€˜I know what happened in that roomâ€™: the full story of the Conor McGregor case","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"VJ5OB6DFF5BVBGTUA663FHYHGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736249758077},"content":"It empowers Trump to hire legions of lawyers, advisers and PR people to deny and delay the scores of legal actions against his lifelong frauds, bankruptcies, lawbreaking and sexual violations. Above all, it has catapulted Elon Musk to Trumpâ€™s right hand. â€œ F u retardâ€, Musk replied on Monday to a Twitter/X poster who was urging the EU to take action against Muskâ€™s global misinformation rampage.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XOTVLWG7WRHKZKYEVR2BGSIREM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445149},"content":"If that response suggests that all is not well with him, the fact is that he would be gone long ago, were it not for the inoculation of wealth.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JM2O4Z6ZZFFEFDB7UUMQLCFZDI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445150},"content":"McGregorâ€™s dismissal of the civil rape trial as a â€œkangaroo courtâ€ echoed the Trumpian petulance of men unaccustomed to pushback. Rich men will always have helpers like Gabriel Ernesto Rapisarda, an Italian self-described entrepreneur/celebrity agent/professional brand builder who recently declared that sales of McGregorâ€™s Forged Irish Stout were booming in Italy and predicted a further sales â€œexplosionâ€ once the hotel CCTV footage of Hand, McGregor and Lawrence â€“ shared with the parties solely for the trial â€“ is aired this month. Presumably Gruppo CR, an affiliate of the giant Conad consortium of retail co-ops and warm family-first ethos, is aware of Rapisardaâ€™s classy marketing tactics.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LFF3573UOVB47LRRCEIH2C2ZOA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445151},"content":"But for wealthy men like McGregor, the sales are incidental. It is about vindication.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HMLV7YV4MFD3ZE7G32KLBREWOU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445152},"content":"â€œOne of the biggest risks of wealth/power is no longer having anyone around you who can push back,â€ the US billionaire investor Chris Sacca wrote about Musk a couple of years ago. â€œA shrinking worldview combined with intellectual isolation leads to out-of-touch s**t ... Iâ€™ve recently watched those around him become increasingly sycophantic and opportunistic ... agreeing with him is easier, and there is more financial and social upsideâ€. He could have been talking about Trump or any wealthy bully with a fragile ego.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W3GV3GLAVBDX7KQR4TKWQHTLW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445153},"content":"Itâ€™s 14 years ago since young Occupy Wall Street activists spent 59 days protesting against economic inequality, corporate greed and money in politics. Eleven since the IMFâ€™s Christine Lagarde and others were questioning the sustainability of capitalism itself. Eight since Trump was first elected on the promise of corporate tax cuts and deregulation (and carried it through). Six since Bono argued at a Davos World Economic Forum panel that â€œcapitalism is not immoral â€“ itâ€™s amoral. It requires our instruction ...â€ It has taken more people out of poverty than any other â€˜ismâ€™, he said, but it is a wild beast that if not tamed can chew up a lot of people along the way. Who was listening?","type":"text"},{"_id":"HHYQQXAEXRDPDMXHZ4EPQXZ3DQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"LWO5W6BCINEBFOYXE5FBIGNHGQ"},"content":"Elon Musk fights Battle of Britain on two fronts as he clashes with Nigel Farage and Keir Starmer","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"GPO7X42D2ZBMXBDCTZ457REXIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445155},"content":"The 13 billionaires tapped for Trumpâ€™s Cabinet alone have a combined net worth of â‚¬340 billion at least. Five of Silicon Valleyâ€™s finest including Google, Amazon, Meta, Tim Cook and Sam Altman have donated one million each to Trumpâ€™s inaugural parties. Trump himself will be the richest US president in history.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7E2XIBCPCJADNMOLX3I4R74R2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445156},"content":"When the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead (allegedly by the scion of a wealthy family) last month and stunned every boardroom, the New York Times reported that 75,000 of the 80,000 reactions to the companyâ€™s sombre death announcement were laughing emojis. â€œThe crisis for [big US] business is that it doesnâ€™t understand quite how hated it is by millions of people,â€ commented former editor of The Sun turned corporate PR specialist, David Yelland. Mark Zuckerberg already spends about $30 million a year on personal security, according to Yelland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZEHDJBAZYBBUZGYTAS7F42BFMY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736246445157},"content":"That anxiety in the ether may be a useful reminder that wealth and its uses are rarely benevolent; that capitalism requires our instruction. And that sucking up to Trump will not leave us on the right side of history.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U4UVRYMRJRF3PLGP2S7CBE3VAM","additional_properties":{"_id":"J6PNMMMZD5GRPBMMBSGPQMCR7A"},"content":"Trumpâ€™s alt right edgelords will inevitably come for Ireland. We canâ€™t take the bait","type":"interstitial_link"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Kathy Sheridan"}},"name":"Kathy Sheridan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Wealth and its uses are rarely benevolent â€“ itâ€™s not just a means of living in luxury, but a means of changing perceptions. Just ask Conor McGregor or Elon Musk"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Sucking up to Trump and his coterie of billionaires will not leave us on the right side of history","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VHHVVOLJYJZPCVB2LZSQUSY5MU","auth":{"1":"f85f88f9ab2f1a85f42d80cd90d69708ca9b0c57422ecd5c1c9bf272989587cb"},"focal_point":{"x":2001,"y":1466},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VHHVVOLJYJZPCVB2LZSQUSY5MU.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/sucking-up-to-trump-and-his-coterie-of-billionaires-will-not-leave-us-on-the-right-side-of-history/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"FDIMUJMEHBCT5KKFOKBYCKAQPM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":286,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/9e3db4b1-1c10-484f-a906-5d175ffc9155/versions/1736270148/media/ea5610cd09c2a35e16b3e2fc810d216b_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/michael-mcdowell-musk-trump-effect-has-the-capacity-to-destabilise-irish-democracy/","content_elements":[{"_id":"7HQP4NE6FFH3LDIZPVUG3G6FUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739446},"content":"I imagine that many people in Ireland are quietly hoping that some of the more pessimistic forecasts of what the Trump presidency could mean for this country prove to be wrong and that somehow the old adage that politicians campaign in poetry but govern in prose will turn out in practice to mitigate those forecasts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UXRFN4ZSZRAGDGGLHN4RRO2YYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739448},"content":"Newspapers here recently reported that the Taoiseach was launching what was oddly termed a â€œdiplomatic offensiveâ€ â€“ a contradiction in terms if ever I saw one â€“ in the US designed to counter the risks to our economy of full-blooded implementation of Trumpâ€™s campaign promises.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ABBUERKAANG3TAHK6O3O5A6WJ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739449},"content":"It seems increasingly clear that Elon Musk is actively pursuing a campaign designed to polarise European politics and to support hard-right European politicians, many of whom are hostile to centrist government in EU member states.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VOED7SUKW5C2JECRIVJA3MIMGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739450},"content":"While Musk is not Trumpâ€™s nominee for secretary of state â€“ a position marked out for senator Marco Rubio â€“ he seems to consider that because he may have personal or corporate business interests in Europe, he has some role or function in using his wealth to influence political processes and debate in European states.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZG3JOWTEBRA4FDPGA55YWDH6HM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739451},"content":"His personalised criticism of Keir Starmer and his seeming endorsement of demands that there should be a national investigation of the UKâ€™s failures in detecting and preventing sexual abuse and rape of young and under-age white girls by rings of Muslim men predominantly from Pakistan, are a case in point. Is he really concerned at a personal level at that terrible pattern of abuse that has been exposed in many parts of the UK? Is he anxious that the perpetrators should be brought to justice and punished? Or is his point that there has been some form of conspiracy of silence or tacit cover-up for fear of fanning racial tensions? Or does he see an opportunity to conflate immigration with crimes against women and to strengthen that Trumpian trope? Or does he simply see a clear opportunity to discredit Starmer with a view to removing Labour from office? Is this part of his strange campaign to persuade King Charles to dissolve the House of Commons to bring about a reversal of the Labour landslide majority elected last summer?","type":"text"},{"_id":"JV3Z4RMLEBCXNCANBUEPU4WNIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"7SO6JDYBMZH4XD4WBRMFWRWNQE"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-3034","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"4IJLSJ4KZ5BNZDDPBAKUPJ3RTY","additional_properties":{"_id":"IMV7QMY4OFE43AP2ZNSCF5WZRE"},"content":"Elon Musk fights Battle of Britain on two fronts as he clashes with Nigel Farage and Keir Starmer","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"KVBNA7MVXBEN7KJJ46WSSCP6BY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739453},"content":"Stranger still is his behaviour in relation to the UKâ€™s Reform party. After signalling his intention to give Reform massive financial support in the form of a $100 million donation â€“ presumably to be routed through one or more of his UK companies â€“ he has since decided that Nigel Farage is not up to the job of leading Reform. This change of heart is apparently caused by the refusal of Farage to admit Tommy Robinson to membership of Reform.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VNYAAMXM2VFK3IEIETA7LCDFVU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739454},"content":"Robinson â€“ previously known as Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon â€“ is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court for breach of an injunction restraining him from libelling a young school-going refugee after being found liable for Â£100,000 in damages for the same defamation. Robinson had previously been imprisoned on four occasions, including assault and mortgage fraud.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YZLCNI4T5JGMFC4ZGYSGZ6AZSI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739455},"content":"Ironically, Robinson had entered the US as an illegal immigrant in 2013. He appeared on the notorious US Infowars newscast seeking political asylum in the United States.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U45EY5MXFNEBNLXF5AZTPTTAA4","additional_properties":{"_id":"CC2MKINPSVBRTIPFO627EBD56I"},"content":"Tommy Robinson profile: Convicted criminal is one of UKâ€™s most prominent far-right activists","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"RLFYO5LCARA3HAIDK34QA4PBXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739456},"content":"Infowars was the medium controlled by Alex Jones to publish and propagate the grossly untrue myth â€“ subsequently believed by 18 per cent of US citizens polled â€“ that the massacre of schoolchildren at Sandy Hook had never occurred and that the parents of the victims were themselves inventing and lying about the false claim of their childrenâ€™s murders. Jones was adjudicated for libel damages in amounts close to $1 billion by a Connecticut jury and the jury verdict was largely upheld on appeal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYZWHYGROREWNM3VNCAED5HU2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739457},"content":"After acquiring Twitter and renaming it X, Musk restored Jones as a user on the site from which he had been barred in 2018 after many yearsâ€™ propagation of false conspiracy theories. Now Musk wants Robinson released from prison and admitted to membership of Reform. Musk has also urged German voters to support the AFD party. In Ireland, he attempted to champion opposition to the Governmentâ€™s Hate Speech Bill.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SU63E423TND7PPCKCAY5SF6ERI","additional_properties":{"_id":"HUZQBJZSUJERLKZD2LZBYBXR4A"},"content":"Why are Elon Musk and Donald Trump jnr so concerned by Irelandâ€™s new hate crime legislation?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"LDI6K2BZYZCWDMMULB7AM2DJEQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739460},"content":"Those of us who successfully stymied that ill-considered and oppressive Bill from becoming law as proposed were quick to disown Muskâ€™s unwelcome and constitutionally mistaken efforts to become involved in the controversy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2T2SY3ATJJCUDD4SZN2LLMQM6Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739461},"content":"For us in Ireland, the role of Musk and the influence he has in the Trump camp must remain seriously problematic. Is he to be an outlier or an insider?","type":"text"},{"_id":"GK37G7SLSVGOXL6TELYC5662R4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739462},"content":"The Trump effect is not simply likely to be felt in taxation, tariffs and trade wars. Nor is it only relevant to relations with Putin and European democracy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B4XX22WKM5E6ZDUFE5GSQACEXU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736257739463},"content":"Its full blast has the capacity to destabilise Irish democracy and to radically polarise the political discourse on this island. Who does Reform support in Northern Ireland? Have we our own Tommy Robinsons waiting in the wings for Muskâ€™s support? Food for thought.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Michael McDowell"}},"name":"Michael McDowell"}]},"description":{"basic":"Musk seems to consider he has some role in using his wealth to influence political processes and debate in European states"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Musk-Trump effect has the capacity to destabilise Irish democracy","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PXTDXEVQA74NMC7EI32ABDS564","auth":{"1":"2430d1787c80c80b53ca7e0919cba9386c5f8b5bd942c0f5fb3932f765c3b946"},"focal_point":{"x":1945,"y":992},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PXTDXEVQA74NMC7EI32ABDS564.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/michael-mcdowell-musk-trump-effect-has-the-capacity-to-destabilise-irish-democracy/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"PL2DE2HHCJHNTDDCXRBPX6ZEAA","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/08/martyn-turner/","content_elements":[],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Martyn Turner"}},"name":"Martyn Turner"}]},"description":{"basic":"January 8th, 2024"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T03:18:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Martyn Turner","native":""},"label":{},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"QNP34K5UHFHHFNPF2OQOAHKE4Q","auth":{"1":"04cb85868e91f184d3cc22333d5e9deffb3a32a92786d236ec75af4deb1bf0b5"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/QNP34K5UHFHHFNPF2OQOAHKE4Q.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Cartoon"},{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/cartoon/2025/01/08/martyn-turner/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/cartoon","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Cartoon"}}}},{"_id":"J7IQODSXQVHBXCFFNM3L5B6EN4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":364,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/59e1272f-9870-45ba-916a-2ecf98329252/versions/1736173509/media/9bbfd5987fe5ee93c4c95341cca60328_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/liz-carolan-trumps-alt-right-edgelords-will-inevitably-come-for-ireland-we-cant-take-the-bait/","content_elements":[{"_id":"TILLZBSL6VEWBPF7XFVW26FKA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272519},"content":"At some point in the next four years Ireland will become the target of a culture or meme war attack from Donald Trumpâ€™s â€œalt rightâ€ allies. The pressure will feel immense but we cannot afford to take the bait.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZLUVTH6MVNBTTLGOFS2PNDQWOI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272520},"content":"In his first electoral victory and presidency, Trump relied on the religious right to build and maintain his winning coalition, appointing ultraconservative Mike Pence as his vice-president and committing to promote anti-abortion supreme court justices. Promises made, promises kept.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CGUF4NERYNHVXEMIYTMYZ6AWIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272521},"content":"This time around he shifted his core alliances, moving from the religious right to the â€œalt rightâ€, from the puritans to the memelords. Again this is embodied by his vice-president pick, the â€œextremely onlineâ€ JD Vance, and his lucrative strategic partnership with provocateur Elon Musk. Both Vance and Musk have demonstrated their ability to weaponise internet culture and humour to rally a younger, digitally engaged base, reshaping conservative politics.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YETXYHC5LBHPVL3MM6WJPNNMVI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272522},"content":"Trump bringing them into the fold helped to cement his win, but it also now positions them as architects of a strategy that ratchets up culture wars and viral spectacle as a cover for extractive policymaking. We see this in the naming of a new body Musk will lead to slash government spending as D.O.G.E., a name synonymous with an internet meme about a dog.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LMAQVFLKVFHZJPO6AHL4AM6XOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272523},"content":"Both Trump administrations will equally rely on theatrics, provocations and manufactured crises that distract from the core aims of those governing the US, and there are already some indications that foreign policy will be a key arena for this new era of ramped up government-by-sh*tposting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UTH667K6AFFLRAYV7JOUHOTCSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272524},"content":"Over the Christmas break, Trump asserted on his own social media site that the US should purchase Greenland, â€œfor purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the Worldâ€. Eric Trump, the president electâ€™s son, followed up by posting a meme of an Amazon shopping cart that included Greenland in the basket.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YXHTO3Q7ABEQLEJWPSUCSZBIWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272525},"content":"This is just one of many comments on US imperial expansion, with the president elect also making various statements about seizing the Panama Canal and annexing Mexico and Canada. Governments are forced to respond, news outlets cover the story and opinion pieces proliferate. The New York Times declared that the comments about Canada have a â€œtrolling jocularityâ€, while those about Greenland and Panama are â€œnot a jokeâ€, though they add an important qualifier: â€œthis timeâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5K6ZFUZR2NCULPF6XQ3EC7Q2ZI","additional_properties":{"_id":"ZHHNUFTOBRELTKAUUZKM5CHTBU"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"IEL5S24VEBGJ5BMO26UQ7ZBVTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272526},"content":"These types of statements are sent out into the world as trial balloons of Hindenburg proportions â€“ tossed like grenades that will either cause real world devastation, or explode in a Jackass-style farce of silly string, leaving braying bullies to LOL at your humiliation. The blurring of online jokes and declarations of intent by the worldâ€™s most powerful man is deeply destabilising, and our turn is coming.","type":"text"},{"_id":"77TO5LZ4L5F6LIHINZQRZUBZ5I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272527},"content":"What Greenland and Panama have in common is that they are seen as posing strategic impediments to the â€œAmerica Firstâ€ project, Greenland with its underexploited rare-earth resources, and both with their role in shipping and commerce. Many within the new Trump administrationâ€™s appointees also see Ireland as a problem. Trumpâ€™s trade tsar Robert Lighthizer has said â€œIreland gets a substantial part of the tax revenue that would normally be due to the US governmentâ€ and this is a â€œtransfer of wealth from us to themâ€. Howard Lutnick, nominee to head the US commerce department, said â€œitâ€™s nonsense that Ireland of all places runs a trade surplus at our expense ... When we end this nonsense, America will be a truly great country again.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"HB32WTTLINFFZIXEXVJASDJT5E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272528},"content":"Add to this the fact that Ireland has already found itself in the crosshairs of US culture wars, notably in the recent hate speech Bill debates. Musk, Trump jnr and Vance all engaged in online discourse criticising that Bill. Musk in particular has been engaged in a long-term feud with the Irish State, which perfectly blends his â€œanti-wokeâ€ politics with his business interests. He was formerly doing this as the worldâ€™s richest man and owner of X. He is now doing it as both of these things and as a senior representative of a Trump administration that has its eyes on Irelandâ€™s economy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJW4DY3Z3NEZDGQJMBTD2O75CQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272529},"content":"It will be tempting, and probably smart politics, for Ireland to keep its head down. But anyone who has dealt with online bullies knows that this is not a long-term strategy; the edgelords will come for us at some point, whether we sit on our hands or not. What we need now is to work out how we will react when the spotlight inevitably comes on us, how to integrate the art of avoiding online baiting into the craft of diplomacy and the politics of statecraft. And we need to start planning for the risk of weaponisation of our presidential election later this year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XSX2LQZFFJF5BFGYLV4TM4T3EY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272530},"content":"The extra layer of challenge we face is that the trolls have real tools to threaten our economic stability. Our business model of foreign direct investment has served us extraordinarily well over the past 30 years but it has become golden handcuffs chaining our national stability and economic wellbeing to the whims of tax and trade policymakers, and ultimately to the vagrancies of oligarchs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VEW3XCTQJZGE5HVJKYWIZOF3ME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272531},"content":"The best way to beat trolls is to defang them of any real ability to hurt you. In this new year, with a new government with a fresh mandate, it is finally time to build a real alternative vision of Irelandâ€™s economy without our extraordinary reliance on mobile capital. Failing to do so will leave us with no leverage and could end up threatening our economic sovereignty.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WBD3JOENMVAWBAKIV7WCZUTQTY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736170629053},"content":"Liz Carolan works on democracy and technology issues, and writes at TheBriefing.ie","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Liz Carolan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Blurring of online jokes about Canada and declarations of intent - such as buying Greenland - by the worldâ€™s most powerful man is deeply destabilising. Ireland could be next"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:15:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trumpâ€™s alt right edgelords will inevitably come for Ireland. We canâ€™t take the bait","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PWWXWXNX2JVUCJBPK3JRBA5FUA","auth":{"1":"097bea9e1ee0dd69ca385bb436a3ebd11e4c1dcbf3894d0e480b25e56cbfb4a3"},"focal_point":{"x":1210,"y":824},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PWWXWXNX2JVUCJBPK3JRBA5FUA.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/liz-carolan-trumps-alt-right-edgelords-will-inevitably-come-for-ireland-we-cant-take-the-bait/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"KXGNWAO33VDPVER3EBEJQRN75E","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":362,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/2895a32f-af33-4089-9bae-00753cae0db4/versions/1736171085/media/1f4b31c07cd720fe1f7b5bf6ba1be89b_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/fintan-otoole-its-a-national-indignity-that-new-government-will-rely-on-the-grace-and-favour-of-michael-lowry/","content_elements":[{"_id":"DKIQIPFRRFEVBC6SAJ5ALOVVWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464844},"content":"In 1944, when France was liberated from the Nazis, its restored republic faced a dilemma. The normal process of law could not deal with the tens of thousands of public officials who had collaborated with the occupiers. So the French invented a new category of judicial chastisement: indignitÃ© nationale. It is generally translated as â€œnational unworthinessâ€ but â€œnational indignityâ€ has more of a ring to it. Those found guilty of it were recognised as bad citizens, unfit to hold office.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4WSRUH4LBD2PCZWC4JQB2BI4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464845},"content":"We too should have instituted the offence of indignitÃ© nationale. It would have saved us from the national indignity of having our new government formed by the grace and favour of Michael Lowry.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R3JQVWWA6ZH6FCDEL6LHOWTQNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464846},"content":"The third pillar of our republicâ€™s government is to be the man who Fine Gael felt morally obliged to remove from ministerial office and from membership of the party â€œin keepingâ€, as its then leader (and taoiseach) Enda Kenny told the DÃ¡il in 2011, â€œwith the partyâ€™s desire to maintain probity and standards in politicsâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TMNV7JLTKNEH7CYB4MTEUCJUN4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464847},"content":"And the man who Fianna FÃ¡ilâ€™s then (and present) leader MicheÃ¡l Martin pronounced, in that debate on the findings of the Moriarty tribunal, unworthy of membership of the DÃ¡il itself: â€œWe ... believe that Deputy Lowry should consider his position and resign from DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann.â€ Martin supported an all-party motion (passed unanimously) that â€œthe DÃ¡il believes the conduct of Michael Lowry set out in the tribunal report was completely unacceptable and calls on Deputy Lowry to resign voluntarily his membership of DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"LNROEUXFXJHZXME5XF7675L4H4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464848},"content":"The modern history of the State is not remotely like that of occupied France. I am emphatically not suggesting any parallels between the behaviour of Michael Lowry or any other office holders in Ireland and those in the collaborationist Vichy regime. The parallel concerns, rather, the legal and political dilemma: what do we do with office holders who have brought shame on the republic?","type":"text"},{"_id":"VJBBSLUNJ5EG3PT7M6QRINY4MA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464849},"content":"In our case, the problem is impunity. From the 1990s onwards, it became unavoidably obvious that we had an embedded nexus of political corruption in both Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael. The harm it did was characterised accurately by Kenny as â€œincalculable damage [that] has already been done because of a culture of â€˜thanks very much, big fellaâ€™, walking-around money, whip-rounds, luck on the horses and a taoiseach degrading our nation and this office by trousering after-dinner tips. It is a culture typified by arrogant, mercenary and immoral politics that almost ruined our reputation and made a mockery of character itself. When that culture included business and banking it contaminated our country, divided our society and diminished our republic.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"4L6RQVD2YJAMJGPBYCRJOG2QHU","additional_properties":{"_id":"E3YMJXUUH5ERNK5SX5I2GZ4NTE"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"UMXRPXBSSJCRZCW7QESJFOOU6U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464850},"content":"The problem is that this insult to our republic and the immense injury it inflicted on the lives and livelihoods of ordinary citizens was never expiated. The presiding deity of the kleptocracy, Charles Haughey, was wrapped in the Tricolour and given a State funeral. Very few of those responsible for the â€œincalculable damageâ€ ever saw the inside of a courtroom, let alone of a jail cell.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AZNQRGW3FRFZPCHGCVRFLGMVBU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464851},"content":"We therefore have, albeit for vastly different reasons, something like the French postwar problem. The republic had been debased and demeaned. It needed at least a public gesture of revulsion, a mark of shame to be branded metaphorically on the foreheads of those who had behaved so shamelessly.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DJ6ALTVTIJGPFCJDXLP4TZK2OQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464852},"content":"Lowry himself has never betrayed the slightest awareness of ignominy. â€œMy conscienceâ€, as he has put it, â€œis clearâ€. The tax amnesty he availed of washed away all his sins of omission in neglecting to pay what he owed to the Revenue. The findings of the Moriarty tribunal that he â€œ not only influenced, but delivered, the resultâ€ of the supposedly independent competition for the Stateâ€™s second mobile phone licence; that he engaged in a â€œcynical and venal abuse of officeâ€; and that his conduct in relation to a rental property owned by Ben Dunne was â€œ profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtakingâ€ â€“ all of this is, as far as he is concerned, cruel calumny against a blameless man.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQ4PVSQR3BHBPJDTL536N4UWRQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464853},"content":"But not as far as his fiancÃ©s in Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael are concerned. Both parties are fully on the record as accepting these findings. Both parties believed that Lowry should be excluded from government, from the DÃ¡il and from membership of a democratic political party, in order, as Kenny put it, to â€œrehabilitate the idea of civic virtue and the idea of the duty and nobility of public serviceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"44L7LZ4DYBD5VEHYJ7NKKQNH2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464854},"content":"Yet there is apparently a statute of limitations on civic virtue. Lowry is now openly embraced as the power broker of the new government. He is the lead negotiator for the eight-strong Regional Group of Independents who will give Fine Gael and Fianna FÃ¡il their governing majority.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZWD5TQRRJFBGHGCJKCFRJZHPYE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464855},"content":"Why is this okay? Because, as Simon Harris explains it, â€œyou have to remember the public voted for Deputy Lowry in very large numbers in Tipperaryâ€. This is self-serving nonsense: in 2011, when Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael were condemning Lowry to the status of a political pariah, he had just received 14,104 votes in Tipperary North. In November 2024, he received 12,538 votes. If he was unfit for office when he got more votes why is he fit to be the kingmaker when he got fewer?","type":"text"},{"_id":"REI5FKXHPNAC3AFLIN5CE7LUTQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464856},"content":"Of course, this has nothing to do with votes in Tipp North and everything to do with votes in the DÃ¡il. Lowry is reliably transactional. He does deals and he delivers what he promises. So feck civic virtue.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AHUBSJ7HBA7TLWGCKLORPQKBM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736162464857},"content":"And he has been proven to be prophetic. In 2011, when MicheÃ¡l Martin was deeming him unfit to serve in the DÃ¡il, Lowry predicted that â€œin regard to the kind of posturing practised by ... Deputy Martin, and his clean-cut, Steve Silvermint image, it will not be long before the wraps come off ... And when the wraps come off I do not think they will be smelling of mint for Deputy Martin or his party colleagues who were so anxious to condemn me.â€ The wraps are off now and the stale perfume of indignitÃ© nationale is once again in the air.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Fintan O'Toole"}},"name":"Fintan O'Toole"}]},"description":{"basic":"There is a statute of limitations on civic virtue as Lowry is openly embraced as the power broker of the new government"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Itâ€™s a national indignity that the new government will rely on Michael Lowry","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"NVDAJJC5NFBDHCTBU7FIP4IMRE","auth":{"1":"e610e90cdc42e583911ca2ed8a4de37aa2f9cced2fa263c2967cb8d595e14d71"},"focal_point":{"x":3562,"y":1509},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/NVDAJJC5NFBDHCTBU7FIP4IMRE.JPG"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/fintan-otoole-its-a-national-indignity-that-new-government-will-rely-on-the-grace-and-favour-of-michael-lowry/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"5N6HM7NWHJBZDNBSHWOTD6NPJA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":370,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/b0c3339c-44bd-46b0-bbfc-0e18ba5852e6/versions/1736177180/media/49665701e77ba57920021349a7e7d694_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/recycle-sportsgear-eliminate-party-bags-four-easy-climate-resolutions-for-every-household/","content_elements":[{"_id":"V6VCE7IRTZCD3CDYN547WSLOLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879136},"content":"Our green bin was full even before Christmas Eve rolled around. I joined my husband outside, where he was stomping down its contents to create more room. In the then still-unseasonably warm air it was hard to imagine a sleigh crossing the night sky. Going back into the sweet warmth, the clementines had attracted fruit flies and a three-week-old non-shed tree was finally yielding its scent, the gifts and floor under it strewn with promise-breaking needles. I was already counting the hours until this week, when I could take it all down.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZX3WN6PAAZHDHPD3GDIRZCNKRI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736192735713},"content":"Call me Scrooge or the Grinch, I donâ€™t care, my favourite part of Christmas is now â€“ when itâ€™s all over. I make no secret of finding Christmas oppressive, and I donâ€™t mean two-hour carol services or the delicious collective pause. Itâ€™s mostly the pressure to consume, when buying is such a burden for many, and when so much of what we buy is not needed or wanted and soon discarded.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TULIYXBSMZB2BLCCR7NLQXDLVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879138},"content":"The Environmental Protection Agencyâ€™s Circular Economy and Waste Statistics and Highlights report published last December underlined that Ireland produced 15.7 million tonnes of waste in 2022. Packaging waste alone was 1.2 million tonnes. Further, our circularity rate (a measure of recycling versus consumption that reflects our efficiency at dealing with waste) is just 1.8 per cent. The European Union average is 11.5 per cent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XLLIC4L7ZZE4PO37KNUQWDK7BU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879139},"content":"We made an incredible recycling stride in 2024 with the launch of the deposit return scheme. But we also need to consume less and reuse more. With Christmas finally over (*leaps for joy*), itâ€™s time to consider how as individuals we can make our new yearâ€™s resolution a circular revolution. And, as with any resolution, you should start small but tell everyone. So hereâ€™s my shortlist of four ideas every household can adopt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XFQPLLA3VFC6ZEBLRWPGT6TYBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879140},"content":"1. Reuse. Try a gear exchange. In Ireland we discard 164,000 tonnes of textiles per year. This is the second-highest rate of per capita textile waste generation in the EU, according to the Circularity Gap Report by Circle Economy Foundation, commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication and published last October.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7KRBJH7ADFC2JL5BJ55VO2U6XQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"S5T4VTH2DJHSLC3A5SNG3DHSEA"},"content":"There is something delusional about your frantic trips to the recycling bin","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"FDYP2RXKRBGCNFXANB3ROSG7IQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736192735718},"content":"In our local scout troop, parents are encouraged to select uniforms from a bag of hand-me-downs. Gear exchange is one of the ideas given a mention in the GAA Green Clubs toolkit. If every sports club in Ireland made gear exchange the norm, this could save hundreds of thousands of plastic-based garments and shoes from needlessly being produced, to be worn for just one season, destined for an overflowing clothes pod or some well-intentioned clothing drive for Africa. Before you say it, no, named sponsors wonâ€™t mind â€“ most clubsâ€™ lead sponsors are static from year to year, and what matters to them is not a new jersey but a commitment from the club to regularly talking up the support they give their community, which can easily be promoted on social media.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7NT4MI3QG5EZZMRW3OTWUZL4NU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879142},"content":"2. Reduce. How about a â€˜no party bagâ€™ pledge? Our children donâ€™t need to be sent home with twizzle-me-bobs of plastic and packets of sugar, and parents donâ€™t need the additional hassle or cost of procuring them. The party bag habit got its toe in the door playing up the etiquette of gift exchange and watched the money roll in. As a class, as a school, we can easily reset everyoneâ€™s expectations and benefit the environment too.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BNTDGFCYOBE7FC7DG3X7V7GGYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879143},"content":"3. Collaborate and campaign. Alone youâ€™re a killjoy, an evil nerd or a grinch, and not just in the eyes of the under nines. Together, the members of a club, workplace or school can undo decades of disposable habits in the space of a season, a half year or a term. Figure out who has skin in the game and share your ideas with them. The parentsâ€™ association at our school recently introduced a voluntary smartphone pledge. A super win for the sustainability of our kidsâ€™ mental health. They achieved it through a careful gathering in of opinions and non-judgmental figuring out what would work for the majority. Where social media has failed our children, online tools such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms can help build a mandate, while WhatsApp groups can easily spread a sustainable revolution.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OZ7K2BYDT5AWVK6A24HA3GHOXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879144},"content":"4. Say no to excess. Sometimes itâ€™s about nudging changes in behaviour; sometimes itâ€™s just calling out unnecessary waste. At the beginning of December, for instance, the Santa Dash fun run in St Anneâ€™s Park in Dublin attracted more than 1,000 entries, handing out disposable costumes â€œmade from 100 per cent virgin polyester felt in plastic packagingâ€. As part of its â€œsustainabilityâ€ commitment, participants were encouraged to â€œuse them again at homeâ€. When life is as frenetic as it was in 2024, itâ€™s tempting to let it all go â€“ whether itâ€™s another coffee cup, party bag or reusable Santa suit. But sometimes you just need to make the point and others will follow.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BELOWMC4ZFGXJILFI5P64QLFP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879145},"content":"You can find everything you need to make your 2025â€²s new year resolution a circular revolution on Green Schools from An Taisce; the GAAâ€™s Green Clubs. For more resources for communities and households try CRNI, My Waste, StopFoodWaste.ie, Voice and the Rediscovery Centre.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OWOKMAXW6VDPFG5JYVQ6BU76UM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736173680219},"content":"Angela Ruttledge is a former restaurateur who writes about food and sustainability","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Angela Ruttledge"}]},"description":{"basic":"Call me Scrooge or the Grinch, but my favourite part of Christmas is now - when the season of excess waste is over"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Recycle sportsgear, eliminate party bags: four easy climate resolutions for every household","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"IX5JTMEY4K7RWGBSN36ZAVBUQ4","auth":{"1":"1aefaef445304126414a8d3873e7cc4168140a1993bf52ff40a6a18a5fff68a6"},"focal_point":{"x":1574,"y":1502},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IX5JTMEY4K7RWGBSN36ZAVBUQ4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/recycle-sportsgear-eliminate-party-bags-four-easy-climate-resolutions-for-every-household/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"A7AGVTJEIVHR5CIN5H56564NAQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":242,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/259a912a-cd94-4553-bf9e-361f6c014002/versions/1734515066/media/2b805bbc6f3c246ccc99416f9f4cfc96_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/life-style/people/2025/01/04/theres-a-clear-generational-distinction-between-those-who-grew-up-having-their-photo-taken-and-those-who-didnt/","content_elements":[{"_id":"H6YEEE7UXJBFVKMVFN6EM5KVWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734452773818},"content":"My friend and I are guiltily wondering together why we both find it easiest to look after ourselves, to eat well and sleep well and focus properly on what weâ€™re doing, when weâ€™re alone. Although I sometimes long for solitude, when I get it the first day is blissful, the second is fine as long as I can have a long phone conversation and on the third I need real human company.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ESVYT2N7OFASFLJWBR7RNR7JZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1735550826038},"content":"As writers go, Iâ€™m a crap introvert. But I do like to have the house to myself, to cook what I want to eat when I want to eat it, to get up and go to bed when I feel like it, to stay out or in exactly as long as suits my mood. In reality, no one in my house actively prevents any of this when theyâ€™re there. One of the things I enjoy about being the family cook is that mostly we eat what I feel like making, and mostly the others are happy to be fed. Theyâ€™re not watching me. The voices in my head criticising a late rising or early (or late) bedtime, too long indoors or outdoors, are coming from another country in another century, but theyâ€™re still quieter when thereâ€™s no one watching.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LKABOAOFHZCX5EYOJGZOKJIJFU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734452773819},"content":"Itâ€™s like mirrors, my friend says, Iâ€™m just happier without them, itâ€™s not that I hate the sight of myself, I just donâ€™t want to have to think about it. Me too, I say, one by the door to check that weâ€™re respectable before we leave the house, otherwise best not. I remember a dark Victorian house in England that we tried to brighten with mirrors opposite the windows, hoping to bounce sunlight into an unnaturally cold and gloomy place. The mirrors just made me slightly nervous as well as cold and gloomy, always catching myself unawares, always half-glimpsing something or other that might have been just a person walking down the road outside. I donâ€™t need to see myself. I donâ€™t wear makeup, most of my clothes are old friends and I know how to braid my hair. Thereâ€™s enough self-surveillance in my head without putting it up on the wall.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YMWNMJIALFEGRJFLC4DOIHHBTA","additional_properties":{"_id":"GV3IHJSQLBFVLACU5Q3HJNFDXE"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"LDUT6T7ZPFENRB6JSVDQSRUUYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734452773820},"content":"We talk about how much we dislike photos of ourselves, and I wonder again how differently people thought of themselves in all the centuries before there were clear mirrors or even flat glass in every house, when the sight of oneâ€™s own face was rare and almost always distorted.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SKQPY3D5XBCN3GNVHZCXCOHISU","additional_properties":{"_id":1735550826042},"content":"When someone takes a group photo at a book event, I often notice a clear generational distinction between those who more or less grew up with social media and phone cameras that look both ways, and those who came to this kind of solipsism in adulthood, who are less likely to know what to do with their faces and bodies in front of a camera.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MT5PBTOZT5ACFAB44IJZING2RM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735550826043},"content":"I have never used social media and was always the family photographer, firmly behind the camera. When I am photographed I look awkward, wooden, smiling like someone who just wants this to stop now (see above). But still, I remind my friend, older photos are fine, when I look at the ones we took at university I canâ€™t imagine why we thought ourselves anything but young and lovely, maybe in another 30 years itâ€™ll be the same. But neither of us really believes in ourselves or the world in another 30 years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RALCVM3KDBHPVE7OU66FGDILDY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734452773821},"content":"Weâ€™re talking, I realise, about reflections, the similar discomforts of mirrors, photos and the gaze of others. Both of us live pretty well-examined lives, and also both of us want more windows than mirrors in our material and metaphorical homes. We aspire to look out more than in, to meet the world frankly, from behind our eyes, between our ears, with our hearts and hands and feet, not through the uncanny reversal of the mirror and the turned camera. And one of the obstacles to that frankness is the tendency to imagine other people as our own mirrors, to see in their faces and hear in their voices the fears and fantasies we bring from early life. We canâ€™t get away from our own shadows, nor meet others without bringing ourselves, but I think as my friend and I pay for our coffee and go out into the city that it is important to keep trying.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Sarah Moss"}},"name":"Sarah Moss"}]},"description":{"basic":"Unlike the generation which has grown up with mobile phone cameras, when I am photographed I look awkward, wooden, smiling like someone who just wants this to stop now"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Thereâ€™s a clear difference between those who grew up taking photos of themselves and those of us who didnâ€™t","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"AS6MQMN2MZFSJAZD3UT7YOO4U4","auth":{"1":"0e5afc4b01d081ce07a1a26f9f478ba9c57bcc576263b5e829d1015d9b167934"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/AS6MQMN2MZFSJAZD3UT7YOO4U4.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"People"},{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Life & Style"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/life-style/people/2025/01/04/theres-a-clear-generational-distinction-between-those-who-grew-up-having-their-photo-taken-and-those-who-didnt/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/life-style/people","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"People"}}}},{"_id":"G2DEVAPRZJG2HPJUNO75F6HPAM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":318,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/1342ef10-76bd-48fe-b871-1c12ac797c3e/versions/1735914443/media/32e46c0d2f2d5a7059e412c14e9a542c_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/una-mullally-ireland-can-make-the-world-a-better-place-but-first-it-must-look-in-the-mirror/","content_elements":[{"_id":"EKDC2KO7A5G7PFY43MRA542UCQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250295},"content":"What should Irelandâ€™s new year resolution be? Itâ€™s a bit of a daft question, but I think this is the year we should collectively make one, and hold ourselves and our new government to it. This year will be a test. The headwinds are strong; war, the growth of authoritarianism, and the strange actions online and off that are designed to undermine democracy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AVRXTTZSWRFSPPJYJBNOO7ZABA","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250296},"content":"So how should Ireland show up? Itâ€™s obvious: be a force for good in the world. National pride can be a strange thing. Nationalism even stranger. But there is patriotism to be generated in a country that tries to do the decent thing, to stand on the right side of history, however small that country might be and insignificant its impact may initially seem.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GJLXDHJ75ZAOLHAHZCIXX2F354","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250297},"content":"The idea that Ireland doesnâ€™t â€œmatterâ€ in a geopolitical context is not true. If, to paraphrase Margaret Mead, one should never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world, then one should never doubt that a small country can either. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YN66EMWV2BHWZCSFW4U3OKPIXM","additional_properties":{},"content":"For one, a principled stance offers hope to others in places where principles are lacking. The knock-on effects of hope are vast. In a practical sense, adding our voice along with our diplomacy, legal expertise and peacekeeping personnel where all of those things are most needed also matters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NG467EAW2ZDM7HISN7POGMSCLU","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250298},"content":"This also means continuing to be a country of influence within the European Union when it comes to contesting the wrong-headed actions of other states. It means upholding international law, championing human rights, freedoms and civil liberties. It means protecting the flame of peace throughout the darkness of war. Our military neutrality matters. Our reputation matters. Our morals matter.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RV6ODEJAHBED7FLERASMJALT54","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250299},"content":"Our history informs all of this. But we canâ€™t claim historical exoneration from imperialism, colonialism, or warfare if it is not practised in a contemporary context. The aspiration to be a force for good in the world must also be turned inward. There is little integrity, decency or honesty in being the geopolitical version of street angel and house devil.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JU4IHYEPSFCMLBDNBUCXXGHRMI","additional_properties":{"_id":"CLZFK5K3INA4PA7IVO2VWCUGIQ"},"content":"The rise of anti-immigrant â€˜community watchdogsâ€™ across Ireland","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"LH632OKDQZGCNPIH2GT4KBXISU","additional_properties":{"_id":1735912399601},"content":"It would be easy to attribute the racism and outbreaks of racist violence we have been experiencing in Ireland in recent years wholly to a contemporary era of digital disinformation, external agitators and the importation of nihilistic narratives and playbooks from elsewhere. Certainly, it is no coincidence that at a time of rising authoritarianism and far-right movements, and political entities gaining traction in various jurisdictions, some of that would rub off in Ireland. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"M76AATQ3TRG4ZDJVJBRB5KY3AM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Our own society has a tendency to operate on something of a time delay when it comes to global social and political trends. But thatâ€™s not the whole picture. What weâ€™ve been experiencing is also a continuum. This continuum is rooted in ethnonationalism, a meanness and cruelty, and a misplaced desire to blame â€œthe otherâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TYQLVXRRZBAYZDCG37WAKVWM24","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250301},"content":"The myth that Ireland doesnâ€™t â€œdoâ€ the far-right or its ancillary bigotry born from insecurity and an authoritarian mindset is just that â€“ a myth. Itâ€™s a convenient story we tell ourselves. It ignores how the Irish 20th century actually played out, a period during which many people who expressed any â€œdifferenceâ€ were oppressed, where women who sought independence and autonomy were marginalised and denied their rights, where LGBTQ+ people were demonised and criminalised, and where people who were not white were victims of vicious racism.","type":"text"},{"_id":"72T32GCXMREX7IFVEXSUTUVAP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250302},"content":"Other nations did not invent bullies. There are plenty of them in Ireland and there always have been. But we remain a small nation that can do things differently. With cop-on and empathy, good ideas can overcome bad intentions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QZSRZRWYDJAGLHH3NQ3VAWEPJE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735914219280},"content":"In an era of grievance politics, when people who have little power in society are demonised by others, where rage is currency and blame for everything â€“ from a shortage of housing to threadbare services and amenities â€“ is misdirected, a simple reality check is this: when you get off the internet, couch or bar stool, how do those you blame for your troubles actually negatively affect you on a day-to-day basis? Chances are itâ€™s not the refugee, the trans person or the immigrant who is responsible.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LLC55NV2VGJJD7DPC54MDFIUA","additional_properties":{"_id":"Z374IYVKXBBHBIC3MOFXA36A2U"},"content":"The far right is just a Farage away from breaking through in Irish politics","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"XO5WIYLYYNBSRKK7EMYH56BBLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250303},"content":"The pattern of pointing the finger at out-groups is tried and tested. When it takes hold, it can have devastating consequences. It can destroy lives and societies. It can start wars and genocides. It can cause people to live in fear and can tear communities apart. Itâ€™s not worth it. Fighting a spectre can be much more tempting than fighting a system. The former is simple, the latter complex. Hate doesnâ€™t need to be our narrative.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RFLDBKRRJ5HYFGI2A7F5VN53S4","additional_properties":{"_id":1735909250304},"content":"Happy new year to all. Hereâ€™s to peace and good will. I think we all have that in us.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Una Mullally"}},"name":"Una Mullally"}]},"description":{"basic":"We canâ€™t exonerate ourselves from colonialism and warfare if we ignore sinister forces in our own society"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ireland can make the world a better place. But first it must look in the mirror","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"KU6GIQMLGZHXDAZ7IYDRHJCGKA","auth":{"1":"c863fee2a367e9e8407c0fd80218cfc0b9e5f40db5117c45775f07ed5307b907"},"focal_point":{"x":3848,"y":2819},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/KU6GIQMLGZHXDAZ7IYDRHJCGKA.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/una-mullally-ireland-can-make-the-world-a-better-place-but-first-it-must-look-in-the-mirror/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"RCQNDJOVVBGJ5GNNCNAN6XZXVA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":316,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/99967657-879d-4a72-9b1f-1bf05b073746/versions/1735917082/media/f0adf314a01d5096750032b62d92848e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/smartphones-are-an-easy-scapegoat-for-a-much-more-profound-unhappiness/","content_elements":[{"_id":"V6QJZU2NHZGUBLCP423GPN44AI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792259},"content":"What makes a human life valuable? Greg Epstein, a humanist chaplain at Harvard, recalls discussing this question with a group of students at the Ivy League university, many of them â€œdeeply anxious about their individual and collective futuresâ€ and seeking advice before graduating.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KF4KBUP4DBEIDGKVTLL3QCDWSA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792260},"content":"â€œWhen I suggested they view themselves as having inherent worth and value, simply for existing, as a baby would, one of the students responded â€“ with laudable honesty and forthrightness â€“ that she found that idea laughable,â€ he writes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JVCZ3ZYA4ZGV3BCSIFIPQY5MW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792261},"content":"Epstein has spent the last few years researching the impact of technology on our lives and the roots of modern anxiety. While it has become commonplace to blame the smartphone for all our woes, he believes our relationship with tech needs to be seen in the context of a deeper malaise, a malaise thatâ€™s encapsulated in that story.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S55BQQCEBZA7DEWPKYUGEQGTIA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792262},"content":"Many young people are led to believe â€œthat their entire worth as a human being is directly and inexorably tied to proving that they are exceptionalâ€, says Epstein, speaking from Boston by Zoom.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CBIHTBDCQFA45B7RXMMSN2UJ6U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792263},"content":"The psychotherapist Alice Miller called this The Drama of the Gifted Child. Parents praise their children for being â€œsmartâ€ or industrious, which may help to raise their standards. But it can leave a lifelong impression that your value as a human being depends on always being more than what you are.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZPNUY6PIAZHO3DVVVLNKITXEBA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792264},"content":"â€œTech has taken this idea that we are gifted children playing out a tragic drama and it has multiplied that exponentially across the globe,â€ says Epstein. â€œAlmost every minute of every day we are interacting with devices, applications, programmes, manipulations of data, with that notion in mind of trying to separate out the exceptional from the unexceptional.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"6NR6DKKMF5EALMEJ2GJOJBEEHA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734601208293},"content":"Epstein first became chaplain in 2005, a year before Twitter was founded, giving him a front-row seat for the so-called anxiety epidemic of modern times. Societal change in the past 20 years has had positive and negative aspects but the overall effect is â€œdestabilisingâ€, he says. There is much more diversity; there are more extreme rewards and penalties for winner and losers in the economy; and existential threats to humanity seem more immediate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QSAKGARBF5AR7CMFQVEULNJ7RE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792266},"content":"For students worried about the future, â€œtech is presented to them as the answerâ€. Epstein develops this argument in his book Tech Agnostic, which likens technology to religion.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CNDS6WICXJFAPHBC66CULVZKVM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792267},"content":"The parallels are manyfold. Utopian thinking, zealotry and intolerance of dissent are all well represented in Big Tech. There is also a love of maxims, such as â€œmove fast and break thingsâ€ â€“ a recipe for profit in Silicon Valley and now also â€œa popular theological answer to the question of how to liveâ€, Epstein points out.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T3KQZKIZXBDKHOQTSC4UVUNNMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734601208296},"content":"It is partly for this reason he shies away from â€œone size fits all solutionsâ€ to technological harm. Asked for any tips on responsible smartphone use, he says: â€œIâ€™m not trying to create the killer app for tech criticism, because I think the fervent belief that we are always one maxim away from salvation is a deeply religious conviction, and itâ€™s one of the reasons why tech is so religious.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVWPQHEGL5BVTFYRQX32MX5UIE","additional_properties":{"_id":"AQJIMJWCYNEIHCUBL4DJICZYOI"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"VFI57ZZNNBENTMNKUIMKDVFVVI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792269},"content":"â€œI want people who are anxiously feeling guilty that they arenâ€™t obeying the correct maxim or following the prescribed plan for techno-zen that thatâ€™s okay; that theyâ€™re okay.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"B2A352Q7CBGM5HRDM7YDXD4GCM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792270},"content":"He believes itâ€™s best to think of the treatment for tech addiction â€“ a fair description of what most of us have â€“ as similar to one of the ways you might manage an eating disorder. â€œA doctor wouldnâ€™t try to get you to stop eating as a way of managing your eating disorder. They would say: â€˜Letâ€™s take a step back and think about how you got this way, and letâ€™s think one step at a time and build a healthy relationship with food.â€™â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"COUZXZDIA5GQBKUAL3VSOQKQYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792271},"content":"With the smartphone, â€œitâ€™s not going to kill me to check more notifications one day. Itâ€™s more important to over the long term try to use the technology in the service of my own humanity and other peopleâ€™s humanity rather than devote my own humanity to the technology itselfâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D6VSWGZWRFEORFUNTCQEPB5WXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792272},"content":"Humanising technology is a big ask in the current political and economic environment. But we still have some control over how we use tech. Itâ€™s also within our power to challenge toxic philosophies that are being disseminated or amplified by technologies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"42XC455VKVFEDN2DXCLICB4NYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792273},"content":"That means, among other things, going beyond token measures such as locking up studentsâ€™ mobile phones in pouches for the school day (something Norma Foley said she â€œfirmly believe[s] ... will improve wellbeing, mental health and socialisationâ€ when she allocated â‚¬9 million for the scheme as minister for education) and instead reorienting our education system away from the competitive blood sport known as the Leaving Cert.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ROG6E5BU65EIXLKVNV3U6BSYMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736175448533},"content":"It means pushing against the idea that you need to be exceptional or â€œgiftedâ€ to be a worthwhile member of society. It means reassessing how we reward â€œtalentâ€ in our economy. At a fundamental level, it means bringing love to the fore of everyday conversations â€“ a love of others, just as they are.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M2VEWTKCR5AEXGWMKDNJI2XLP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792274},"content":"â€œItâ€™s so destabilising when you have all these young people jockeying for position to show how great they are,â€ says Epstein.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B7EHFPRROJAL3IOQJHAQ2LLTL4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734599792275},"content":"â€œIt places them in direct competition with their neighbour, their friend, their family member, their fellow human being and, in almost every case, relationships become transactional; studies [teaching and learning] become transactional; technology becomes transactional. If you donâ€™t solve for that you donâ€™t solve for much of anything.â€","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Joe Humphreys"}},"name":"Joe Humphreys"}]},"description":{"basic":"Children are led to believe â€˜that their worth is tied to proving that they are exceptionalâ€™"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Smartphones are an easy scapegoat for a more profound unhappiness","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"5Q7SHQBRLNELHL4OOXLZKG5NQA","auth":{"1":"dad8c92eb6e2b745d7044256a6ec7229397fe4f6ea51d68cb0529c5da7865f98"},"focal_point":{"x":3371,"y":1883},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/5Q7SHQBRLNELHL4OOXLZKG5NQA.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"},{"name":"Technology"},{"name":"Big Tech"},{"name":"Culture"},{"name":"Books"},{"name":"Ireland"},{"name":"Education"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/smartphones-are-an-easy-scapegoat-for-a-much-more-profound-unhappiness/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"QKDANKYMVVCXTHLTQ5FMND26BM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":341,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6ffeeb95-ad80-416a-9c3b-b1582e7d2690/versions/1735916731/media/fb3439db9a21f47ceb9d10f4d97faa68_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/orla-oconnor-women-dont-want-a-rest-on-nollaig-na-mban-they-want-decent-childcare-equal-pay-and-access-to-healthcare/","content_elements":[{"_id":"HBVJLAHRPJEVHOWMSPLZ7PQSIM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559588},"content":"As government formation talks gather pace, many women will be marking Nollaig na mBan, also known as Womenâ€™s or Little Christmas, today. It is the day women traditionally take a rest, get together and celebrate their Christmas while men do the housework.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FR7SB5N74JEWXE2NVDH3BHXQEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559589},"content":"It is a well-earned break. Because never is the gendered division of labour more apparent than at Christmas. From the physical and emotional labour of managing a household to the extra care work involved at Christmas, it is far from a time of rest for most women.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SRPS36EQXRDCHE73XU5VILMIHY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559590},"content":"But unrecognised care work is not just for Christmas. According to research carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), from one end of the year to another, women carry out twice as much unpaid care work and housework as men.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z7ILE2S5URDARHI7E3E5PQURUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559591},"content":"And so the message today from many women to those negotiating the next government and its programme is clear: we need radical change over the next five years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EAUZXKBCHNDMPOBT2ILKMJUSLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559592},"content":"The deal breaker for the advancement of womenâ€™s equality in the next political term is public childcare. Currently, the lack of affordable, accessible, quality childcare means women are often forced into part-time, more precarious work. Some women feel they have no choice but to leave the workforce altogether. This results in a key driver of the gender pay gap: the motherhood penalty. Womenâ€™s earnings plummet after the birth of a child, while menâ€™s remain static or even improve. Research from Maynooth University in 2023 found a significant 27 per cent decline in womenâ€™s earnings after childbirth.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPYUP2L3SJH2PLPORGOBJRG5QU","additional_properties":{"_id":"VGBO7XQ2GZC6NKMVHYDQVCJWQI"},"content":"Is free, publicly funded childcare possible in Ireland?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"E3ZRXSXLMNFXDD3COJQHHQ3BLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559593},"content":"Delivering a public system of early childhood education and care would tackle this penalty and provide enormous benefit to children, women, families and early years educators. It would mean a guaranteed childcare place for every child, irrespective of their background, their needs or where they live. Combined with well-paid family leave, it would offer real choices to women and all parents to participate fully in every aspect of their lives. And it would mean better pay and working conditions for the mostly female early years educators, commensurate with their education and experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2RY5V7BPTZGR5JATUYETCV43IE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559594},"content":"Women are also calling for radical change when it comes to tackling the epidemic of violence against women. Fifty two per cent of women in Ireland have reported experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. In 2023 An Garda SÃochÃ¡na received domestic violence calls every 10 minutes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M2FSIP455JDSXAZPO3TWP2LQLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"VGYFIMPBYBFVXIQAYZFSMWMCEY"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-45283","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"AKKVWFHRLBBUFANOIQUSWPJKYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559595},"content":"The commitment to a zero tolerance strategy in 2022 and the creation of Cuan, the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency, represents important progress to tackle violence against women. The new government must now drive forward to a society where women can live free from violence, abuse and harassment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EWZK6HMRIRCQ7ODXOYS7QEHSZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687334},"content":"Cuan must be fully resourced to carry out its mandate and implement the strategy. Frontline services need secure multiannual funding so they can continue to provide their vital services. The courts and judiciary must be reformed to provide a more victim-centred approach which does not retraumatise women.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MMICDCG4ERADHBUZA24G5UM63I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687335},"content":"Finally, we must understand and tackle the serious impact of the housing crisis on women. The homelessness rate among women in Ireland is one of the highest in the EU. Women fleeing domestic abuse and violence and those caught up in sex-for-rent exploitation must be able to access secure housing and accommodation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MVXMOXITAJB5BNSH54P75B3FGE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559596},"content":"This Nollaig na mBan, women are demanding radical change in the area of womenâ€™s health. Marginalised women in particular face significant barriers in accessing the healthcare they need. The introduction of the free contraception scheme, free IVF and free HRT were important, positive milestones over the last few years. This progress must continue with a renewed focus on the delivery of a universal healthcare system and increased, dedicated investment in mental health services that meet womenâ€™s unique needs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TOF722UTTZAR3KF2L5BQC6ICHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687337},"content":"One demand that should be completely uncontroversial is the delivery of the long-awaited mother and baby unit. This unit is urgently needed to allow mothers experiencing very severe and complex perinatal mental health difficulties to receive in-patient care and support without being separated from their babies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WZPCAEWRCRFV5HE3VYOSXSYLOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559597},"content":"And with more than 1,000 women having to travel from Ireland to Britain for an abortion since 2018, we want to see a clear commitment from government to implement the recommendations of the independent review of abortion care by Marie Oâ€™Shea. This includes an end to the mandatory three-day wait and the full decriminalisation of abortion care in Ireland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UVZCCYW2UJGRPGWMLNQ5XUEE5M","additional_properties":{"_id":"5ANV34YKJZB7THZOJCRX2FQ6ME"},"content":"Taoiseach says abortion legislation review requires â€˜careful considerationâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UXDFUGIY3ZDSDB3CMEGOXSJHTE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559598},"content":"These are some of the calls from women to the negotiators of the next programme for government and all newly elected TDs, including a record number of 44 women elected. With significant resources available to tackle some major, structural issues for women, the time to act is now. Women deserve more than a rest for Nollaig na mBan; women need equality.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W7OBZTJFFRC3DFIVW6XBSG6IYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559599},"content":"Orla Oâ€™Connor is the director of the National Womenâ€™s Council","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Orla O'Connor"}]},"description":{"basic":"Lack of affordable, accessible, quality childcare means women are often forced into part-time, more precarious work"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T05:45:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Women donâ€™t want a rest on Nollaig na mBan. We want decent childcare, equal pay and access to healthcare","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"WCZHAVDCD5DCNO4T2Y5CLJVHGQ","auth":{"1":"9a54f16d62571a9d9fbd891f9490f2cd7f57297734aeefb1f7298405805924e2"},"focal_point":{"x":3009,"y":1477},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/WCZHAVDCD5DCNO4T2Y5CLJVHGQ.JPG"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/orla-oconnor-women-dont-want-a-rest-on-nollaig-na-mban-they-want-decent-childcare-equal-pay-and-access-to-healthcare/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"HEAOYWTBSFDXLPRR6DRYEFKXK4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":420,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/f8d5926d-077e-4178-84b1-ce2e65dce677/versions/1734967959/media/7b14c6f60ab4e99795e9bb9b7e3c2433_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/ben-tonra-europe-is-deluded-if-it-thinks-it-can-manage-donald-trump/","content_elements":[{"_id":"CI2N6POQO5AX5IMSSSXFKKPTME","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281048},"content":"The re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has profound implications for European security and the future of transatlantic relations. How worried should we be? Very.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7B5QM4PVPJDQ3FZNV57ECFPRNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281049},"content":"Trumpâ€™s previous tenure in the White House was marked by an innate contempt for the very premise of collective security, an intrinsically transactional approach to allies, a profound hostility towards the European Union and a preference for the company of autocrats. His worst impulses, however, were constrained by the so-called â€œadults in the roomâ€ â€” most of whom opposed his re-election.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SERSOQZYRZFLTHOXF63CO7OKBU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281050},"content":"Throughout his election campaign, all this was again on full display. According to Trump, Russia could â€œdo whatever the hell they want(ed)â€ in Europe â€” especially to those not paying their rightful Nato dues. His framing of Natoâ€™s 2 per cent defence spending target is that of a mob bossâ€™s racketeering scheme â€” pay for protection or lose protection. His running mate suggested that Nato protection would be withdrawn from EU member states if they threatened the business interests of big US companies such as Elon Muskâ€™s X. Musk is now, of course, a close adviser and cabinet member.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXI35T6TZRGBBMSWJD5IX5E22E","additional_properties":{"_id":"GUC6S4H3FZG7BGLXGRJHKXADYY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"46HIMQJ2IZCINNDIY67EHOFHFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734543056723},"content":"Trumpâ€™s economic policy calls for universal import tariffs which will inevitably spark equivalent tariffs from the EU and threatens a much wider trade war. Appointments thus far to Trumpâ€™s national security, foreign policy and economic teams suggest nothing if not a doubling down on these ideas and this â€œAmerica Firstâ€ strategy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JUDX33TW75HP5O3IQMNE6ZJAXA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281051},"content":"Many seasoned European diplomats extol caution in response. It was an election after all, they tell us. Things said in the heat of a campaign â€” especially from a candidate not known for his tempered restraint â€” can be at least partially discounted. Moreover, the laws of economic and political reality still apply, and US national interests are predicated upon strong alliances. Trump is also highly transactional and loves the â€œdealâ€ even more than he loves the excitement of shaking things up. In any event, they tell us, we survived Trump 1.0 â€“ why not the same for Trump 2.0?","type":"text"},{"_id":"6YL734BICFEV7EQEZWBLY2RICY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281052},"content":"Apart from the renewed ideological vigour of this second Trump administration â€“ to be found in his Project 2025 manifesto, from which he has distanced himself â€“ we have yet to factor in what lessons Trump himself has taken from his first government. As noted, his personnel choices are eliminating any prospect of checks and balances coming from within his own White House. He has also secured majorities â€“ and Maga [Make America Great Again] majorities at that â€“ in both congressional houses and he has a bespoke supreme court majority. He also has scores to settle. His nemesis Angela Merkel may be gone, but the kinds of European leaders he despises are all there. He also intends to take a scythe through the US military establishment, the senior leadership most attuned to the needs and strengths of Americaâ€™s military alliances. Trump has also forged close ties with many on Europeâ€™s right-wing populist front â€“ celebrating, for example, Hungaryâ€™s Viktor Orban. The bottom line: this isnâ€™t likely to be a rerun of Trump 1.0.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BAT7WUDHCVBQNBAPDC7ZZZJXTQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"JMZYOPNUUVFSHH7H46M7KFY6VM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"CLJOOYZ7RZGXZCN53GVQMAZE6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281053},"content":"From a security standpoint, itâ€™s also useful to remind ourselves that Natoâ€™s credibility does not rely on treaty text. Indeed, in drafting the treaty it was a US demand that Natoâ€™s response to any crisis would rely on what each state â€œdeemed necessaryâ€ rather than any automatic military response. Thus, there is no need for Trump to withdraw from Nato to destroy the allianceâ€™s credibility. He has only â€“ through his own words and actions â€“ to continue to disparage the US commitment to the alliance to allow Natoâ€™s adversaries to draw their own conclusions and to accelerate the kinds of hybrid attacks we are already witnessing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GJ45BAXCBGTZMZSVNOLZLHZZI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281054},"content":"The European strategy in responding to all of this is to trust in Europeâ€™s capacity to â€œmanageâ€ Donald Trump. This will be accomplished, we are told, by explaining how much Europe is contributing to Ukraineâ€™s defence, by pointing to the number of Nato members already meeting or far exceeding the 2 per cent threshold, by underlining Europeâ€™s potential role in leveraging China on issues of importance to Washington, and by serving up political â€œwinsâ€ to Trump that he can showcase as evidence of his deal-making genius. This is the opening European strategy â€“ but is it also European wishful thinking? Is it perhaps the diplomatic equivalent of whistling past the graveyard of the transatlantic partnership?","type":"text"},{"_id":"MK4X4LRAC5EZ7NPY75O6M27GRQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281055},"content":"If this second Trump administration makes good on what has been said and on what is said to be planned, the transatlantic relationship will enter a period of profound crisis and potential collapse. Options are limited. It is possible that the European Union will respond with the kind of collective power it evidenced in the euro and Covid crises. EU defence bonds may put hundreds of millions into national defence budgets and the bones of an EU common defence may come into being. Europe may fill much of the gap in helping Ukraine defend itself. Europe may even stand toe to toe with the US in the upcoming tariff battle, withstanding threats of blackmail. The United Kingdom, France, Germany and especially Poland may also rise to the occasion, creating a bold coalition of the willing, capable as a Euro-Nato or EU+European Political Community to forge the necessary will and deploy the resources required to thwart Russian imperialism and proxy Chinese adventurism via North Korea.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2NQJ2T442ZDYBNZLKO7N5THGUA","additional_properties":{"_id":"H4WDXNEM6NCVVAGKVUUCLGRKLQ"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"YAT5FKXN2VBR3ESDKZIHIRIH4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281056},"content":"Alternatively, European capitals will beat separate paths to Washington to supplicate at the court of Trump, and to secure whatever bilateral assurances and guarantees may be available. Trump may craft his own illiberal coalition in partnership with Orban, Le Pen, Fico and others, thereby collapsing the European Unionâ€™s foreign policy and drawing into question its own political foundations. Russia will keenly exploit Europeâ€™s weaknesses, possibly even creating its longed-for buffer zone of client or neutered states across its western borders.","type":"text"},{"_id":"426G4LMZWFDSJBTVKRLJLGBFEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281057},"content":"The lamps have most certainly not gone out over Europe, but there are now threatening winds blowing from the West and Ireland will inevitably be caught in some severe storm-force crosswinds.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EGULSKA6AVG6ZDPVXGYW5DG2CM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734543056731},"content":"Ben Tonra MRIA is full Professor of International Relations at UCD. A version of this article was published with the UK in a Changing Europe project","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Ben Tonra"}]},"description":{"basic":"If this second Trump administration makes good on what has been said, the transatlantic relationship will enter a period of profound crisis and potential collapse"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Europe is deluded if it thinks it can â€˜manageâ€™ Donald Trump","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BT6HP4N2MW5MAVHG2VEEKI4GEU","auth":{"1":"741a93a28a0ce70bb9d34bf22639cff164efccfb49b6259e0622115abb2f7485"},"focal_point":{"x":4525,"y":2171},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BT6HP4N2MW5MAVHG2VEEKI4GEU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/ben-tonra-europe-is-deluded-if-it-thinks-it-can-manage-donald-trump/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"ZVQGITB2GBCRTIKWV3YBHAZTA4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":421,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6dd86b15-6d1d-46cb-96ea-0bec55c2ef31/versions/1734447654/media/ce405307e18a052baebc6cca8e33620a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/planning-to-join-a-swimming-pool-in-the-new-year-read-this-first/","content_elements":[{"_id":"7QYV5QH74JD4RJUM47MFD4ZQT4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539620},"content":"It has been an incredible year for Irish swimming â€“ three Olympic medals, fantastic performances at the World Championships and short course Worlds, and national record after national record put to bed. If, like many, youâ€™ve been inspired all the way to the local pool, we warmly await your cap-clad arrival to the poolside of your choosing. But please, tread carefully.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNYAVT76IVEC3I56RQZWPCXAGY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539621},"content":"As a twice- or thrice-weekly lunchtime lane-swimmer, I have advice to help you glide seamlessly into this world without enraging your new colleagues. Swimming is unusual among sports for how close it forces you to be with your fellow athletes and it can involve some calibration to maintain a decent rhythm. But lane selection is perilously self-assessed. I see crimes at both ends of the spectrum â€“ fast people menacing the fine citizenry of the slow lane, and splashy slow swimmers disrupting the fast lane.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IP22TVV7HJCKNEJB5LTBXW5I7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539622},"content":"Often, I can see the latter coming. Theyâ€™re men in good shape, and they choose lanes on identity grounds (â€œIâ€™m just a fast lane kinda guyâ€) rather than swimming ability.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5J23YCTELFDCJN5LQIV7PHJBYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539623},"content":"The following happens frequently. Iâ€™m in the fast lane, swimming medium/fast laps of the pool (50m in under a minute, at least), stopping every 12 laps. Someone enters the lane, and just as I am, say, 4m from their end, about to turn and go again, the person takes off. Now, I canâ€™t just tumble-turn and continue, as Iâ€™ll swim directly into the back of them as I come out of the turn. So, I stop. Or rather, I am stopped. They canâ€™t see my reaction, which is visibly frustrated, so thereâ€™s nothing to stop this becoming a continuing theme in our shared lane experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3S5WYPYORZC73EXDUJ4GFWTK2Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539624},"content":"Occasionally, Iâ€™ve attempted a discussion, but swimming pools are terrible mediation spaces. â€œIâ€™m sorry but, I notice you keep just beginning as Iâ€™m about to turn. Could you please, em, just wait until Iâ€™ve turned or go when Iâ€™m at the other end?â€ They look genuinely confused or roll their eyes, and a weird mood captures the lane â€“ one heightened by all the inscrutable goggle-wearing. If, instead of talking, I respond by just turning anyway and immediately overtaking, they often speed up, and an exhausting, close-quarters race ensues.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJBXXHSOO5G7BGL246G3LZ6DN4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539625},"content":"The next point: if someone taps your foot, donâ€™t panic. When returning to lane-swimming, I learned the main rule was that if a swimmer behind taps your foot, thatâ€™s a signal they want to overtake, and you should respond by making that easy â€“ donâ€™t stop dead, but swim on slowly to allow them to get around you quickly. The one time Iâ€™ve attempted this recently, it was met with complete bafflement (they stopped and turned around, thinking I was trying to chat). Unfortunately, the intersection between the set of people who swim enough to know the rule, and the people likely to need to be overtaken, is vanishingly small. Thus, a foot tap in the wild is likely to be interpreted as anything from an unwelcome rogue tickle to an act of physical hostility.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DWPR47FRMJHYLHDM44K72262PM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539626},"content":"Iâ€™m no Daniel Wiffen. I find it intimidating when someone faster joins my lane. If thereâ€™s a free one, or another one thatâ€™s moving well, Iâ€™ll often switch. When I canâ€™t switch without sacrificing a good training session, Iâ€™m very mindful of not messing up their rhythm. Iâ€™ll swim four lengths for every six they do and slide to the corner, or up on to the edge, giving them lots of room to turn and overtake.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AFK2OVM66BAPXJ4U2564ZWUXFY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539627},"content":"This sounds neurotic, but I have come to think the neuroticism is linked to ways women have of perceiving their bodies and the space they take up. Itâ€™s why I get so frustrated when a person cuts me off. I avoid attributing malice where obliviousness is plausible. So, when I think about what it must be like not to be worried about blocking someone elseâ€™s way, to be so completely unconscious of the space my body takes up as to not see that Iâ€™m going to force someone else to stop, Iâ€™m both jealous and annoyed. For me, taking off just before a faster swimmer turns would be no less craven than chasing and then lying down in front of a jogger.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IJ4YUH2FBAT3HFY2RZ6Z4VXBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539628},"content":"Some philosophy I read recently illuminated my rage. Phenomenologists believed the history of western philosophy had relegated the body to a kind of shell that the mind, as the proper seat of consciousness, merely drags around with it. Descartes & Co prioritised the mental over the physical. For phenomenologist Merleau-Ponty, we are our bodies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TYTTRJTDQVHI5GDDKQNRGIMCNA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539629},"content":"In Throwing Like a Girl, Iris Marion Young uses phenomenology to explain how women can struggle to achieve a harmonious relationship with physical activity. According to Young, at our most primal, people are bodies, interacting freely with our environments. The body is capacity â€” a set of powers. But this can work differently for women. Young describes a corrupted version where the power is inhibited, its relationship with its surroundings flounders, causing feelings of incapacity, frustration and self-consciousness.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZOD4GOZ3FCBNGKAMMWYG4RPEQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539630},"content":"In laymanâ€™s terms, we regard our bodies in a way that interferes with the experience of them as primarily powerful. We think about our bodies as objects rather than subjects â€“ things that other people see or, in the case of swimming pools, things that may be in someone elseâ€™s way.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2SWIUISZJFHCJH4UVUD3KPFW7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539631},"content":"This is why, in addition to manspreading, we have womansquinching. Consider the shared armrests between public seats, like those on planes and trains. For those of us whose phenomenology has been beaten down by life, those armrests will always be about occupying space. The idea of freely engaging them simply to reduce the weight-bearing load of our arms, without a thought for the rival elbow is mere fantasy. Similarly, I overthink my lane etiquette, constantly worrying over the possibility of my body becoming an encumbrance to another. Itâ€™s a shame, because it is while swimming uninterrupted that I feel the most primal relationship with my body. I feel like the driver of a decent car, and less like a road hazard.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PX5T55FO3VFHZJXEGECLN23ZEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539632},"content":"So, if swimming is your new yearâ€™s resolution, and you are in the fortunate camp for whom your connection to your body is so natural that you donâ€™t anticipate when you come close to causing a two-body-pile-up, I implore you, try to pick the right lane.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3SVSYYW5V5CLFCJWQHJ5DGWOC4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539633},"content":"Dr Clare Moriarty is a Research Ireland postdoctoral fellow at Trinity College Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Clare Moriarty"}]},"description":{"basic":"Watch your lane etiquette; never take off just before a faster swimmer turns; and donâ€™t panic if someone taps your foot"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Planning to join a swimming pool this January? Read this first","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4WRUQ7ZSCFA2ZI4APCIE6P6QNU","auth":{"1":"a6f5d2782307d31e95c3b62d621a7f7fc4360bda3a0af6f2b569fd6312bbc9b7"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4WRUQ7ZSCFA2ZI4APCIE6P6QNU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/planning-to-join-a-swimming-pool-in-the-new-year-read-this-first/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"QF26E5SEPFAZNAMZDUPBXXGBAI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":330,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/9377f505-7e3b-49ae-bd72-4e032136f9b8/versions/1735572755/media/9190b09a554f21bd6a7480cdab77640d_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/when-luigi-mangiones-manifesto-was-published-the-most-surprising-thing-was-its-conventionality/","content_elements":[{"_id":"GHIX3K5EI5GBPJKEHFZJX2VXV4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894110},"content":"Living in the present era can feel a bit like falling slowly down an endless flight of stairs while trying to balance cups of hot coffee, or on a particularly discombobulating day, battery acid. We are constantly bombarded with competing stories about reality, all of which generally claim to be true. Most of them are directly targeting our attention in the way most likely to grab it â€“ through language and topics that will trigger concern, distress or self-righteous anger.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G5RFXDYGORA3ZMLINXGZC4NBZM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894111},"content":"It is normal to feel almost permanently destabilised and often suspicious of new information that comes our way. In December, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis unknowingly shared and condemned an AI image of Bono and Bob Geldof holding Israeli flags, purportedly pictured outside the Israeli embassy in Dublin. The replies beneath the tweet were half outraged agreement with Varoufakisâ€™s melodramatic ire and half people telling him to get a grip and learn to spot the tells of blatantly fake imagery online. The world is changing at a faster rate than we can reasonably keep up with.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XADPMVIOPJF6LH5XN3B3VWF4ZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894112},"content":"Itâ€™s normal to absorb conflicting narratives and, as a result, feel conflicted. The CEO shooter story was a fine example. Depending on the corner of the internet in which you found yourself and which media you opted to consume, accounts of Luigi Mangione, who was charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, varied widely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W4HXAEA5WVFM5P4OHFMMQF3VMQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894113},"content":"Heâ€™s a Batman-type symbol of ethical vigilantism, meting out justice on behalf of the victims of an irreparably broken and inhumane healthcare system. He is the egotistical, smug beneficiary of intergenerational wealth, puffed up by narcissism and a vague set of poorly considered, hypocritical values. He is the man to sound the opening salvo in a new war on corporate elites, whose self-interest and wealth hoarding exacerbate suffering and poverty among the working classes. He is a clever young man who had every chance in life but spiralled into mental illness and misdiagnosed the root of a social and political problem. He is a handsome hero. He is a victim. He is a credulous neophyte. He is a poisonous hypocrite.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPMEWI657NAJLEAN2JW6NW4M2A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894114},"content":"Thereâ€™s been a palpable shift in discourse and culture, not brought about by Mangioneâ€™s decision to â€“ allegedly â€“ shoot a man in the back with a 3D-printed gun but certainly articulated by it. Reified by it. It speaks to a frustration that millennials and Gen Z have been openly articulating for some time now. Mangioneâ€™s focus was the unique environment of the US healthcare system. In Ireland, while our healthcare system is clearly in terrible crisis, the differing model limits direct comparison but there is widespread distaste for what is routinely perceived as corporate greed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VMKSCJ7KVBAYDM5JWB33HCURQM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894115},"content":"There is a perception that among the young (and those described as â€œyoungâ€ by Irish politicians because they canâ€™t afford to buy a house or have a family, despite being far from youthful) that Irish people live in a gerontocracy, with those under 40 and their interests disproportionately unrepresented by those in power. That the disparity in wealth, security and quality of life between older generations and younger ones is intolerable, and a point of deep resentment. That the myth of hard work and merit that we were sold growing up grew stale even as we worked toward it and watched it wither out of being.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OZB3OUDASVHIFIF4IZBTU6JIBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894116},"content":"The result is a generational divide in home ownership, access to healthcare, the ability to have, feed and educate a family. Another exodus of young, educated Irish people to Australia, Canada and other countries has become inevitable. They arenâ€™t going quietly, either. There is no confusion about the sources of resentment that people are nursing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LNZF5EFPZRETXJMSUCDMWRLG3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894117},"content":"When Mangioneâ€™s â€œmanifestoâ€ was published by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, the most surprising thing about it was the conventionality of his views. Youâ€™ll hear similar sentiments around a lunch table in Dublin, or in the snug of a pub. Yet, most people are decidedly not assembling weapons at home and committing acts of violence in the name of radical politics. They are not channelling Emma Goldman or ThÃ©odule Meunier or popularising vigilantism and anarchy on Irish streets. If the riots of 2023 are anything to go by, it seems clear that Irish distaste for corporate greed goes hand in hand with disgust for public violence and flouting of the law.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HX5ZXIHYSFA5RGE26KQVCONXU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734723894118},"content":"Itâ€™s useful to consider this when we feel torn online or locked in the strange dissonance between our digital imprint and the people we actually choose to be in our everyday lives. Mangione was sure enough of his beliefs to take the life of another person. Opining on social media is often conflated with doing something of impact in the world. It isnâ€™t. Itâ€™s just noise. We can lament this gap between what people claim to believe and what they do in the material world, but this time it may be a relief that many of us are not as radical as we claim to be online. Confusion, and not cold certainty, may just be the most rational and sane response to the world we live in.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Laura Kennedy"}},"name":"Laura Kennedy"}]},"description":{"basic":"The most surprising thing about it was how conventional it was, yet most people are not committing acts of violence in the name of radical politics"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Luigi Mangioneâ€™s â€˜manifestoâ€™ isnâ€™t that different to views you would hear in the pub","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"7LPCGGKL6W4IVXNSVY75CIEA5U","auth":{"1":"4b3fc624ec10564dcf434b1d1160dbd13479b337bd7f2598be778d025252e9f6"},"focal_point":{"x":967,"y":241},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7LPCGGKL6W4IVXNSVY75CIEA5U.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/when-luigi-mangiones-manifesto-was-published-the-most-surprising-thing-was-its-conventionality/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DHI4UUZ5VVCKFELP746V6ALK44","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":368,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/bb5384d8-c8d7-4e2b-b002-9e9cd49ac888/versions/1734699657/media/c03fff12f928a9a399083dd3f9d5960d_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/rachel-odwyer-my-friend-sends-me-a-dizzying-list-of-pills-for-what-she-calls-biohacking-perimenopause/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WWIW56LBFBG7NICGJYB4ELA73A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795772},"content":"My friend Suzy and I visit a luxury forest spa before Christmas. Neither of us are really sure what we are supposed to actually do in the luxury spa for three hours. Along with a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, many of the rooms â€“ â€œexperiencesâ€ â€“ appear to simply be designed for sleeping. There is a Scandinavian snug, for example, with a fire and huge fluffy blankets that you can lie under with a view of the forest beyond. I lie blearily on a chaise longue, watching robed figures wander through the trees outside and thinking about Ari Aster horror films. The spa offers a class in sleep as it happens, another in mindful meditation, and a third in skincare, which is just beginning when we arrive. Behind a glass partition, a row of women in identical fluffy white robes all face front. Thereâ€™s a distinctly Wall-E feel to the whole spectacle. They stare earnestly ahead at an invisible instructor, all gently massaging the delicate skin around their eyes with the fourth finger of each hand in neat, circular motions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBWCOSOUWRDKLKE34YVTJAX2PY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795773},"content":"What comes to mind when you think of wellness? It might be colostrum serums, aura points or simply having enough free time to go running. (The word â€œcolostrumâ€ alone is enough to conjure shivers of deep personal failure in my own psyche). A wellness trend Iâ€™ve seen forecast in several places for 2025 is â€œlongevityâ€, which is simply the aspiration to be so healthy that you live longer than everyone else. Maybe it speaks to cynicism on my part, or at least a cynicism about the future, but Iâ€™m surprised that younger people want to live forever when the planet is burning. Maybe this cynicism also explains my own approach to new yearâ€™s resolutions, which is less aspirational and always just â€œmake it from January 1st to March 20th without doing myself a violenceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RGIXCYDMNBB4LJAOETGUW5QPLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795774},"content":"For many of us, the Covid pandemic sounded the death knell for any residual cries to â€œlean inâ€. Many Gen X and millennial women worked and cared and parented past the point of burnout. They continue to do so. If the womanly dream of â€œhaving it allâ€ has been revealed to be simply â€œdoing it allâ€, wellness promises something different. It suggests there can be healing from all that striving, that self-care could replace the demand to be a girlboss, hustle or achieve. And maybe this is why wellness is so appealing, promising that a new you might be purchased as easily as a fancy jade roller.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HGRXQT7DFE2DPLOMHAWK455TY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795775},"content":"Figuring out how to be well feels dispiriting at a moment when so much of the language of healing and transcending has been absorbed into the vernacular of corporate productivity and self-optimisation. Iâ€™m stating the obvious here, but even the very state of wellness as opposed to simply â€œbeing wellâ€ implies a luxury product we consume rather than something we simply are, a sentiment still perfectly encapsulated by the yoni eggs sold on Gwyneth Paltrowâ€™s lifestyle website Goop, designed to be inserted into the vagina to â€œharness the power of energy work, crystal healing and Kegel-like physical practiceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"COJSHRNSONCG5F733MY7KB2QJA","additional_properties":{"_id":"EUZNX5AMRNAMFMFPUAFDR55ZA4"},"content":"My smear test dilemma: How do I confess that this is my first one, at the age of 41?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UU7QVFHHU5HGVGDN3NL67LI3PQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795776},"content":"If, on the one hand, we have Paltrow shilling us expensive Kegel toners to fill the aching voids in our lives, in the past year or so Iâ€™ve noticed another less glamorous but frankly more useful approach to health and wellness among millennials. This age group are using tools like the internet, AI and the wisdom of crowds to navigate womenâ€™s health issues. My cohort are well used to navigating a Reddit wormhole. If we donâ€™t entirely trust the health system to care for our bodies we would rather trust in the hive mind to help us sift through the noise surrounding topics like perimenopause and postnatal depression.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PGN4TY3HOREKTKIJSY442MOHBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795777},"content":"The results are mixed. â€œHave you tried low-dose naltrexone? How about metformin?â€ A friend in the States texts me. Iâ€™d been complaining about a general unwell feeling for the past few months, tired and achy in my joints. But maybe this is just what getting older feels like? â€œWhat are they for?â€ I ask, quickly googling to discover that the first is prescribed in higher doses for addiction but used at lower doses off-label for numerous purposes including long Covid and the latter is prescribed for diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. My friend has none of these conditions as far as I know. â€œI donâ€™t know, Reddit told me it would keep me skinny and make me young,â€ she quips, proceeding to describe a dizzying list of supplements and medications she calls â€œbiohacking perimenopauseâ€. Alongside the aforementioned, thereâ€™s low oestrogen birth control as a precursor to hormone therapy and Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant with stimulant properties. â€œItâ€™s shocking how much my parenting has improved.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQK6FBVJEFGCJFB62HY6TVB6BU","additional_properties":{"_id":"N74J2YRYPJFZTCQGHETFO5WYUA"},"content":"Men are deemed more masculine for taking up more space, women more feminine for taking up less","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"7Q4GT7WW3NBXBHDPY2FRVTD4NY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795778},"content":"I notice that many of my WhatsApp groups ostensibly devoted to motherly admin are frequently highjacked to poll health supplements: magnesium, strength training and the best (okay, fine, least worst) hormonal contraceptives. Even though picking up heavy things has always topped my list in terms of boring forms of exercise, it clearly tops the shared list of recommendations for recommended stuff to do as you get older. The shared consensus, too, is that supplements advertised for menopause are simply magnesium and vitamin B at a much higher price tag and not worth your money, however many influencers try to shill you a fancy version of Starflower oil. I add them to my online shopping cart. Itâ€™s cheaper than a crystal egg.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7Q3S4RJ2RH63ILS2D7A4BIB4E","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795779},"content":"Rachel Oâ€™Dwyer is a writer and lecturer in digital cultures in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Rachel O'Dwyer"}]},"description":{"basic":"My generation prefers to trust the hive mind to the health system when it comes to caring for our bodies and minds. The results can be mixed"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"My friend sends me a dizzying list of pills for what she calls â€˜biohacking perimenopauseâ€™","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"CWZ7N6KUJZCDLLEMSELAFH4VW4","auth":{"1":"3b1c0fe58af6ce06db8182d3d1a5eff819469ebae741958bf210018af75da722"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CWZ7N6KUJZCDLLEMSELAFH4VW4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/rachel-odwyer-my-friend-sends-me-a-dizzying-list-of-pills-for-what-she-calls-biohacking-perimenopause/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}}],"count":10000,"_id":"47e54d820f2e3156d62be5ccb7cb271c080b92c9dd6b8fa01f22f3567baf111c"},"expires":1737069816892,"lastModified":1737069516354},"{\"feedOffset\":0,\"feedSize\":5,\"includeSections\":\"/opinion/letters\"}":{"data":{"content_elements":[{"_id":"34RCW5YOVVDN7GFT2FP4NCLWJE","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/16/apartments-and-planning-delays/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WSNH5ZJYDZBKNH4OGI6JHOLVXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752993},"content":"Sir, â€“ Repeated reports from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and the government have pointed to a viability problem with apartment delivery. Permissions for approximately 90 per cent of the uncommenced units in Dublin were apartments. As one report by the Department of Finance said, â€œthe scale of the aggregate problem, the proportion of apartment development in the figures, the repeated assertions by industry and, most importantly, the data, all point to a structural problem with the viability of high-density development.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"46FY3JZFOJA7TITHAJHV7KWXPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752994},"content":"While planning delays are not entirely to blame for the viability challenge, they play a significant role. Equally important to the number of permissions made is the speed with which permissions are granted. The Department of Finance has highlighted the risk to the viability of projects â€“ especially those involving apartments â€“ due to delays. A two-year delay can reduce the equity return of a project by 50 per cent. While there is a healthy supply of permissions, the evidence suggests that many of these projects are made unviable by delays, uncertainty, and high construction costs. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"AHKPF7YZZJGUDEZVA3VA63SDSU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752995},"content":"SEÃN Oâ€™NEILL McPARTLIN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"RHEOZG4275EEHJI4RWFVW7H5OQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752996},"content":"Director of Housing Policy,","type":"text"},{"_id":"KWG32A74IRAMHAXFBHODD56BRY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752997},"content":"Progress Ireland,","type":"text"},{"_id":"6QGZCO47ZZGOBJMVNGEUITN4CU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958752998},"content":"Dublin 1.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Many of these projects are made unviable by delays, uncertainty, and high construction costs"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T05:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Apartments and planning delays","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"},"basic":{"display":true,"text":"Letter of the Day","url":"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/letter-of-the-day/"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"6GVJTWXOI5FYPOLOK3JLHZZVVU","auth":{"1":"2781af11b396c223ac2b1f05df19ecc2dafc39caa2ffa2f14069f0e5a11189ee"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/6GVJTWXOI5FYPOLOK3JLHZZVVU.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Letters"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/16/apartments-and-planning-delays/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/letters","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Letters"}}}},{"_id":"AZHGALUTNJDCTIAWJ3NVU4WTEU","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/16/letters-to-the-editor-january-16th-on-the-shape-of-the-new-government-and-child-disability-services/","content_elements":[{"_id":"NHAQD7X6GNDLZPWCURWPMUBGYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449138},"content":"Sir, â€“ I note that, arising from the ongoing talks on the formation of a new government, Michael Healy-Rae is likely to be given a junior ministry and, regardless of the responsibilities which this post might entail, â€œit will be good for Kerryâ€ (â€œMichael Healy-Rae says he will take take junior ministry and that Kerry people will see the benefitsâ€, News, January 15th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"FTIDQMNGVREB7HJT6DGNJGCMCM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449139},"content":"It has always been the case that, when exercising the franchise at an election, based on the manifestos of the main political parties, voters have proceeded on the basis that, for the most part, those stated policies will be prioritised and, hopefully, implemented, when a government is formed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3QLI27MPHZAJLEJ7CKYVCODJXE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449140},"content":"However, the reality now appears to be that, post-election, the particular interests of individual counties and regions take over, without any objective assessment whatsoever of the economic and social needs of the country as a whole.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JH2FNFS6KRF63AMJN5E6VCM6WQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449141},"content":"It is all very well to say that realpolitik must prevail but that is cold comfort for voters, like myself, who now feel that it has almost become a fruitless exercise to try to make a reasoned decision on how to vote.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DZJ7ERC4QJB6NI6P6NZJ5NVHMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449142},"content":"Indeed, to vote for someone on the basis of the contribution that person might make, in dealing collectively with the challenges facing the nation, now seems to be a lost cause. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJ5P6EGW5RDZLMVCWIL3TRP3AU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449143},"content":"MARTIN McDONALD,","type":"text"},{"_id":"RJK4EQJXL5GZHJBXTAEY2VE4IQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449144},"content":"Terenure,","type":"text"},{"_id":"KUM2N3X2WBGY7CNTB7D4QIV67M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449145},"content":"Dublin 12.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WJ3JBIILI5FJBPN5XDAZLDKUCE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449146},"content":"Sir, â€“ Colm Keenaâ€™s analysis â€œ Why are people saying FF and FG should not deal with Michael Lowry?â€ (January 14th) made for sobering reading. Simon Harris and MicheÃ¡l Martin â€œblushed a bit, but said they were still willing to deal with the Regional Groupâ€, with Mr Lowry â€œtheir point of contactâ€. Where has the moral compass gone to? Have they no shame? Is this what we voted for in the general election? â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VZANW4UKYZGHXLA3WZ63FN3UQM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449147},"content":"PATRICK Oâ€™BYRNE,","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HHEF6JV2FCZ7KAZVOQLKBMEXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449148},"content":"Dublin 7.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AG7LBR377NC7LIHZZJTTDDBJPI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449149},"content":"Sir, â€“ It was bound to happen sooner or later that the Craggy Island constituency would control the direction of government. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"2Y2P65GC3JHTTNSCL4LO3MGEPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449150},"content":"DONAL HUTTON,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VBB2C67GDFCVJLBJLGJYM4F4XA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449151},"content":"Carrigaline,","type":"text"},{"_id":"KHKXKGH34RA6TAOLJBZY6QPFVU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449152},"content":"Co Cork.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NOFFB254JZCUXKH3NUY6YSYLRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449153},"content":"Sir, â€“ Hats off to the Healy-Raes! â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"MXZVILTKORAUZK67SLIQS5TVG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449154},"content":"MICHAEL ROONEY,","type":"text"},{"_id":"J6CL3JQMHBHHJCBZN6GHMMHFQQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449155},"content":"Knocknacarra,","type":"text"},{"_id":"FVC3L7ZL2NECNKDMYXVNHU4HAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449156},"content":"Galway.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5T4PNZOTJNEUNKWPKM3KQ6VAPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449157},"content":"Sir,â€“ Is there a possibility we may be subjected to rotating Healy-Raes as junior ministers? â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"HFELTAPQRRADJGOZRRBDMKY6DQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449158},"content":"CONOR McMAHON,","type":"text"},{"_id":"UGKLQ27GTBDYFNPT6ZOL2KULGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449159},"content":"Dublin 14.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WDTN2FTAOFHJBKOT4LDI7HWTP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449160},"content":"Global coal consumption ","type":"header"},{"_id":"QZZEV67YDNF6NEBPFF5YOBVYCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449168},"content":"Sir, â€“ CiarÃ¡n Cuffe, co-chair of the European Green Party, is preaching to the converted when he exhorts governments â€œon both sides of the Atlanticâ€ to decarbonise (Opinion & Analysis, January 14th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"5ZISBSPCYZB2JKW7BSAUTYC3GM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449169},"content":"Global consumption of coal has doubled in the past three decades but not on Atlantic shores: China burned through a record five billion tons of coal last year and India burns more coal annually than Europe and North America combined.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OYP77ZGDGNC7XBMIVJEQOWZFGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449170},"content":"The Greens should redirect their fire. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"52LYBQCSGFDTNIZL4IGKIBCJPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449171},"content":"Dr JOHN DOHERTY,","type":"text"},{"_id":"MXFDYXIGZ5GJJNNDEXCXG64O6U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449172},"content":"Gaoth Dobhair,","type":"text"},{"_id":"3JPONJC375DTVAP4AVVZS4GDXE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449173},"content":"Co DhÃºn na nGall.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JO3IRAOEVFCDVOQE5HEUBXRJ44","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449174},"content":"Covid and child disability services","type":"header"},{"_id":"P7YFDKLRUVGLRMUCF435K4JEZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449175},"content":"Sir, â€“ Fintan Oâ€™Toole needs to take off the rose-tinted glasses when looking back at the response to Covid (â€œFive years after Covid, we scorn health workers, ignore vaccines and work in our officesâ€, Opinion & Analysis, January 15th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"M4655YUMD5AB3G7I3MILAOJRUA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449176},"content":"While health service senior managers lectured the Irish people about â€œprotecting the vulnerableâ€, HSE senior management were busy redeploying therapists for children with disabilities to Covid work.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KPNP5AKP6NGLJHQG3FO6JLUGFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449177},"content":"Zoom teaching was effectively useless for many children with complex needs, leaving parents effectively fulfilling the role of both therapists and teachers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4VQMWNEZR5ASXPN5AWSFKABNYE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449178},"content":"Unlike certain â€œfrontline workersâ€, parents of children with disabilities did not get a clap for their efforts nor indeed did they have the time to perfect their dance moves for TikTok videos.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VPAB5BT7BJEPTL3TKD3UQ5Y4UA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449179},"content":"As usual, the State left it to parents to provide services that functioning health and education services provide as a matter of course to children with disabilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S7Y2CWECLREMTJOQU7R6IUCZJM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449180},"content":"When it comes to child disability health services and education, nothing has changed since Covid. Parents continue to be forced into High Court actions to secure education and therapy services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AV4R4ZOBENHKTO4Z37LOTLF7YA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449181},"content":"It would be entirely accurate to state that while Irish politicians, regulatory bodies, media, health and education management hide, the High Court remains the only State institution actually doing its job in protecting Irish children with disabilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QFLFG7NRW5GEXIRFOUINGXS5IA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449182},"content":"Perhaps rather than wistfully looking back at a time when the State threw Irish kids with disabilities under a bus, the Irish media might start taking some of the burden from parents and the High Court by challenging the senior health service managers who continually fail to provide even basic levels of service. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"OKOSJDK64RE3PL36VF2QWSFPDU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449183},"content":"RUARY MARTIN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"7BOJVLFSY5G7NEYYTSMZT4OKPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449184},"content":"Dublin 18.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U2BP6I75HJBVJL476P3FFZZ3WM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449185},"content":"Drying the washing ","type":"header"},{"_id":"ITV3PO5UNJC5JAJV7RRMKCDBXA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449186},"content":"Sir, â€“ While travelling recently on a train through the picturesque Algarve, I found myself bemused by a group of Canadian tourists marvelling out of the window. Their source of wonder? Not the stunning coastline or quaint villages, but the sight of washing lines strung between houses. They seemed utterly fascinated by the notion of drying clothes outdoors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FKKQORG46VDBDO36VSZDRFPWKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449187},"content":"Coming from Ireland, where a fine day is never squandered, hanging washing outside is practically an art form. In fact, we didnâ€™t stop at using clotheslines â€“ hedges often served as makeshift drying racks in a pinch. There was something delightfully simple about this practice: no tumble dryer could match the smell of laundry infused with fresh air. Economical, environmentally friendly, and requiring no batteries, what more could one want from a drying method?","type":"text"},{"_id":"ASZCNQAD7BCKBN24XS4RKTXDZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449188},"content":"The conversation took an unexpected twist when, upon striking up a chat, they assumed I was English. I politely corrected them, though I fear the damage was done. Perhaps my accent had been softened by years of outdoor drying. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IYNNG7M5RA6DAHLXM2ERT7QFI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449189},"content":"ENDA CULLEN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"2XDXT46QABAOFNCUTX2J7SBSA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449190},"content":"Armagh.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OQICV3OWRRHDHBCWHNE3SZR4D4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449191},"content":"Insurance premiums ","type":"header"},{"_id":"M3U2LHP22BAJ7AD2NLZKYIAARE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449192},"content":"Sir, â€“ I found it rather intriguing to learn that the body which resolves personal injury claims, the Injuries Resolution Board, has stated that there has been a 40 per cent drop in public liability claims between 2019 and 2023 (â€œPersonal injury guidelines result in sharp fall in claimsâ€, News, January 14th). Its report examined 30,000 public liability accidents.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EVIBPQQHABHOPMMDODTDAUCSPA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449193},"content":"If there has been a drop in overall claims, one wonders why insurance in Ireland is so expensive? â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"MRWFV2P6AFASNHFF5XA7T2YOPQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449194},"content":"JOHN Oâ€™BRIEN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"HXLKQ34ZRFDVXEOJFHJHEWYVEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449195},"content":"Clonmel,","type":"text"},{"_id":"AYWFWRSOV5CFXJADLS7DOMU3JM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449196},"content":"Co Tipperary.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VV266OPPWBBW5DDX7KAPJJANGU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449197},"content":"Changes to the Leaving Cert ","type":"header"},{"_id":"I7XU735EV5DCTAL4CYVQJM6O4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449198},"content":"Sir, â€“ In â€œ Leaving Cert 2.00: What to expect from the reformed senior cycleâ€ (Analysis, January 14th), Carl Oâ€™Brien dismisses the inherent threat of AI-assisted plagiarism by nonchalantly assuring us that â€œAI would only get a student so farâ€. The much more relevant problem, however, is how far AI will get a student in two years, when the first additional assessment components will be submitted to the Department of Education for correction as part of the Leaving Certificate changes. AI is developing at an exponential rate. He further seems to take reassurance from the fact that \" . . . teachers will need to sign off these projects as studentsâ€™ own work when handing them to the State Examinations Commissionâ€. However, this requirement will put teachers in a deeply invidious position. Should they suspect that their student received assistance with their work â€“ from parents, other teachers, or from AI â€“ will teachers really be expected to effectively accuse their students of cheating? To deprive their students of 40 per cent of their Leaving Cert marks in a subject? To lay themselves (and their school boards of management) open to legal challenges by affected students and parents?","type":"text"},{"_id":"CJ3GAE6SUBHDDCEIRUUVV6M5OE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449199},"content":"Or will teachers be inclined to give such students the benefit of any doubt? â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"333VDERS4REOROSNSMX5PXKBRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449200},"content":"SIMON KELLIHER,","type":"text"},{"_id":"DBVJWXRL3JCLDKQGHAS6PMHA34","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449201},"content":"(Secondary Teacher),","type":"text"},{"_id":"FKUGLJRPABAHZLG35URHVWSLAE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449202},"content":"Crookstown,","type":"text"},{"_id":"QDT5CDSLONC6FCJMR3ZXZK7LIU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449203},"content":"Co Cork.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V2U3TZTHWRB6FOWWJSCRM2YWLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449204},"content":"Sir, â€“ While I strongly disagree with the solution offered to the â€œdamaging Leaving Cert points raceâ€, Matthew Harrisonâ€™s powerful description of the problem itself should leave us in no doubt that a solution must be urgently found (â€œ Itâ€™s time to get rid of the damaging Leaving Cert points raceâ€, Education, Opinion, January 13th). The Leaving Cert has become an excellent example of the cure becoming worse than the disease. It may well have been necessary when introduced: Ireland would be a very different place today if access to third-level education had depended on whom you knew rather than what you knew; but I believe we have grown up enough that this would not be such an issue â€“ and if it were to be, then a far less damaging solution than the Leaving Cert would be found.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HK22KALDZNBO5EJC2H2YDZCRPQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449205},"content":"Because of the â€œexamsâ€™ umbilical attachment to third-level entryâ€ teachers are faced with the choice between educating the children we entrust to them or making it possible for them to pursue the further education that suits them. Our teachers would not, under the current system, be thanked for making the right choice. The proposed reforms of the system appear to have the absurd objective of making the exam weeks less stressful for the students. This is impossible since the stress is built in: that only 60 per cent rather than 100 per cent of your points that will determine whether you get the course you want depend on the exams will make very little, if any, difference. The reform will certainly not solve the â€œteaching to the testâ€ problem.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RDCA3IBM7ND2DAEKHUI3LMETBM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449206},"content":"Eliminating the test entirely and allowing students to enter any course at any university they wished would solve that problem, but be damaging both to the universities and, more importantly, to those students who invested time and effort in courses they were not suited for. It would be best to leave the admission decisions to the universities. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"TV4GL4AUG5GXLK4N3URZXVETEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449207},"content":"WILLIAM HUNT,","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYC63GJS6VHBRC5XRLMKL4NAMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449208},"content":"Dublin 6.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PFHTO3H2QVGEZB3TV4YRRILJ3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449209},"content":"Universal basic income ","type":"header"},{"_id":"NLFWQG4K6JHQDBMKEUP7T2PHZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449210},"content":"A chara, â€“ A letter writer (January 14th) asks about the trial of universal basic income promised by the last government. Minister for Arts Catherine Martin launched Basic Income for the Arts in 2022, a trial programme where 2,000 artists and arts workers received a payment of â‚¬325 a week for three years. This scheme was widely welcomed in the arts sector, and many organisations have called for the scheme to be retained and expanded when it runs out this year. â€“ Is mise,","type":"text"},{"_id":"7A5TW4BJLBEBPKG26GUU73GCHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449211},"content":"Cllr RAY CUNNINGHAM,","type":"text"},{"_id":"67OEPYUEA5ADNBSPRAPSHMDKSI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449212},"content":"(Green Party),","type":"text"},{"_id":"MT4GAHSH45BO7BQC6HSKALJHWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449213},"content":"Dublin 12.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AMXLRSEQ4VHEDHLOH4HXUIFWZI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449214},"content":"Sir, â€“ While government commitments to universal basic income are a matter of record, that doesnâ€™t make them credible or wise.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3JBV7MWIRVCHVHYP6CXDYWQWEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449215},"content":"Given our adult population of four million, if we took â‚¬15,000 per year as an acceptable level of UBI, it would cost â‚¬60 billion, assuming no implementation, administrative or delivery costs. This is about half of the total, currently massive, tax take. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"OHSAVGDUO5D4RO44F643PJZBTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449216},"content":"BRIAN Oâ€™BRIEN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"4RRXQBDWAZHIFFGNDP4L3CJ4UQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449217},"content":"Kinsale,","type":"text"},{"_id":"TKFMHSAB4BE3BKR2PPB54WBH6A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449218},"content":"Co Cork.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GBKYPFAPD5GEVPDWSV43HEZTHY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449219},"content":"Foreign policy and national interests ","type":"header"},{"_id":"6OS4ZNFLVBGITPHLWP23Y5TK5E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449220},"content":"Sir, â€“ As the new Irish government formulates its foreign policy, it is important to note that our values and principles and our national interests are not mutually exclusive (Pat Leahy, â€œGovernment is getting nervous about the contentious Occupied Territories Billâ€, Opinion & Analysis, January 12th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"IRVPXHSCTNBC5OJVZV3XM2RIVQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449221},"content":"Apart from the risks of this solo run challenging our EU legal obligations, we should be working with our EU colleagues for maximum effectiveness in creating a two-state solution in the Middle East and in supporting the latest diplomatic moves to free the hostages and secure a ceasefire. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"HPEJFQ2KMJGR3MKOXJEXFKBCJM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449222},"content":"TED SMYTH,","type":"text"},{"_id":"A6SHWH4MEZGIVD6WN7WOTS3VFA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449223},"content":"New York.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EIYRBCIPWNH6FL3ZRQC77555BQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449224},"content":"Some free advice ","type":"header"},{"_id":"N3ZNRU2VIVGYVCKJKCGD3J3XUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449225},"content":"Sir, â€“ I was astonished to read that the former leader of the Green Party is now giving advice to the incoming government on the control of spending (Eamon Ryan, Opinion & Analysis, January 14th). This coming from a Minister with nine full-time advisers beggars belief. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"5FDVMCTEFRGSLAB3FL5XNXUEVE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449226},"content":"ANTAINE Oâ€™DUIBHIR,","type":"text"},{"_id":"RVOYX5MW2BBLNF2ZMTI7N26BEY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449227},"content":"Dublin 6.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZHX6FJQQ4FGZLBMB3IPHSBMDTA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449228},"content":"Social media alternative ","type":"header"},{"_id":"35ZBJW3KMREW5OAP2L2DNCFEWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449229},"content":"Sir, â€“ Further to Ben Avelingâ€™s letter (January 14th) outlining several alternatives to the Mark Zuckerberg social media empire, I can enthusiastically recommend a further alternative: giving up social media entirely. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"A7VFVZ5HAJD5ZOAXZN32XHUUOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449230},"content":"DAVID M Oâ€™SHEA,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VAJ4Z46VDNBI5EJ2ML5SPA5L3I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449231},"content":"Dublin 6.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KOHET2HNZJFLZGWCOJYJGIDLUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449232},"content":"Blooming daffodils ","type":"header"},{"_id":"7Y3AE2GB4BFHTFOV7ALG3W6LKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449233},"content":"Sir, â€“ One glorious yellow daffodil in full bloom, having come unscathed through the challenges of frozen ground and considerable depth of snow. Hardy and a symbol of natureâ€™s resilience. We are deeply grateful. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"IPR3EUBFNVAMZKYMOZXGNXI3EY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449234},"content":"KATHLEEN GLEESON,","type":"text"},{"_id":"WNTHAZBX5VBKNFNOLVK4EBU26M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449235},"content":"Killarney,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VJYEJVTO6JHIRENMABNWSR75KI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736956449236},"content":"Co Kerry.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"The particular interests of individual counties and regions have now taken over"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T00:02:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Letters to the Editor, January 16th: On the shape of the new government, and child disability services","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VHFAVTA4U5C7FE2ZTPOGOKHXN4","auth":{"1":"1f202b740bd44798a55898a19ef6a892873ae4e538e9e94222c2b3519c6cad0e"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VHFAVTA4U5C7FE2ZTPOGOKHXN4.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Letters"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/16/letters-to-the-editor-january-16th-on-the-shape-of-the-new-government-and-child-disability-services/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/letters","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Letters"}}}},{"_id":"ASONGPXIF5FTHEOXEXE67OLFCI","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/15/letters-to-the-editor-january-15th-on-childcare-family-and-society-and-special-needs-assistants/","content_elements":[{"_id":"NOB6DDZADNGWDDESBXOEO2LFJM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839769},"content":"Sir, â€“ Further to the letter from the National Womenâ€™s Council and others calling for a publicly funded childcare system (Letters, January 13th), an excellent report carried out by UCC in 2017, Report of Consultations with Children on After-school Care, includes the following information:","type":"text"},{"_id":"5BD4YOPTDBBWJCBHNHV2556NZM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839770},"content":"â€œThe eight to 12-year-old cohort voted on where they would like to be cared for from a list of settings identified by them. Overwhelmingly the children voted for home as the place they would most like to be cared for after school (59 per cent). This was followed by friendsâ€™ houses (17 per cent), relatives (13 per cent), an after-school club (6 per cent), childminder (4 per cent) and creche (1 per cent)â€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GERMNCZEWBCINL4JZOERE5NQSU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839771},"content":"Future planning and policy in childcare by the next government needs to listen to the voice of all stakeholders, including the key stakeholders, children.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I3GDYUBBSNDFZMSSS475KEP3VY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839772},"content":"We now have a chance in Ireland to be leaders rather than followers in developing a childcare system that is flexible, responsive and ultimately centres childrenâ€™s wellbeing as its number one priority.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GRLSMB2HWFFMPDD6PQT2DRTWWA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839773},"content":"A recognition that while group childcare settings can work for some children, they may not be appropriate or desirable for all children. A recognition that publicly funded high-quality childcare is one important strand of a national childcare policy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YEORXI4M5ZGIXGVQ6A3S2WXTEM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839774},"content":"A recognition that for some families caring for their children at home is a valid choice which should be supported through flexible work practices and targeted tax credits.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3BJLVU3LQZFT3GRXYODG46IC3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839775},"content":"A childcare policy that values choice and diversity will ultimately benefit everyone in our society. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"FBL3W7YYQFDITD27BGJY6KPEUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839776},"content":"LENA DEEVY,","type":"text"},{"_id":"L5X2RWLS6NGGJGV7X55YN6CAJA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839777},"content":"Ballinlough,","type":"text"},{"_id":"6Z2UOYXRCBHFDMXEQWDAHKYB4I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839778},"content":"Cork.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BUCPT527EBDMVGVGNLKLASD7ZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839779},"content":"Sir, â€“ Healthcare and childcare and education are essential services for a modern society to not even prosper but to function. Working in one of these areas and availing of the other, the shortfalls and lack of governmental support are readily apparent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QPYUPS23TRB63M5AQATKK43SLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839780},"content":"The article â€œ Childcare crisis driving employees out of workforceâ€ (News, January 13th) highlights the reduction in the amount of women going back into the workforce after starting a family. Nursing, as an example, being a mostly female-staffed profession, then gets hit by the domino effect of this and healthcare recruitment suffers. This is not a family-centric problem, itâ€™s a societal one, and the people who care for our children and our people should get all the support and funding they deserve. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTY5UUON7NFSDNNWSH73SMAI3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839781},"content":"LISA DALY,","type":"text"},{"_id":"GICXBDFY4RC5HJ3CNENYBQ2WM4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839782},"content":"Dublin 14.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZECJKAJQCZF73HFIN65ERHUBYE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839783},"content":"Special-needs assistants","type":"header"},{"_id":"CTDFV3PBLJBEVCRIDJE3OWNP24","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839784},"content":"Sir, â€“ I am writing in response to the news article â€œ Tension between teachers and special-needs assistants flagged in official reportâ€ (January 10th). While it appears that much of the information in the article was drawn from the Department of Educationâ€™s principal and deputies focus groups on the role and duties of special-needs assistants (SNAs), the lack of input from SNA focus groups renders the article incomplete and, unfortunately, one-sided. The majority of SNAs are highly qualified professionals who regularly engage in continuing professional development to enhance their skills and expertise. The characterisation of SNAs as providing â€œa mothering role,â€ being â€œan extra set of eyes and ears,â€ or taking on a â€œsecond job in the householdâ€ is an oversimplification that undermines the complexity and significance of their contributions to inclusive education.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2YRZQZQYDNCW7N3IQB3WQGX67E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839785},"content":"Far from creating tension, SNAs collaborate closely with teachers and other staff to support students with significant and often complex care needs. This support requires not only compassion but also specialised knowledge and skills in areas such as behaviour management, medical care, and communication strategies. The insinuation that tension is a universal experience in schools is misleading; countless teachers and SNAs work harmoniously as part of a professional team dedicated to the well-being and development of their students.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2V42V5C33ZB4XCATEI7GRZMAZQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839786},"content":"It is important to acknowledge that misunderstandings about the SNA role persist, and this is where challenges can arise. Some SNAs are asked to perform duties outside their official remit â€“ tasks that are menial, demeaning, or unrelated to student care. Furthermore, there are cases where SNAs are not treated as equal colleagues within the school environment. This structural issue is a significant concern that deserves attention.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXOWUGH5C5DCPEAPFHMYNX6TRI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839787},"content":"Additionally, both SNAs and teachers frequently face physical risks in their roles. Incidents of assault are not uncommon, yet there remains a reluctance to apply for assault leave due to fear of stigma, perceived blame on the student, or a lack of adequate support from school leadership, boards of management and the Department of Education. Addressing these challenges requires a balanced and comprehensive discussion, one that includes the voices of SNAs themselves.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2VAFYDRORZANVHWOPDIU4F73WM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839788},"content":"I urge The Irish Times to explore these critical aspects of the SNA profession in a future article. A well-rounded perspective would contribute to a more accurate and respectful understanding of the essential work carried out by SNAs in supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our school communities. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZFJXYDHSPFCIHPXG7UOP3M63C4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839789},"content":"MARIA BURKE,","type":"text"},{"_id":"RXIR3E4UTZGLFP5FNC7OALMS4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839790},"content":"Special-needs assistant,","type":"text"},{"_id":"R364QKRE6NGSPCAJXDXCQ2WBXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839791},"content":"Dublin 15.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4QJB3AM5C5CKRBLIJ3R2MQO7BU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839792},"content":"The Occupied Territories Bill","type":"header"},{"_id":"XNNGXDXQWVHL5LA6QHUK7DPN2E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839793},"content":"Sir, â€“ Daniel Mulhall suggests that the Government needs to think carefully about the â€œpotential scale of retaliatory actionâ€ from the Trump administration should the Occupied Territories Bill be enacted. â€œIt wonâ€™t do,â€ he remarks, â€œto conduct a purely emotional discussion about moral imperativesâ€ (â€œShould Ireland pass the Occupied Territories Bill?â€, Opinion & Analysis, January 14th).","type":"text"},{"_id":"6FYDXHC4DZHUNM6U3GE2OUVUEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839794},"content":"An argument based on moral precepts is not, of course, ineluctably â€œemotionalâ€ â€“ moral codes are important for all societies â€“ but campaigners for sanctions against Israel have generally deployed a considerably more textured analysis than this.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RTPUBJGUKVDEDFWTVTDO3ZO5TA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839795},"content":"As Mr Mulhall correctly observes, the Israeli state has shown itself to be â€œlargely impervious to international pressureâ€, but that is because it has never faced serious economic, financial or political consequences for its actions. Words of condemnation will have no effect while the munitions continue to flow and trade with the EU remains unhindered. In fact, the impunity enjoyed by Israel for decades has clearly emboldened the current right-wing government to do as it pleases in Gaza and the West Bank. This simply has to end or â€“ as EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in March 2024 â€“ Gaza will become â€œa graveyard for many of the most important principles of humanitarian law.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"532NYYFMJZHGVIXNHNIGCRORLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839796},"content":"These breaches of international law, and particularly of international humanitarian law, are transparent. Indeed, the Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu is currently wanted for war crimes and liable to be arrested to face trial before the International Criminal Court. Meanwhile, illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank continue to expand in a deliberate effort to make a â€œtwo-state solutionâ€ unworkable. The Occupied Territories Bill seeks specifically to ban all trade with these illegal settlements because such economic interaction helps to sustain them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PUXNUVC2QNBGPFIGHVWTMT2MMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839797},"content":"Mr Mulhall claims that â€œthe legislation would have no material impactâ€ because Irish trade with the Israeli-occupied territories is â€œminusculeâ€, but I fear he misses the point. Symbolic gestures can be useful, but this is more than that. It is about beginning a process that, hopefully, will encourage other, larger, more economically impactful states to enact similar legislation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EABMGZ5DEBBQTGBF7AFSM6E6QM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839798},"content":"Those who might propose that Ireland â€“ out of â€œself-interestâ€ â€“ should bend to the will of Mr Netanyahuâ€™s government or to that of the incoming Trump administration are treading a dangerous path. The implications of such a capitulation would be profound for Irish foreign policy. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZTNZAPOFQBDHTDZFK4LXUFQIZQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839799},"content":"FINTAN LANE,","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q5OFEYNC3ZHMJHXW72EWLZ6OPQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839800},"content":"Lucan,","type":"text"},{"_id":"5IA4C37UANAYDJZZFWO2ATOYSU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839801},"content":"Co Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DHVB35PUSRCT3DYIU53HHGAP2E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839802},"content":"Sir, â€“ Irelandâ€™s foreign policy is an academic exercise because when push comes to shove, Ireland lacks the economic clout and military credibility to effect any real change, no matter what those who claim Ireland to be a widely respected paragon of virtue tell us.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O44TTWHJZJH2BES2HHQJRZCMWE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839803},"content":"The prime example of this is the Occupied Territories Bill, which will not matter one iota when it comes to the Israeli economy but will likely bring the wrath of the US as well as the scorn of those who contribute to Europeâ€™s security through Nato. Naturally those pushing the Bill will not suffer any economic consequences as they are rarely employed in the exporting and multinational sectors of the economy but stay in academia and State-funded NGOs. Those of us who will pay the price, as we rely on the international economy for our livelihoods, are generally too busy to engage in such pointless campaigning. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"V3V7ASY2CZBFZD2Q7QCQGDFMME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839804},"content":"MATTHEW GLOVER.","type":"text"},{"_id":"257RG4ANM5DSXFN3MHFLSVTYBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839805},"content":"Lucan,","type":"text"},{"_id":"JGGCKJNDVVDZVDMF72FHLFHAJU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839806},"content":"Co Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5N4ROSCKUNAZ7ME3E55CHEQGHA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839807},"content":"Time for a tax-free housing bond","type":"header"},{"_id":"OABALAA7T5FRDKKSKOY7NFH3KI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839808},"content":"Sir, â€“ I agree with Pat Farrell (â€œHousing crisis in Ireland cannot be solved by taxpayer funds alone â€“ it also needs capital from private investorsâ€, Business, Opinion, January 13th) that the focus of institutional investors on long-term, stable returns aligned very nicely with the objectives of the last Government and developers. However, it failed utterly to deliver affordable homes to buy and homes to rent at affordable rates. So I disagree with Mr Farrell that to move forward Ireland must fully embrace institutional investment as a critical partner in addressing its housing needs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJE3NT25GBAUXAD4R4XPTXFGV4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839809},"content":"Irish institutional property members are free to deliver whatever new housing stock they wish but they cannot be relied upon to deliver what the public wants: affordable homes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AYGRNENTZJGW3PPA4HCY3YILYA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839810},"content":"I understand that Irish banks are holding â‚¬150 billion in household deposits. The time is now right, therefore, for the next government to issue a tax-free housing bond.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BOXW5W566FGNPO2MTSJBW2K4RA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839811},"content":"The initial target could be â‚¬20 billion. Individual Irish taxpayers could invest for a tax-free return of, say, 1 per cent or 2 per cent above base-deposit rates.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7VKAQKDUAJEJZHKREL6IIWWSCY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839812},"content":"The bond would deliver a supply of cash that could be advanced to Approved Housing Bodies, local authorities and the Land Development Agency for the construction, but not the acquisition, of social and affordable homes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G2KFFMGNMBDVTE2IPZEGZQTVOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839813},"content":"We do not need institutional funds to pay for the delivery of social and affordable housing. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"D7EYLAPG5RDIXM4WGL2BKM6CDM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839814},"content":"ANNE BARRINGTON,","type":"text"},{"_id":"DCBKM5ZHOFETHJ3D3TG7QX4XSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839815},"content":"Chair,","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVR5KG6VLFFLNFAACCVA5CZ7EE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839816},"content":"Ã“ Cualann Cohousing Alliance,","type":"text"},{"_id":"BLRSBC4HLRBPHFV5TYAI6GQH4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839817},"content":"Glenageary,","type":"text"},{"_id":"CZT2LMDO6RBEZOHTQWDGBNL2NA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839818},"content":"Co Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"67Z5MDKS3VDM3B4G5XKFTC5AW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839819},"content":"PhD students and lack of maternity benefits","type":"header"},{"_id":"C6JRFT6GHBGZ3DPMY7GSXIPVLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839820},"content":"Sir, â€“ I am writing to highlight the lack of social supports for PhD students in Ireland, particularly regarding maternity benefits. My partner recently completed her PhD at Dublin City University, earning awards for her academic work and a scholarship from the Irish Research Council. Her research, published in a respected academic journal, has bolstered the global ranking of Irish universities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XJE2P3Q7ERHWDHCJYD7W57BRTI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839821},"content":"However, as we prepare to welcome our first child, we have discovered that she is ineligible for maternity benefit. This is because PhD stipends in Ireland are so low that students do not qualify to pay PRSI, leaving them excluded from essential social supports.","type":"text"},{"_id":"45GSDU6FPVGP3J2KKMGLDHPEUA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839822},"content":"Irelandâ€™s PhD students are among the worst paid in the EU. This treatment devalues their contributions to society and risks driving talent abroad. The next government must urgently address this inequity by increasing PhD stipends to a livable wage and extending basic protections like maternity benefit to all researchers. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"DFN26OMPRRDH5KV4VRPI5KBQIM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839823},"content":"KILLIAN HORAN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"MSMRRAB4ZRFFJPG5K3SBKTJNYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839824},"content":"Carrickmines,","type":"text"},{"_id":"M6NZ3XIFOJDKNFN3OWFOCDFY3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839825},"content":"Dublin 18.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ALC7Y5NEONGFNKEIJMMTK7ZI2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839826},"content":"Online electricity bills","type":"header"},{"_id":"NEQLWK4WC5AU7DVUOVHNK7IBTE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839827},"content":"A chara, â€“ As my electricity supplier contract is due to expire shortly, I went online to check out the offers available to me as a new customer of the different energy suppliers and was shocked to learn of the discriminatory practices of these companies. If a customer chooses to receive a bill in the post, as opposed to signing up for direct debit, the unit rate available to these customers is substantially higher than those offered to other customers. This practice may be legal, but morally there is no justification for the large discrepancies in the rates offered to these customers. The customers who choose to pay on receipt of a bill are usually the customers who can least afford to pay these higher costs, and may have higher demand for these services, such as the elderly and those with disabilities. The next government should engage with these companies to encourage them to stamp out these discriminatory practices. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"PEFEBZBQT5EWHFNVJVKRCAFRQE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839828},"content":"EAMONN Oâ€™HARA,","type":"text"},{"_id":"WGR5NWZBDZDE7J5G2EBATLYABM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839829},"content":"Manorcunningham,","type":"text"},{"_id":"IQHHZRAU7ZFZTICQYPDKFQVH2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839830},"content":"Co Donegal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WBQTUAGBFZARRGH35KJHXZVV6U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839831},"content":"A game of two halves","type":"header"},{"_id":"STS2NSOJCZG3JJKVDTMETPXBQU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839832},"content":"Sir, â€“ At a time when many of our New Yearâ€™s resolutions and commitments may be waning, the post-match analysis of the Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim offers Samuel Beckett-like encouragement: â€œWe are improving in the way we sufferâ€ (Sport, January 12th). â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"4JQE5OAI7JBI7KS437I2OVQ62Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839833},"content":"BRIAN Oâ€™BRIEN,","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q7XC6GHHURCR7ADLSOCXG43FUA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839834},"content":"Kinsale,","type":"text"},{"_id":"HPJYPQJJQZHDZJV2SYWIL5WQAA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736943839835},"content":"Co Cork.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"For some families, caring for their children at home is a valid choice which should be supported through flexible work practices and targeted tax credits"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T12:18:26.633Z","headlines":{"basic":"Letters to the Editor, January 15th: On childcare, family and society, and special-needs assistants ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VHFAVTA4U5C7FE2ZTPOGOKHXN4","auth":{"1":"1f202b740bd44798a55898a19ef6a892873ae4e538e9e94222c2b3519c6cad0e"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VHFAVTA4U5C7FE2ZTPOGOKHXN4.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Letters"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/15/letters-to-the-editor-january-15th-on-childcare-family-and-society-and-special-needs-assistants/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/letters","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Letters"}}}},{"_id":"QR2S4OOQH5CEFCRN2H4LHOSOQU","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/15/growing-expert-consensus-on-harmful-effects-of-social-media-on-adolescent-mental-health/","content_elements":[{"_id":"I2V4PZWCTZE4XO3SBNJRHD7QAQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731261},"content":"Sir, â€“ After outlining the growing expert consensus fears over the harmful effects of social media on adolescent brain and mental health (â€œSocial media has a limited effect on teenage mental healthâ€, Opinion & Analysis, January 13th), Eoin Whelan cites a large US study, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, and states that it has found no evidence of harmful effect associated with digital technology.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LJBS6J5A3VCWLAROCE5IUPVE2Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731262},"content":"This is simply not the case. A subset of data from the ABCD paper is published in Academic Paediatrics this very month and showed that 69.5 per cent of 11 to 15 years olds had at least one social media account, while 63.8 per cent of participants under 13 years old reported social media use with an average of 3.4 different social media accounts. The authors reiterate that: â€œunregulated access to social media in early adolescents may pose a particular concern within this populationâ€, and that â€œearly adolescent social media use in the ABCD study is associated with poor sleep, substance use initiation, cyberbullying and eating disordersâ€. They also reference work documenting association between adolescent screen use and both anxiety and depression.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SLVL3F5YSJEHVNRUKL5UXX44TY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731263},"content":"The column also quotes a Lancet editorial, which asserts the need to balance consideration of the myriad other factors known to affect adolescent mental health, and not simply that all is attributable to smartphone use. The conclusion is that more research is needed. Not that there is nothing to see here.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIL6CQVJHVEQXN5OEFJ5ISBAHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731264},"content":"Eoin Whelan describes how mind-set may be a determinant in the subjective experience of whether social media use is positive or harmful to the individual. It is worth pointing out that the research he references from the Stanford Media Lab was carried out in adults from 18 to 81 years of age and did not study children.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PIUR4IY2P5EOZDCPTUNU2Q53TY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731265},"content":"This is an emotive and important issue for parents. There is need for accuracy when attempting to summarise evidence on complex public health issues. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"BCYWMPBQVFAWZE4BDDPK77CGKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731266},"content":"Dr JOHN McHUGH, MD","type":"text"},{"_id":"SLUEMZ3XDRFMXKAS6HMWCUGKLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731267},"content":"Department of Clinical Neurophysiology,","type":"text"},{"_id":"FWK3WKSNBNFR5N7735UIVPVUOU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731268},"content":"Childrenâ€™s Health Ireland at Crumlin,","type":"text"},{"_id":"C7DVAVXTRRAZFETN3PXPHR3WVY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736875731269},"content":"Dublin 12.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Adolescent screen use, anxiety and depression"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T05:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Growing expert consensus on harmful effects of social media on adolescent mental health ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"},"basic":{"display":true,"text":"Letter of the Day","url":"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/letter-of-the-day/"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"6GVJTWXOI5FYPOLOK3JLHZZVVU","auth":{"1":"2781af11b396c223ac2b1f05df19ecc2dafc39caa2ffa2f14069f0e5a11189ee"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/6GVJTWXOI5FYPOLOK3JLHZZVVU.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Letters"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/15/growing-expert-consensus-on-harmful-effects-of-social-media-on-adolescent-mental-health/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/letters","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Letters"}}}},{"_id":"CQRJBTW23RATPPGV7S5KDVGADQ","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/opinion/letters/2025/01/14/where-is-agent-cobalt/","content_elements":[{"_id":"W7V5RESAI5D7DOWAU5YUKBOML4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044221},"content":"Sir, â€“ In â€œIreland is not immune to the wave of foreign state espionage sweeping Europeâ€ (Opinion, January 9th), you repeat a report that a member of the previous Oireachtas may have been working for Russian intelligence and that this person is called Cobalt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FCPADBPIUBGXJIPJRCJKTRRFUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044222},"content":"I cannot recall anyone of that name standing in the recent DÃ¡il elections but, now that the Seanad elections are under way, perhaps Cobalt is seeking election to the Upper House.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IA52ZCVUSBB4XNWKFOD7XDK3CI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044223},"content":"If, as a consequence of side-effects of the recent cold spell, I am minded to give Cobalt a consideration in voting for that august institution, perhaps some current or aspiring public representative would be kind enough to let me know (in a timely fashion) who I should vote for if I want to vote for Cobalt. â€“ Yours, etc,","type":"text"},{"_id":"ULNL2XLLAZH25IUCXXT6SBYQRQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044224},"content":"MERVYN TAYLOR,","type":"text"},{"_id":"YAFX24RRS5GOTOJQTXXVYZVFP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044225},"content":"Stillorgan,","type":"text"},{"_id":"GCOIHC5DS5ELPG66LGI3VV26PQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736789044226},"content":"Co Dublin.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"The legislator who came in from the cold"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T05:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Where is Agent Cobalt?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"},"basic":{"display":true,"text":"Letter of the 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â€œLittle Britainâ€ (Ptolemy)","type":"text"},{"_id":"QKZQMGG7ZZA43P373AFB2H3ESY","additional_properties":{},"content":"2 Scotia Major & Minor","type":"text"},{"_id":"5RBELR7FKZAH7IFZWTKZBGCW54","additional_properties":{},"content":"3 John Bullâ€™s Other Island","type":"text"},{"_id":"RSQDCIP47BHU5JSSBJHZQEJNDY","additional_properties":{},"content":"4 Saint Fechin (â€œthe little ravenâ€)","type":"text"},{"_id":"3IU3JEZ4ANBGJMU5UL6SFP5XCU","additional_properties":{},"content":"5 A Modest Proposal","type":"text"},{"_id":"TOR6EY5I4RAKFPMRCVALGKOJQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"6 Lilliput","type":"text"},{"_id":"JLITV2S6BBC35NTYN723BY7QGQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"7 Little Ireland (Manchester)","type":"text"},{"_id":"IMXSR2VBIVBA5N7ED5L7HMSCTY","additional_properties":{},"content":"8 Little Ireland (New York)","type":"text"},{"_id":"LY2DF73LC5DTNCQIIYMRJJYQGE","additional_properties":{},"content":"9 Little Dublin (Montreal)","type":"text"},{"_id":"OK5NWWZQF5FU3MLWDMZ4NPAG6Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"10 PoitÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"FTJOVQIZV5DIRCPNXPM62YBIJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"11 ScailtÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"MIB3NIVCHFCQTJES4SV5P7B54Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"12 Shebeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"46JLOW3PYNGPFIXCUBPO6P2LVE","additional_properties":{},"content":"13 The Pro-Cathedral","type":"text"},{"_id":"4P6UZNLS6ZFOZJX2HMJPS5NTLY","additional_properties":{},"content":"14 Latchiko (origin obscure but possibly from leath-tiochÃ³g, meaning â€œhalf of a small bagâ€, ie scrotum).","type":"text"},{"_id":"J3Q4O6KUHVHQFGOTD2PE47THAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"15 Leath-bhuachail (literally â€œhalf a boyâ€ but also implying a 50 per cent deficiency in wit).","type":"text"},{"_id":"PNVKXTSTNNH2BKRAT3V75KDZ7M","additional_properties":{},"content":"16 Little Musgrave","type":"text"},{"_id":"YGUTBD7P4JF2JAFTBYAUDCJKTQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"17 Little Christmas","type":"text"},{"_id":"V3ZMSXBWQREODEC5X3NRZL4GUE","additional_properties":{},"content":"18 The Little People","type":"text"},{"_id":"6CWIGSYXRBCXBFG2GHS474A2J4","additional_properties":{},"content":"19 Little Ian","type":"text"},{"_id":"DYETA52XORHXPFRUE7ZBFOHQ7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"20 The Little Sugar Loaf","type":"text"},{"_id":"D2G7O2JQZZFK5OBTGUNATDW2BA","additional_properties":{},"content":"21 A Little Cloud (James Joyce)","type":"text"},{"_id":"P74FCAIVHVBHRCVHBL6RERQW24","additional_properties":{},"content":"22 An CraoibhÃn Aoibhinn (Douglas Hyde)","type":"text"},{"_id":"RLK2L4BNQNE4BD67KBLRYOJYYY","additional_properties":{},"content":"23 Myles na gCopaleen","type":"text"},{"_id":"4Z7AEFYMTNBCJAZYQGASP4KHT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"24 Cruiskeen Lawn","type":"text"},{"_id":"P3WGSU46KBAUVMJHEU6YOPMPEU","additional_properties":{},"content":"25 Gawshkogue (copyright Myles, precise meaning unknown to anyone else)","type":"text"},{"_id":"IWEJZWBHRFHWXAV4L2CSEZY6U4","additional_properties":{},"content":"26 â€œAs lively as twenty leprechauns doing a jig on top of a tombstoneâ€ (Flann Oâ€™Brien on molecules)","type":"text"},{"_id":"INC6CQ2XNFHGBL5TLUULTQDPNM","additional_properties":{},"content":"27 The wee north","type":"text"},{"_id":"7OC3CKRIQJCWNN4OW52AAKQQTE","additional_properties":{},"content":"28 Our wee country","type":"text"},{"_id":"7NNCRD6SZZDM3DART7EOJVQW7Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"29 The Six","type":"text"},{"_id":"UTQC4RTJEVHE5H2FLYUTE5ADQI","additional_properties":{},"content":"30 The twenty-six","type":"text"},{"_id":"QMKIL4QHS5D3RLHDHJRBFQENOQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"31 The South","type":"text"},{"_id":"6POYF22ITNEQ5ME2QC35YOL5MU","additional_properties":{},"content":"32 Mexico","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYNTB5BBMBCQBJZIACMNHI6PGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"33 Staters","type":"text"},{"_id":"FZFIWABC5ZBGNNAURJVTONZG3E","additional_properties":{},"content":"34 The narcissism of small differences","type":"text"},{"_id":"7ZP56VE2KZER7NBKUDJQYXZAHE","additional_properties":{},"content":"35 Short Strand","type":"text"},{"_id":"W5ZGFF7W2FFK3EZSPTB46J34SQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"36 The half bap","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZKPLD5YFCBFQPP2VMHAX3OW47A","additional_properties":{},"content":"37 Cross","type":"text"},{"_id":"NKDD2J7PRFHSFOHQWRVCJT5D2E","additional_properties":{},"content":"38 Ballybeg","type":"text"},{"_id":"NBYAOKFTHNCAPM4DIFI4PET6BM","additional_properties":{},"content":"39 Littleton","type":"text"},{"_id":"GLWR4GCXNRHADPLW7ENROL4NTQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"40 Goleen","type":"text"},{"_id":"SCNKIM5NX5AJVCUUSJ4FLFYDGQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"41 GrÃ¡inneog (literally â€œlittle hatredâ€ but also a hedgehog)","type":"text"},{"_id":"OMHIIJ6LWZDXDKS3HGPPBH4C6U","additional_properties":{},"content":"42 A wee slip of a thing","type":"text"},{"_id":"6BGDRCNUFBCVNLLN7FMFNZAITY","additional_properties":{},"content":"43 The wee county","type":"text"},{"_id":"KVQG7TVR7ZAQ3GN2TXY776PL44","additional_properties":{},"content":"44 The county of the Little Hills","type":"text"},{"_id":"YKO2H2LKUVDZLNWJ2DIXAEXHMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"45 Banty","type":"text"},{"_id":"WVV44INNENFY5LHR2BOEZ2M6MQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"46 The short grass county","type":"text"},{"_id":"VIE4HS4Q7RFJNHCIWBVATFN24M","additional_properties":{},"content":"47 Colleen","type":"text"},{"_id":"KCOINCCQWFGXNHMHHX5S3WSP2I","additional_properties":{},"content":"48 Maneen","type":"text"},{"_id":"DFTLE4Q5AJCPXO647H2MMNVK6I","additional_properties":{},"content":"49 Priesteen","type":"text"},{"_id":"QLKIO777JFGVLN66L7X22CZKUE","additional_properties":{},"content":"50 Padraigin","type":"text"},{"_id":"NNDNABNHAFF5DAVGINDKCDBVUQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"51 Shoneen","type":"text"},{"_id":"NOAE2QIOQVGU5C6ERJMS4NERVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"52 Sleeveen","type":"text"},{"_id":"KYHJRRHUAZFA3OJFLAD2WTOHV4","additional_properties":{},"content":"53 Jackeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"47MTX6GXLFGZFBAPQ3VQQR53B4","additional_properties":{},"content":"54 Gombeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"3YE6F67RNFE4TOKZX2L4APXWLM","additional_properties":{},"content":"55 An SpailpÃn FÃ¡nach","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZWJ5A2WUBCG3IZMNDCAI2GDMA","additional_properties":{},"content":"56 Tadhgeen (â€œLittle Timothyâ€, from St Paulâ€™s First Letter to Timothy, advising him to drink a small amount of wine for his stomach ailment.)","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2EVS33DEZFYXONQJ2265GHQAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"57 DeoirÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"E54U5YXXPBENBCCDG5EB2QR2EA","additional_properties":{},"content":"58 Dropeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GG6254PNZE2PNJAZIGFYMWFFE","additional_properties":{},"content":"59 Glasheen","type":"text"},{"_id":"AM5SQ7TC6BHDPDBTJ7BUD67RHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"60 Naggin","type":"text"},{"_id":"B3324XE5DVH6TIQA2N6OLDJXG4","additional_properties":{},"content":"61 A Baby Powerâ€™s","type":"text"},{"_id":"2GXWJ3OQ7JGT7GD64FRUOTYNKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"62 Baby Guinness","type":"text"},{"_id":"5S3AL2LOOVETXNDMSV4U27XZ2M","additional_properties":{},"content":"63 DreoilÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"TDVBKHSNPBCQVC7UZUULWYZH2A","additional_properties":{},"content":"64 Divil a hait","type":"text"},{"_id":"MW6FM52VKVBMJHFDPMWMKR3GII","additional_properties":{},"content":"65 A pint and a small one","type":"text"},{"_id":"TNQSHOQVEZBVLLQAQOTKNQFWTY","additional_properties":{},"content":"66 Carrigeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"JIVARR5Y6ZAODAXX2TEPCSI4ME","additional_properties":{},"content":"67 Crubeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYF6QDUDYFBG3JGCRNR4Q4VUNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"68 (Scaoil amach an) BobailÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"HTAWOH5XOJBNTLPILA7VNDW4CQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"69 CÃºpla focal","type":"text"},{"_id":"OIQG56WQ2JHOJAB3R53ZLJIBBQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"70 Drisheen (stuffed small intestines of sheep, considered food in Cork)","type":"text"},{"_id":"SH4WSPL2EZCIJLSBIP3MPX2IGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"71 AbhairÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"LOBMZHOFLVCENADGUHBJHJQKLY","additional_properties":{},"content":"72 AguisÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"6LT4K5KQMRC3TMQJTRQX4CVMPI","additional_properties":{},"content":"73 Alanna","type":"text"},{"_id":"HS6QIH3EANABHE4J57ASBNIOW4","additional_properties":{},"content":"74 BaitÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"WCABYSETPFDSNKUBQVJEJHIPLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"75 Banbh","type":"text"},{"_id":"GOEESEOQ75AS5AO6XXJPQUBXBU","additional_properties":{},"content":"76 Boreen","type":"text"},{"_id":"7CUDFPDJUFC4PDHXIOHUWDKVFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"77 Beddeen","type":"text"},{"_id":"RCKRUGS6HVH5RPEIUKC3XL6ZDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"78 BÃ¡idÃn FheilimÃ","type":"text"},{"_id":"L5KJR4P6EJAOXL2ORMBTOOEM6M","additional_properties":{},"content":"79 Bawneen jacket","type":"text"},{"_id":"6T5RSBKAABHJPFRMW5LVMKC7OM","additional_properties":{},"content":"80 CipÃn","type":"text"},{"_id":"KU64T3IGP5BZFG7G6HU5I6HNEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"81 Smithereen","type":"text"},{"_id":"U5TXM2WLNZGNTDKXIOP7OBDBXQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"82 Thrawneen","type":"text"},{"_id":"34LTWAZBTVEJNJ77M5QXXY5AS4","additional_properties":{},"content":"83 Come back again to me Mavourneen","type":"text"},{"_id":"NYFFVRJ3NBFPDHKSIJEYVNYJB4","additional_properties":{},"content":"84 â€œYouâ€™re sitting by the fireside with your dudeen in your gobâ€","type":"text"},{"_id":"QRIJL4OX5JG4PI7OQP7EUI27TQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"85 Soccer (from the â€˜socâ€™ in â€œAssociation Footballâ€)","type":"text"},{"_id":"PL6O3LGISFBVNEJ2JCFTF5IDQQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"86 Small-ball game","type":"text"},{"_id":"RQN6XETRTVBURFRIVOP5CX7DWM","additional_properties":{},"content":"87 Back-door All-Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"P2DLVJPL6RDETOM56NAQOYFJAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"88 Covid All-Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"O6AYHBWUUVDMFOVVCF253K37XI","additional_properties":{},"content":"89 The minor match","type":"text"},{"_id":"3S53SBHCRFAH7FBHAUOMFZ4XL4","additional_properties":{},"content":"90 The evil of two lesser","type":"text"},{"_id":"RAUKXN3OH5AQRGK6E2AJ4YM6D4","additional_properties":{},"content":"91 The Junior Cert","type":"text"},{"_id":"3HMJVSBML5GRLFRHULG4HYCKZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"92 MamailÃneach (Kerry Irish for a small person with short legs, but also implying inveterate laziness)","type":"text"},{"_id":"PNVJZTQ6TFDXDNR22UL5EJ2YKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"93 A mhic","type":"text"},{"_id":"PVKEXSM7BBHNNKLJNJST55P5GA","additional_properties":{},"content":"94 NaÃonÃ¡n","type":"text"},{"_id":"XVAFBLZOQBA47FFHBCILPXDAVY","additional_properties":{},"content":"95 Ogie Moran","type":"text"},{"_id":"FRRQGPMF6FFJPJINIMTHTJEPTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"96 Mâ€™Asal Beag Dubh","type":"text"},{"_id":"XUYDFP7JIBCWXPIPTXPI5IECIA","additional_properties":{},"content":"97 Guinness Light","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBHMCEPBSJAU5DJVW24KD3ATFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"98 Croppyâ€™s Acre (itâ€™s 4.4 acres actually, or about 1.8 hectares)","type":"text"},{"_id":"NMNOPPRYLZFHLNUSTAZOOLGA4A","additional_properties":{},"content":"99 The Fifteen Acres (itâ€™s more like 400 acres now)","type":"text"},{"_id":"LBGSAQX5GVAVBO73VLWXA2BAIE","additional_properties":{},"content":"100 â€œFormer TD, now running for the Senateâ€","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Frank McNally"}},"name":"Frank McNally"}]},"description":{"basic":"Number 70: Drisheen (stuffed small intestines of sheep, considered food in Cork)"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T18:58:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Small Potatoes â€“ Frank McNally on A History of Ireland in 100 diminutives","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"7FOMPN3QA5GTNEXY2FREBUVHAY","auth":{"1":"ffb0e1249fe4047a73cb1b3c0cf6673044d297d49eb61143bf5aae3f6f11eace"},"focal_point":{"x":1754,"y":916},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7FOMPN3QA5GTNEXY2FREBUVHAY.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"An Irish 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Cross.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GHCHYVZTLJFJZOBJPBMIYU6J5U","additional_properties":{},"content":"The title was first published on January 16th, 1875, in Buenos Aires, where it continues today, making it the worldâ€™s longest-running Irish newspaper produced outside Ireland, and among the oldest of any kind in Argentina.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6TBZAL2ALNAUTDJYDNA577LKGA","additional_properties":{},"content":"As originally edited by Galway-born missionary Fr Patrick Joseph Dillon (1841-1889), its identity was unashamedly religious: â€œCatholic first, Irish after.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"HIHITOSGKBBYJOKNCT25IYH2DI","additional_properties":{},"content":"He added: â€œThe tone of the paper will be liberal (like the Freeman of Dublin) [but] will not adhere to any particular party in this country. The events of the week will be narrated with . . . a strictly impartial pen.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"YX2UKYL42ZF3PLZ5ENYR5YOGLA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Alas for Dillon, he was to be one of those blamed for the 1877 Dresden Affair, a debacle â€“ named for the ship involved â€“ that brought 1,800 poor Irish emigrants to a planned new colony, many dying en route or upon arrival.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RMIVAITZZJFZXDY3JJRRPTF26E","additional_properties":{},"content":"In ill-health himself, Dillon soon returned to Ireland and his own demise, aged only 48. The Southern Cross carried on, meanwhile, thriving under his successor, a Corkman named Michael Dineen.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GR6GH5IKSBHRLA77SUGU7IL5FA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Subsequent editors included William Bulfin, from Offaly, whose travel writing among the gauchos of rural Argentina helped make the paperâ€™s reputation (and whose son Eamon would in 1916 raise the â€œIrish Republicâ€ flag over Dublinâ€™s GPO).","type":"text"},{"_id":"JE3EQ5QLUVEIZKB2EJMORS7S2A","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Southern Cross supported the Rising, â€œthough not so enthusiasticallyâ€, according to one of its later editors, Fr Fred Richards, quoted in a 1990 Irishmanâ€™s Diary by Peadar Kirby. That ambivalence reflected the conservative nature of much of the Irish-Argentinian community.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KGL6TSHFSJDU3FONJHO5C6SS2M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Most 19th-century emigrants there were not fleeing the Famine, or poverty in general. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BXBAZ364Q5AURA2XE6VFL66HDU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Where transportation to the US or Canada was free, it was expensive to travel to South America, so those who did so tended to have means.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WQJ2NZYSVVCTZAW6WUFKNKZT2E","additional_properties":{},"content":"As the current editor of the Southern Cross, Guillermo MacLoughlin BrÃ©ard, has explained, the typical Irish emigrants to Argentina were â€œsecond or third or fourth sons who wouldnâ€™t inherit the farmâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"A5VWI377TJG2HIFPIAB442VD3I","additional_properties":{},"content":"They first settled in the rich land north of Buenos Aires, then their offspring moved to the capital and into the professions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"42EAD26HQBAOZHCOA3RXH5XN4Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"This made for mixed political loyalties. Writing a history of the Argentinian Irish in 1919, through a prism of the new militant republicanism at home, Thomas Murray was amusingly vitriolic.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QAUY4UCWIBBDXAU74WEBC2GATU","additional_properties":{},"content":"He lamented a section of the community who â€œgrew into pretentious snobs and are today . . . the shoneen element in the Irish-Argentine community â€“ the people who get themselves called â€˜Anglo-Argentinesâ€™ in the press society noticesâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VQ5RHJSLJBDKNDAHH3MTZAK5U4","additional_properties":{},"content":"A forerunner of those, he alleged, was another Irish-born publisher, Michael Mulhall. Fourteen years before the Southern Cross, Mulhall and his brother Edward had founded Argentinaâ€™s first English-language newspaper, the Standard.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CDIWMM6YHZBDLPDKZGRWHWXN5I","additional_properties":{},"content":"And rather than see the Cross as competition, they generously supported that too, allowing Dillon use their premises.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E56YTITISBEADCP4BGMA43QXPM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Murray was nevertheless damning: â€œ[Michael Mulhall] was a true Oâ€™Connellite and, therefore, deeply loyal to â€˜our gracious Queenâ€™, as he used to write. We would call him a shoneen now, but that was the political cult of most of our public men under the Oâ€™Connell influence until the Fenian awakening came to save the masses.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"6JYDJQTQANCLLLK42MMB4XRNIQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"That the Standard failed eventually was to Murray no surprise: â€œThe paper never got sufficient support from the Irish-Argentine community to keep it alive.â€ (He was somewhat premature in killing it off â€“ it only closed in 1959).","type":"text"},{"_id":"UL3E7NQ6KNBKDAZ7VB7MGE6TSQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Southern Cross, by contrast, went on to negotiate the many crises, political and economic, that have swept its host country ever since, including the 1976 coup.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DC5TISTEM5HNPL3FZPG667ED34","additional_properties":{},"content":"Kirbyâ€™s Diary was precipitated by Fr Richardsâ€™s fundraising visit to Ireland in 1990, seeking support for a paper he said was â€œfighting to surviveâ€ amid hyperinflation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OV2GVTMCYNAWTI22HQYINBF5EY","additional_properties":{},"content":"But it had already survived the era of Argentinaâ€™s military dictatorship, 1976-1983, when the threat was more than financial.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AKTKJZX2PJFRBI44D5X6JUZXA4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Southern Cross took a brave stand against the juntaâ€™s abuses and an inspector named Kelly once warned Richards he had spotted a copy â€œon the desk of the desk of the Buenos Aires chief of policeâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P7J5QXWH5VAZVFO34TNPUZYATY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Thirty-five years later, the paper has lived to celebrate its sesquicentenary in a country where the Irish diaspora now numbers half a million. It has a modest 2,000 subscribers but has always been widely shared, with a multiple of that number reading.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NH5YWSUKKRA4ZNHPQRY5UVLRC4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Another local publication, the Tribuna, once eulogised the Argentinian-Irish community for, among other things, â€œindustry, integrity, and affable mannersâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PR6HOMXFINE3NMBWBKRKHGQZZI","additional_properties":{},"content":"It continued: â€œThe Irishman does not come among us to grasp whatever is within his reach and having gained it takes the next steamer back to his native land . . . No, the Irishman settles down for life, buys a comfortable home and marries, brings his children up in the country and lives and dies in the land of his adoption.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"6OP6V22GBBBXPISVQ6Z6CRKAP4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The story of the Southern Cross reflects this assimilation. The paper began life as an English-language weekly. Since 1977, it has been mainly in Spanish and now appears once a month.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RS33WW3KX5FATIQ2XV45GA4XRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although the link with the old country remains, as with the diaspora in general, it has become a secondary loyalty. MacLoughlin BrÃ©ard explains: â€œWe are Argentinian first but very proud of our Irish origin, so our main task is to preserve that new identity among all the members of our community.â€","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Frank McNally"}},"name":"Frank McNally"}]},"description":{"basic":"The worldâ€™s longest-running Irish newspaper produced outside Ireland, and among the oldest of any kind in Argentina"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T18:59:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"(Southern) Cross Country â€“ Frank McNally on Argentinaâ€™s 150-year-old Irish newspaper","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ZEQUNCZI5ZDAFMDL37J6FPYNXE","auth":{"1":"d41921565c998166c2c0c70b49a543f070f0ba41753dae1508cbf6dd4bf99ddb"},"focal_point":{"x":138,"y":28},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZEQUNCZI5ZDAFMDL37J6FPYNXE.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"An Irish Diary"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/an-irish-diary/2025/01/15/southern-cross-country-frank-mcnally-on-argentinas-150-year-old-irish-newspaper/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/an-irish-diary","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"An Irish Diary"}}}},{"_id":"BMZ2Y4BEUBDE3DXGFMFENXLHNA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":336,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/4575a637-d9d3-44e9-9b6e-38173b026ca0/versions/1736877675/media/15a5df278cb2531fefbcc0d98e34d852_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/an-irish-diary/2025/01/14/funny-peculiar-frank-mcnally-on-the-unhilarious-st-hilary-and-the-legal-term-named-after-him/","content_elements":[{"_id":"P3PSK7TDJRDW5NLBUK2A4POPTQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The â€œHilary Term,â€ now under way in courts (and Trinity College) is named for a fourth-century French saint, Hilary of Poitiers, whose feast-day falls on January 14th. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"I4ERXQIH35B5LMG5SDSDCN5POM","additional_properties":{},"content":"He was known as Hilarius in Latin and so, to modern ears, sounds like a funny man. So does Pope Hilarius, the only pontiff named after him, who governed the church from 461 till 468. On the contrary, both were notably serious people, much caught up in the schisms of their day, which in Hilaryâ€™s case earned him the nickname â€œHammer of the Ariansâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5S4D6MWQSZHJVCGKHTBGPXX67Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"The only thing suggesting he had a sense of humour, perhaps, is that he is the patron saint of lawyers. But then, in its original sense, the word just meant â€œhappyâ€, or â€œcheerfulâ€. This sometimes went hand in hand with a certain solemnity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5DJ54UDKQREYBLGW7HSYAHZUKM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ancient Romans used to host Hilaria: public holidays marked by ceremonial rejoicing. And as late as the 19th century, it was still possible for even serious Christians to refer to â€œour hilarious churchâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VOB7734DQZAKZPXYFBHIDGXCNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Only in the 1920s did that adjective come to mean â€œexceedingly amusingâ€. This coincided with a surge in popular use, which continues to this day, making a Pope Hilarius II unlikely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T4453ILRZ5FPTPSSLJWIEHURFU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sometime around the middle of last century, it seems, hilarity also acquired the habit of â€œensuingâ€ in certain situations, typically those depicted in film and theatre. The earliest recorded incidence I can find in Ireland is 1956, at a cinema in Dublinâ€™s Fairview.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MIVX7EMIPVADJFSZGCD6GBNVHQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The occasion was a Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis comedy in which a jewel thief and train-fare dodger take refuge in a girlsâ€™ school. According to the Evening Herald, â€œmuch hilarity ensuesâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2H265SEKARDQFBTUYN7H5DGCOY","additional_properties":{},"content":"It wasnâ€™t until the 1990s, however, that the ensuing of hilarity became widespread here. Perhaps that was another effect of the Celtic Tiger. Then, thanks to verbal inflation, â€œgreat hilarityâ€ became the new normal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3LKBDGP7NZCWRJSLSD74ZSGLK4","additional_properties":{},"content":"An early outbreak was reported in a Dublin pub, Scruffy Murphyâ€™s, at Christmas 1989. It started, as detailed in an Irish Independent social column, when â€œcheery proprietor Paddy Mulligan . . . decided to staple a customerâ€™s cuffs to the bar counterâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QTUNVR2EK5HN3JGQ2DMPA6IWGM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The report continued: â€œGreat hilarity ensued until the customer showed the holes in his sleeves and claimed the jumper was a designer original worth Â£150.â€ An examination of the label suggested otherwise and â€œan amicable settlement was arrived atâ€, without the need for a Hilary term hearing in 1990.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6JRXCF3G7ZGDXI452Z4VVGZPDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Incidences of hilarity show no sign of abating today. In fact, a graph of usage shows the term has surged again since the millennium, although in certain places, the adjective has reasserted at the expense of the noun.","type":"text"},{"_id":"APVJH3C5SNHHTPAO6WBZQPYWFU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Thus, in South County Dublin and elsewhere now, â€œtotes hilaireâ€ describes the maximum possible extent of hilarity in any given situation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z5ZGUU5KNBCWBIAUJ6KLH4UOHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"This reminds me of the French-English writer Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953,) who may be an argument for nominative determinism: the theory that names influence vocation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TG2V6VR4GREU7FAVUZLJVRL2SE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Not that he was especially hilarious, but he was an occasional humorist at least. His comic verse Collection, Cautionary Tales for Children (1907) is said to have been an influence on Roald Dahl, albeit even darker in tone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OXOCT7MFQVAGNNNJA5BRJXE3S4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Titles included â€œJim; Who ran away from his Nurse and was Eaten by a Lionâ€; â€œMatilda: Who told Lies, and was Burned to Deathâ€; and â€œLord Lundy, who was too Freely Moved to Tears, and thereby ruined his political careerâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7RGIK6KLC5C75LAOVWLIQ56IMQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Belloc was many other things too, not least a vocal defender of the Catholic Church, of which he was a devout member. This, in George Orwellâ€™s view at least, was central to his humour.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F5JGJJ2F3JAIVFASV5427BOOSA","additional_properties":{},"content":"In an essay lamenting the decline of English comic writing in the mid-20th century, Orwell wrote:","type":"text"},{"_id":"QMFJIC7VPFB4RD4OJB7JZP7WRA","additional_properties":{},"content":"â€œNearly all English humorists today are too genteel, too kind-hearted and too consciously low-brow. P,G. Wodehouseâ€™s novels, or A.P. Herbertâ€™s verses, seem always to be aimed at prosperous stockbrokers whiling away an odd half hour in the lounge of some suburban golf course.","type":"text"},{"_id":"432EVJBQ7VDQNKAXGKUCE4KLZ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"â€œThey and all their kind are dominated by an anxiety not to stir up mud, either moral, religious, political or intellectual. It is no accident that most of the best comic writers of our time â€“ Belloc, Chesterton, â€˜Timothy Shyâ€™ and the recent â€˜Beachcomberâ€™ â€“ have been Catholic apologists; that is, people with a serious purpose and a notable willingness to hit below the belt.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"7GR42B6ER5GPFDDSF2FBW5X36U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Born in Paris, Belloc was descended via his paternal grandmother from an Irish Protestant who fled 18th-century Ireland after hitting somebody above the belt â€“ fatally, in a duel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"62REKOOLZZHCLC3GPR5MKHOMMI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Ã©migrÃ© converted to Catholicism and became a colonel in Franceâ€™s Irish Brigade. This led to his descendentâ€“ who often wrote about Ireland - being hailed on occasion as an â€œAnglo-Irish Frenchmanâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MK5AG3DURFGAJIQSNYDSI4HN5Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Getting back to Hilary Term, it begins by tradition on â€œPlough Mondayâ€, the first Monday after the Epiphany, so named because it also used to be the start of the agricultural year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LO5FSZZECRAFHAH6Z25KUBYE6A","additional_properties":{},"content":"The same date, or at least the new yearâ€™s first working Monday, is also frequently claimed to be the busiest of all for a certain kind of solicitor. It may be a myth, but the theory goes that, after the pressures of Christmas, this is when warring couples are most likely to reach for the divorce lawyers. Hilarity does not usually ensue.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Frank McNally"}},"name":"Frank McNally"}]},"description":{"basic":"The ancient Romans used to host Hilaria: public holidays marked by ceremonial rejoicing"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T18:59:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Funny Peculiar â€“ Frank McNally on the unhilarious St Hilary and the legal term named after him","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"XZ4GHOKDDRBPHCVSP6NTQH4UHM","auth":{"1":"a7605559da78d83bb6fcfd03d41d4dc8549e22c779d08405bdd37799abf8dd0c"},"focal_point":{"x":489,"y":842},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/XZ4GHOKDDRBPHCVSP6NTQH4UHM.jpg"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"An Irish Diary"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/an-irish-diary/2025/01/14/funny-peculiar-frank-mcnally-on-the-unhilarious-st-hilary-and-the-legal-term-named-after-him/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/an-irish-diary","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"An Irish Diary"}}}}],"count":3879,"_id":"c46be2620b708cec70b706a2084cec287c49858362479e301cf7d93b9400de73"},"expires":1737069794752,"lastModified":1737069494663},"{\"feedOffset\":0,\"feedSize\":4,\"includeSections\":\"/opinion/editorials\"}":{"data":{"content_elements":[{"_id":"URX7ICZ5VVFQFEYUIM4YHLISCU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":182,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/710d3cd7-515e-4e07-bf49-5864eebdb1d9/versions/1737052532/media/d8863fde20a5800dc8b1d153f1bec699_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/16/the-irish-times-view-on-the-gaza-ceasefire-deal-implementation-is-now-crucial/","content_elements":[{"_id":"3TLT2KBHNZHUFOPYU5BBFUVCIU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The fragility of the Gaza ceasefire agreement was reflected yesterday by the postponement of Israeli cabinet approval of the deal, amid claims that Hamas was already reneging on its terms. Israelâ€™s government is still expected to vote on the deal and it seems the late disagreements with Hamas may have been sorted out. But the timing of the vote may be complicated by the threat to resign by far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Givr.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2IA3LJ4FZD5RGR6NK64OOTUAQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1737052349429},"content":"Despite celebrations in the streets of Gaza and Israel of the long-awaited prospect of both withdrawal of Israeli troops and the release of hostages and prisoners, Israeli attacks killed another 80-plus Palestinians in the hours after the announcement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2XAI4LHH7ZAWDIN4C5JOR3WF7M","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020808},"content":"There remains a deep level of mistrust on both sides, accusations of bad faith, and a risk that we may be witnessing another false dawn with an agreement that leaves so many questions unanswered or long-fingered.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AI465AG6BBA65CDYQXMHVWUYJ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020809},"content":"Nevertheless, after more than 15 long, agonising months, it appears that, with the assistance of the US, Egypt and Qatar, the basis for a welcome ceasefire agreement has finally been brokered. It is due to come into effect from Sunday. At first, a group of 34 hostages held by Hamas are due to be released over the course of 42 days, during which Israel will withdraw from most of Gaza, leaving some forces within a defined â€œperimeter zoneâ€ at the eastern edge of the coastal enclave. Gazans will be permitted to return to their flattened homes in the north of the enclave, while humanitarian supplies will resume on a large scale. Hundreds of Palestinians held in Israel are set to be released.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CUI27IDS4RG4FGHKZBVYX3V2BQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020810},"content":"The second phase of the three-phase deal, yet to be negotiated, is supposed to see the remaining hostages and hundreds more Palestinians freed, with the IDF leaving the rest of Gaza. Ominously, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu is insisting that the war will not be over until Hamas is finally destroyed, and that after the first phase the fighting may resume at any time. Israel is also adamantly opposed to agreement on any form of Palestinian self-government. The deal makes no reference to a path to statehood.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EGXGWFGSYRB45P23TWFHDHXHZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020811},"content":"Netanyahu has been working hard to persuade voters both that the deal does not represent the sell-out his far-right cabinet allies claim, and that it is not a package that he could have agreed months ago had it not been politically inconvenient. One of his most prominent supporters has explained that phase one of the deal was necessary simply to provide US president-elect Donald Trump with an achievement ahead of his imminent return to the Oval Office, but that Trump doesnâ€™t truly care about ending the war and will not object to Israel walking away from phase two.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SL2GPSXOHNBQ5G4XCWCIVVY7WM","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020812},"content":"Hamas will also have to demonstrate good faith, most importantly by accepting that it cannot play a part in any post-war governance of the enclave. It must also demonstrate an ability to discipline its militants and those of fellow jihadist groups like Islamic Jihad.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OEYDQOX3C5HNBITNL7EH3ED3LI","additional_properties":{"_id":1737049020813},"content":"A crucial few days now lie ahead to see if this vital ceasefire will go ahead on schedule . It must.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"There remains a deep level of mistrust on both sides, accusations of bad faith, and a risk that we may be witnessing another false dawn"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T20:40:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"The Irish Times view on the Gaza ceasefire: fragile deal faces its first test ","native":"The fragile Gaza ceasefire deal faces its first test"},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"GEVPKC4YS355KTMXOCLFTIZPMQ","auth":{"1":"d8cad63f965aadf53beae6ce875f51c5b507b3374a55d324af70eb9dcaa067c3"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/GEVPKC4YS355KTMXOCLFTIZPMQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Editorials"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/16/the-irish-times-view-on-the-gaza-ceasefire-deal-implementation-is-now-crucial/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/editorials","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Editorials"}}}},{"_id":"UQPLHGKFCZGKDLKLUVLCPOCG5U","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":131,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/2763b554-7058-4057-a1e5-728dc895cdf9/versions/1737049135/media/4a386c2b94ebd6719aae5073b771d334_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/16/the-irish-times-view-on-child-poverty-important-pointers-from-looking-north/","content_elements":[{"_id":"HXFBGYER5JAPPIDM5Z5MERB74U","additional_properties":{},"content":"It is a statement of the obvious to say that the two parts of this island have more in common than there are differences. One of the less edifying examples is the persistently high levels of childhood deprivation found on both sides of the Border. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"REMAIE3PHJA2DCI4I7XKJ2VFVA","additional_properties":{},"content":"A study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published this week and funded by the Department of the Taoiseachâ€™s shared Island unit has found 24 per cent of children in both jurisdictions meet the criteria for deprivation; living in a family that is unable to afford at least two of five basic essentials like paying their bills on time or keeping their home warm.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IDQVLSHZQBCDNMIOKUAATDMOPI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Levels of childhood income poverty â€“ living in a household with a disposable income that is less than 60 per cent of median national income â€“ do differ between North and South. Income poverty rates have been around 14 per cent in the Republic and 21 per cent in Northern Ireland .","type":"text"},{"_id":"2O64ZRJQHVA2BMRKPHFTN7UGEM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The failure of falling income poverty in the Republic to translate into lower levels of deprivation is attributed to the higher cost of living. Earnings and benefits may be increasing, but they are not keeping up with inflation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XVMFF7ABURDDJOE3VBNFQWLMAI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Differences in how supports are structured in the two jurisdictions may have a bearing. The Republic relies primarily on universal child benefit. Northern Ireland offers a wider range of means-tested benefits. The reliance in the Republic in recent years on once-off payments to deal with spikes in prices rather than linking benefits to inflation may also be a factor, according to the report.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QQVHXR5SAFEY7NV4UMU5ZZ4AJM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Child benefit appears to be politically untouchable in the Republic and once-off payments are beloved by politicians. As a result, it is hard to see much of an appetite for reform. There is little in the programme for government published this week to indicate otherwise.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H53FXWM35FFCXKLP5I6V6E55GI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The document does contain a commitment to continue to support the North-South Research Programme through the Shared Island Fund. That at least is to be welcomed. It is clear we have something to learn from each other. ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"A new ESRI study provides important insights from both sides of the Border"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T20:15:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"The Irish Times view on child poverty: important pointers from looking north","native":"Important lessons on tackling child poverty on both sides of the Border"},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"SDK3O3LLCJRYKRSYJ7NMBAGSK4","auth":{"1":"4a2a670bf25c55f669f33dfa156ef6009c2047c7c0eaac5bf4b945fb2e451240"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/SDK3O3LLCJRYKRSYJ7NMBAGSK4.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Editorials"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/16/the-irish-times-view-on-child-poverty-important-pointers-from-looking-north/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/editorials","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Editorials"}}}},{"_id":"63UO6PPN5FFGZEMH4HAJFZSQIA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":184,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/314fb68a-cb0a-4b38-8d74-fd62f15b85d5/versions/1736966433/media/1e01c6dca0d2ec2287b340729d5e1b40_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/15/the-irish-times-view-on-the-new-programme-for-government-a-vague-and-contradictory-wishlist/","content_elements":[{"_id":"EFXFMDPYEBGRXK4LJX2LTKHE7U","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227459},"content":"The draft programme for government amounts to little more than a set of vague, aspirational spending promises drawn from the manifestos of the two big parties to the deal. To achieve even a portion of what is promised, the public finances will need to remain healthy, which is far from guaranteed. Hard choices lie ahead, particularly given the emerging threats to Irelandâ€™s economic model, but you wouldnâ€™t know it from the document.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QFKFFGGKSZE2LBUZU7JD3KYL2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227460},"content":"The programme appears caught between business-as-usual from Fianna FÃ¡il and Fine Gael and promises to do things better, or faster. Priorities are hard to discern. And there is a lingering reluctance to accept that new approaches are needed, including in areas such as housing and the rental market.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5CUKYSXT4BCSXGYHBAKWI7FQOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227461},"content":"There are some changes in direction given that the Regional Independent Group in effect has replaced the Green Party, including a new emphasis on roads. There are presumably some constituency deals.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BIZMZY3U4BBE5HWV6ESWLY36XA","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227462},"content":"The document does give a nod to prioritisation when it says that if the public finance position worsens, State investment spending will be protected and income tax reductions postponed. In this scenario the government will do its best to protect public services, it suggests.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AILBRBB65DPDHKADAG3SR4HZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227463},"content":"There is no clarity on what any of the promises will cost. And so it is impossible to judge what might be affordable. A new medium-term framework for the public finances is promised and this is likely to collide at some stage with the spending commitments.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PTYTF3Y57VASNCQA3S7KAJPNBA","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227464},"content":"The programme does include a section on delivery and reform and emphasises the importance of value for money. It contains proposals to change the oversight of major projects and try to speed their delivery. There are some useful ideas here, but the new government, with many of the same old faces, needs to demonstrate a fresh energy in these areas and a willingness to change.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NSCRRV5XUJGELHR5ESZCBEAEKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227465},"content":"The draft plan is cautious in too many areas, proposing countless reviews and examinations, for example of Fine Gaelâ€™s plan for a payment for the families of all newborn children, which should be quietly forgotten. It has welcome commitments in other areas, such as disability.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4D2PRFQNK5BQLHFH5BBXTXVGCQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227466},"content":"Irelandâ€™s lagging performance on climate is more or less ignored, with a repetition of existing targets, which look unlikely to be achieved. A new push is promised for wind investment, including offshore, and investment in the energy network. Weâ€™ll see. Anything that would upset any sector, including farming, is fudged. At some stage these contradictions will have to be faced.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UILHUR23MFDJVALVHMQTBUQIZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1737028227467},"content":"Perhaps we should not expect too much from a programme designed to allow a government to be elected and win the support of a sufficient number of Independents. But the country deserves better than this vague, contradictory wishlist.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Perhaps we should not expect too much from a programme designed to allow a government to be elected, but there are hard choices ahead"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T20:29:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"The Irish Times view on the new programme for government: a vague and contradictory wishlist","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"R2WWT4TLVA43DH7UZNZZIK5XAA","auth":{"1":"32c714d5163d0872f4f5d32a5b3be7c445ed7dbf893aff4593b9e18b671f8e48"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/R2WWT4TLVA43DH7UZNZZIK5XAA.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Editorials"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/15/the-irish-times-view-on-the-new-programme-for-government-a-vague-and-contradictory-wishlist/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion/editorials","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Editorials"}}}},{"_id":"4MTXPXBZRRFHPDUY6VUJE2SGCY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":127,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/5df357ba-b1b3-4d34-a3ab-2f12c4e028e9/versions/1736964667/media/ab5480db60beba188d25276f768061ad_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/editorials/2025/01/15/the-irish-times-view-on-south-korea-unwelcome-instability/","content_elements":[{"_id":"BYY2E6U4ZBG4TIG57XI2EPRPLU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437889},"content":"Six weeks after South Koreaâ€™s president Yoon Suk Yeolâ€™s six-hour imposition of martial law, he was finally arrested on Wednesday after a lengthy stand-off. He will be questioned by anti-corruption investigators about the martial law decision.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GPYW4ANUBRGTTPZMOONQPZILH4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437890},"content":"The National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon on December 14th, suspending his powers until South Koreaâ€™s constitutional court rules on whether he should be permanently removed from office. Two weeks later, legislators impeached prime minister and acting president Han Duck-soo for allegedly obstructing the impeachment by failing to nominate three justices to vacant positions on the court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IDNBBSFICVD4BGOOFACOOXNNIM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437891},"content":"Finance minister Choi Sang-mok then stepped into the role of acting president. He said yesterday that the arrest was important â€œfor maintaining order and the rule of law in South Korea.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"3I2FTO6BQFAJREF4QITASDNERQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437892},"content":"Although Yoon initially apologised for imposing martial law, he has become more defiant in recent weeks and now claims that his action was necessary to flush out what he claims are communists and North Korean sympathisers in the opposition. He appeared to relent somewhat yesterday, saying he would agree to questioning to avoid â€œunsavoury bloodshedâ€. Though he may not have had much choice.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FGOOGKRXYBGT3MP4UCT32R4NKM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437893},"content":"Yoonâ€™s supporters have adopted Donald Trumpâ€™s slogan â€œStop the Stealâ€, alleging that the opposition is subverting the constitutional order by attempting to drive the president from office.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6S3S67HBNVDHBNYMID25EDVXU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437894},"content":"If the constitutional court upholds Yoonâ€™s impeachment, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days and opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is currently the favourite to win. He advocates a less confrontational approach to North Korea and friendlier relations with China and he opposed the trilateral security pact Yoon agreed with the US and Japan.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZUUEN6A3OFERBEGQ2Y6PQO2DTE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736964437895},"content":"With North Korea deepening its links with Moscow â€“ including providing soldiers for the war in Ukraine â€“ South Korea has a dangerous and unpredictable neighbour. It needs a swift end to the turmoil into which its president has plunged it.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"With North Korea deepening its links with Moscow, South Korea has a dangerous and unpredictable neighbour"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T20:05:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"The Irish Times view on South Korea: unwelcome instability ","native":"South Korea, with an unpredictable neighbour, needs an end to political 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Most of us have, at this stage, got our heads around the post-Covid label for the trend towards disaffected workers doing the bare minimum needed to earn their salary and not lose their job. Like a lot of management jargon, â€œquiet quittingâ€ posits a phenomenon which is as old as work itself as a new insight.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VKXOF5XGHFH4TI2OPWBS4DFH4Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680787},"content":"There is, in truth, nothing new about clock punching, but at the same time the prominence of the term, which has spawned countless think pieces, and the lack of a negative connotation speaks to a change in attitudes to work and its role in our lives.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I3DAJ6FWYBGRTCAIYTWFUXCPJU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680788},"content":"Now Forbes magazine informs us of another far more dangerous and, it says, insidious trend: soft quitting. This is defined as choosing to disengage emotionally from your work without necessarily reducing your output. Itâ€™s the quality of your work that suffers as you lose your enthusiasm for it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I6M5Z24NKRAJVFEAC5SSNBKILM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680789},"content":"According to Dr Diane Hamilton, a business behavioural expert and the author of the Forbes article, soft quitting will gradually eat away at a companyâ€™s culture and productivity in a way that is more damaging and harder to fix than quiet quitting. She links soft quitting to the Chinese trend of â€œtang pingâ€ or â€œlying flatâ€ which involves getting out of what was once called the rat race and embracing a minimalist lifestyle.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LYHUNZIKKZBNVHGSZP6TLZN5KM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680790},"content":"Quiet quitters can be managed back to higher productivity. Soft quitters, however, have to be persuaded and cajoled. The output of a quiet quitter can be increased by giving them more work to do. The soft quitter has to be convinced what they are doing is worth doing. Hamilton does not advance any evidence for the coming epidemic of soft quitting, although she does reference research which suggests that the number of Americans who want to change jobs is at an all-time high. Gallup, which carried out the research, refers it as the â€œgreat detachmentâ€. It says that â€œwhile turnover numbers may have slowed, employee productivity concerns and future talent loss are hidden organisational risks. In addition, when employees feel detached from their work, organisational change initiatives are likely to meet indifference or resistance.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"5YGZPAFNZVHHRCPWJGM67JHLOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958087046},"content":"Soft quitters, by their nature, are hard to spot, Hamilton points out.","type":"text"},{"_id":"44J5H7JSKBHVZFQOEYY2IKAMTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680792},"content":"As you might expect of a business behavioural expert, Hamilton offers various jargon-heavy solutions to soft quitting such as the need for organisations to â€œcultivate a culture of curiosity, purpose, and continuous developmentâ€ in order to ensure â€œwork aligns with personal goals and continuously providing growth opportunitiesâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7I2RRLBB4BASXDVNFQ6J3UCS2E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680793},"content":"Itâ€™s hard not to be cynical, but somewhere in the middle of the corporate buzzword bingo lies a truth that most of us recognise. Most of us have experienced the emotions she describes at some stage in our working lives. The difference this time is perhaps that people are acting on them. The fear of consequences â€“ such as losing your job â€“ that might have made you push these thoughts to the back of your mind seems to be absent among soft quitters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FNQL4WELWBD6RJ4QYDRWLBPUNY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680795},"content":"Why that is the case is another question entirely, but the blame has been laid at the feet of Covid, social media, emotional burnout, affluence, the welfare state and good, old-fashioned laziness. Gallup points to hybrid work as a possible culprit â€“ its data shows that remote workers are consistently less attached to their companyâ€™s mission.","type":"text"},{"_id":"STADGVL5DRF5XNUJ7SXTM2HAS4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680796},"content":"It is perhaps a little early to call this a global trend â€“ a few more articles are needed before that happens â€“ but if we are truly entering the era of soft quitting then perhaps artificial intelligence has arrived in the nick of time.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ONZIFBVZYBGVVIRWCUPM3CMFHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680797},"content":"The development of large language models such as ChatGPT and the powerful computer chips on which to run them may mean that rather than try to motivate employees gripped by existential angst, it might just be a better idea to for businesses to simply replace them with a machine. It wonâ€™t worry too much about where its life is going, and what it all means. It looks like this is going to happen anyway if the truly terrifying predictions about the impact of AI on the jobs market are in any way true.","type":"text"},{"_id":"43Y7RYORM5C3TFUTFTJ7VRC6DM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680799},"content":"This time last year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published a report which concluded that 40 per cent of global employment is exposed to AI but this is heavily skewed towards high-skill jobs and thus advanced economies are the most at risk. The number of jobs that will be affected rises to 60 per cent for advanced economies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GR5HWJNWWNDLFFL7DRMXLH2QWE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736958087053},"content":"A series of three reports prepared by the Department of Finance and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment last year found that about 30 per cent of workers here are employed in roles that are at risk of being replaced by AI, and that Irelandâ€™s labour market is marginally more exposed to AI than the advanced economy average (at 63 per cent vs 60 per cent), but that the impacts are not all negative.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HR7V6H5BVGD3O7ECRZGZOHIXI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680800},"content":"In around half of cases the impact will be negative, believes the IMF. This is because tasks currently carried out by humans will be carried out by computers, which will lead to lower demand for labour, lower wages and ultimately fewer jobs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LYYNOUWSB5BXTI3PWUJPDHLV3I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680801},"content":"The IMF also predicts that higher earners will benefit most from AI as they will share in the benefits in terms of higher profits and increased productivity as jobs and wages are cut further down the chain. It concludes that AI will likely worsen overall inequality, something it calls â€“ in a masterly understatement â€“ a â€œtroubling trend that policymakers must proactively address to prevent the technology from further stoking social tensionsâ€. It warns that comprehensive social nets and retraining programmes will be needed for people who lose their jobs. More prosaically, you canâ€™t help thinking that nothing is going to encourage soft quitting more than seeing your boss get richer as you work harder for less.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QUAAZNE7TBFAJIXZ5AZNVM3LDQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736954680804},"content":"It is perhaps no coincidence that we are falling out of love with work just as machines come along to do it for us.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"John McManus"}},"name":"John McManus"}]},"description":{"basic":"Unlike quiet quitters, who can be managed back to productivity, soft quitters have to be convinced the work is worth doing"},"display_date":"2025-01-16T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Soft quitting: Why are so many workers emotionally disengaging from their jobs? 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For many survivors of sexual violence, this concept carries with it the promise of acknowledgment and vindication or, as GisÃ¨le Pelicot said, â€œshame must change sidesâ€. But too often they are met only with the reality of secondary trauma inflicted by cultural and structural violence.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XQHN64FOV5BM5ILAOVEF23E2R4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289244},"content":"In her seminal 1997 book, Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice, Judith Herman says that what many survivors need is truth and repair but that what the justice system provides is punishment and monetary damages. There is little importance traditionally given to fairness, respect and voice. The sociological model of procedural justice highlights the importance of fairness in the procedure, as opposed to only the outcomes. Despite significant reform since 1997, survivors are still telling us they do not experience justice.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XCIXY35JLBFWZJU3566NB6IIZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289245},"content":"For survivors, the level of legitimacy they place on a system is heavily dependent on how much trust they have in the process. Criminal justice reforms, including the outgoing Governmentâ€™s A Victimâ€™s Journey, have tried to deliver increased fairness to victims in the adversarial system. But what survivors like Miriam Henry â€” whose brother Gerald avoided jail after being convicted of sexually abusing her â€” keep telling us is that the system is not trustworthy and, damningly, that it harms more than it protects.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H7HNOWUT4ZEUZIVBIR3DTLX2GY","additional_properties":{"_id":"VM2QIEFJEJCAXFY546LFIK7W5A"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"J6LZPSPVQJGD3OO6LQSMP5QOII","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289246},"content":"Our criminal justice system seeks to identify and respond to the actions and intentions of the perpetrator. But for the survivor, the true trauma includes the unseen systemic and cultural harms that isolate and silence. We see it in unsupportive friends and family, or a community dissecting the horrific facts of a crime for entertainment, or in the lack of comprehensive support services. For a victim, the goal of activating a formal justice response â€” getting to a courtroom â€” is to achieve entry to a response system whose processes are designed to undermine and discredit not only the survivorâ€™s actions but their character also. Where the criminal justice system delivers a guilty verdict and a sentence, survivors often struggle with how to interpret this win that cost them so much and marginalised them in the process.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AURROXTYORERVPMM5UTI3KXPKE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289247},"content":"Survivors like Nikita Hand feel abandoned by the justice system and are left only the option to pursue civil cases, which offer fewer protections and little satisfaction. Our low reporting and prosecution rates coupled with the injustices of the system itself that survivors attest to, amounts to a level of failure which arguably puts this criminality, in the main, beyond the reach of justice. This is an untenable violation of human rights.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJBS2FR7MBF47GAHCITPOWREZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289248},"content":"An obvious example of the fundamental shortcomings in the system is the positioning of the survivor as merely a witness to the event as opposed to a participant in the court process. This censors the voice of the most important person in the process. The right to a fair trial is important, indeed a right that we would defend, but for Rape Crisis Ireland (RCI) the right to fairness should be applied equally. The application of the defendantâ€™s rights must not come at the expense of the rights of the survivor to privacy, dignity and what should be equal participation in a criminal justice process. Another is the blatant victim-blaming clothed in the language of relevance practised by the defence. The disclosure of the survivorâ€™s private and unrelated information, used only as a tool to discredit, is unacceptable, and a humiliating indictment of the outdated practices of the process.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7JNM6E6745GH5LAMYPJ6VD3UWE","additional_properties":{"_id":"NVEYDZOHWZFR5CI7OH7HC7VGIU"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"P7TA4W2H4JE2RHU35JVAH2J6XE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289249},"content":"The Irish criminal justice system is anachronistic. Most sexual violence law has its roots in patriarchal property rights and is imbued with patriarchal values and adversarial practice. We are no longer living in a world where womenâ€™s bodies are menâ€™s property. We have, for 100 years, worked to adapt this system to recognise that womenâ€™s rights are human rights. But what remains are the foundational adversarial approaches to how we structure the pursuit of truth in our justice system. Survivors of sexual violence, despite these myriad worthy reforming efforts, continue to be failed. As a country dedicated to being at the forefront of democratic and human rights-based values, RCI believes it is time to ask whether we need a new approach, a legal and cultural shift that speaks clearly and unequivocally to who we are and how we treat those made vulnerable by these crimes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KKEHUGFAGVB53GV6BX7J5F3MUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289250},"content":"Violence against women and children especially is acknowledged and accepted as an epidemic which is growing exponentially. It is time for a bold reassessment of the way we treat survivors of sexual violence. It is urgently needed. The adversarial system inflicted on the survivors of these crimes is not fit for purpose; it never was.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VI5DYEPJOZBA3JK6BGOQWEE32E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736864289251},"content":"This is why RCI is calling for the new government to establish a commission on justice. This commission should explore and assess the positioning of the survivor within criminal justice on a human rights basis but also the balancing of the rights of survivor and accused. Such a consideration of justice has the potential to move us beyond the cycle of short-term fixes and mitigations that inevitably lead to their own set of new problems. We should no longer accept that simply because it has always been so.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DKJCFKCUZBD7NAWJNEV4XYM42U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736869619246},"content":"Dr ClÃona SaidlÃ©ar is executive director of Rape Crisis Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"ClÃona SaidlÃ©ar"}]},"description":{"basic":"Low reporting and prosecution rates and injustices of the system arguably puts this criminality beyond the reach of justice; this is an untenable violation of human rights"},"display_date":"2025-01-15T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Even when they â€˜winâ€™, sexual abuse survivors can pay a high price","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"XTDWTAPRANCQXIAE5PN4LR4UHU","auth":{"1":"453b02f7ce705f21b033f2f7d834b4eaed6410002c5aea8abb7502ae239ca443"},"focal_point":{"x":2915,"y":1975},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/XTDWTAPRANCQXIAE5PN4LR4UHU.JPG"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/15/cliona-saidlear-even-when-they-win-sexual-abuse-survivors-can-struggle-with-a-process-that-cost-them-so-much/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"RK3GR5MW6NFOPPGXBL2FMFSQKU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":351,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/a644aa3a-3d38-4b37-a583-8d358ba3b6b5/versions/1736866996/media/70ca3e172d3154def3ce7ead562ce379_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/eamon-ryan-irelands-risk-averse-civil-service-cannot-speed-up-delivery-of-the-things-we-need-most/","content_elements":[{"_id":"SSIXMZZZSRDO7AXKK2I7W6HMOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874592},"content":"Weâ€™ll know soon enough what the new programme for government has to say about the reform of government departments, after the intense talks of recent weeks. I agree with what Gerard Howlin wrote in these pages recently that our civil servants are â€œoverwhelmingly honourableâ€ and that our system has shown real strength when, for example, managing the economic crash and the Covid pandemic in recent years. Given the success of our country, as measured in so many international league tables, you cannot but give credit to our public service for their good decision making and hard work over decades.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3DMZ74SYVBFVJA2DDANW27LWUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736865099347},"content":"However, when not jolted by crisis management, our risk-averse administration tends to put process before delivery. It seems not to have the vision or wherewithal to quicken the production of new housing, energy, water and public transport systems, which is what we need most today.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5KVW5QJ6UVBIHETSEBSBM4AH2U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874593},"content":"Simon Harris initially raised expectations when he proposed a new Department of Infrastructure but it seemed to me there had been little real thinking as to what that might mean. At the time, we in the Green Party were proposing that responsibility for water and planning should be moved from the Department of Housing and Local Government to the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. This would allow the Department of Housing to focus on its core business, while responsibility for all the pipes, cables and wires would also be more coherently held in the one place. I think it would work better, but have no sense that Fianna FÃ¡il or Fine Gael see it that way.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJFKWSO3GVCWFHBJZ544IFDAKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874594},"content":"Speculation during the negotiations was that energy might be moved over to the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment (DETE) â€“ a suggestion that seemed to be motivated perhaps by the desire to get additional data centres built. Such a move would rest on a misdiagnosis of the reasons for restrictions on new grid connections and would ignore the fact that the energy transition is for every part of society, and not just the business sector.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5TG4PG3CBFEU3ORTKLQXCO5CF4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736865099350},"content":"DETE is also regarded as a â€œpolicy departmentâ€ rather than a â€œdelivery departmentâ€ and that cultural difference is important. This is not a policy development problem; what we need is experience of building things, so we get quicker and lower-cost construction.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AQL5M7AJMBHRZJAVPHYYYNLH2M","additional_properties":{"_id":"SDT2HQ3IHZD35MXROSFTKBLI4Q"},"content":"Last thing we need is a Department of Infrastructure","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"KXOT4CIRP5DZXHBUWT45KLIQX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874595},"content":"The idea â€“ which had also been voiced during the talks â€“ that energy, transport and water would all be moved together into the one big department seemed to me to be a mistake. Having had responsibility for two of those functions for the last four years, I was grateful for the advice I got from an experienced Cabinet colleague at the formation of the last Government not to put the two departments together. I was warned, I think correctly, that you would do little else but manage the reorganisation for the next few years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DQU6EAPS3NFVXEDDKBGUGSX6LA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736865099352},"content":"I also think the transport transition is too important not to have its own department. It has a huge budget and will have a vital role if we are to build sustainable and affordable housing and meet our climate targets.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3A7Z77MQCRHX7BLQFHU3HRJFZQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874596},"content":"You can endlessly play out this fantasy Cabinet game and argue why the government parties should have opted for one reconfiguration or another, but what also matters is the role of the two finance departments and the Department of the Taoiseach in overseeing the infrastructure leap we need to make. Splitting the Department of Finance has weakened its overall effectiveness. The deployment of what Howlin refers to as â€œprocess gritâ€ â€“ delaying things as a way of slowing down and managing spending â€“ is costing us all because contractors price expected delays into every tender bid with the State.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WUTAMAZ555B7ZAL2FOLBNUBYQM","additional_properties":{"_id":"2XGCAQ67B5B4HMQLCYPT4GESIE"},"content":"Fiscal council says government spending has â€˜lost its anchorâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"ULEZZDSCKBGHJNEHMHWCYV6D5Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874597},"content":"What we need for the next five years is for the public expenditure and finance departments to really own two strategic imperatives, which should guide where we go from here. The first is to move away from their traditional scepticism about the decarbonisation and digitalisation of our economy. The departments need to embrace these transitions as the only way of building efficiency, competitiveness, and resilience. Unless they own and are resourced to understand what is happening in these two areas, they will not be able to serve the State. Ownership means not just signing off on the cheque after prolonged wrangling with a line department, but having the necessary skills to help get things done quicker and therefore cheaper in the end.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BIN2SOF635FXZKR3JCXBXILXRE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874598},"content":"The second strategic aim is perhaps a more political one: recognising that with full employment and strong economic growth we are going to have to dampen down current spending right across the country, if we are not to overheat the economy and lose value for money in all our capital investments. That will be difficult in big-spending line departments and at budget time, but failing to do so would be more significant than any departmental changes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AR7E67A76JAEPEODAQKW45ZMDI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736849874599},"content":"Last but not least, everyone looks for the Department of the Taoiseach to take responsibility for their pet mission in the public service sphere. Itâ€™s true it must have a central co-ordinating role, and canâ€™t be subservient to the Department of Finance, but on its own it does not have the capacity to manage our expansion in capital spending.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UMH4PB7GXNBONGH74GFK4K5GZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736867805933},"content":"We inherited a well-designed Civil Service from the UK, but Iâ€™m glad we avoided what the UK did in recent years by centralising so much of its delivery units in numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street. The UK has also weakened its Cabinet by making it too big, whereas under our Constitution we can only field a football team of 15 frontline ministers. The programme for government sets out the formation of that team and gives us an indication of how they are going to play.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Eamon Ryan"}]},"description":{"basic":"We are going to have to decarbonise and dampen down current spending to avoid overheating the economy"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T14:58:09.75Z","headlines":{"basic":"Irelandâ€™s risk-averse civil service cannot speed up delivery of the things we need most","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"QC5OEADM65GPHIATI2324BNWQM","auth":{"1":"6205acf8d081a9dc4c43ff0c406f2f9c7709f157be6a11906530ebb8cbbf0d87"},"focal_point":{"x":2154,"y":1894},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/QC5OEADM65GPHIATI2324BNWQM.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/eamon-ryan-irelands-risk-averse-civil-service-cannot-speed-up-delivery-of-the-things-we-need-most/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"O6Y3KWW2RBEDTOBJDLZFDE2GSI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":548,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/38ec9402-fbbc-4a4a-9fcb-df86e5aac495/versions/1736784455/media/775564d968c4e585abe36149dc8045e8_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/the-debate-should-ireland-proceed-with-the-occupied-territories-bill/","content_elements":[{"_id":"L4VJIW3I7FFJ7PK7XAPUPZMYDA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193916},"content":"Matt Carthy: In a world where principles are too often compromised, this Bill can be a beacon of moral clarity","type":"header"},{"_id":"3BAQLSGRVVCPFCQDQKO7R5TPUE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193917},"content":"Israel has been in breach of multiple international laws and United Nations resolutions for several decades. It has never faced a single meaningful consequence for these violations.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UXCSFUVKL5GJZGBTABIXNTO3WM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193918},"content":"Little wonder, then, that Israeli leaders feel they can act with impunity. This has led to an arrogance that has resulted in the catastrophe we have witnessed unfold in Gaza. Objective independent analysis of Israeli actions in occupied Palestine has determined that international humanitarian law is being flagrantly disregarded.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AXI3HNPXMJCCVFAACOKX2J4VJU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937325},"content":"Collective punishment, illegal occupation, annexation, false imprisonment, cruel and degrading treatment, targeting of innocent civilians â€“ each illegal under international law and each conducted by Israel systematically over decades.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OC3XWMAUZ5DH7AKIHNNTV3ASSE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193919},"content":"There are other states that ignore and breach the UN charter. None does so while enjoying such a prolonged period of substantial financial, military and diplomatic assistance from the international community, especially the western world. Israel enjoys the most preferential economic, trading and diplomatic relationship with the EU that it is possible for a non-European country to have.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ITJPHJIJJJENHHTI7EDYS76SOI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193920},"content":"The human rights clauses within the EU-Israel Association Agreement have proven to be worthless in restricting the actions of a state that has targeted every single healthcare facility in Gaza, most on multiple occasions, since October 2023.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ET6QWMJUDJBTPARX2LWNS6TUUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193921},"content":"History tells us that states that engage in such barbarity will continue to do so until the world says stop. There are some within the world â€“ the US, Britain and the EU included â€“ who refuse to say stop. That will be to their eternal shame.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HZQ356QDNLD5ZKU4PIAUJTDJSQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"ATJNQHWHQJB5RPFTNOMLUPIWAU"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"TYX57HBJGREOLOTXXZECTINQ3E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193922},"content":"Just as was the case in responding to apartheid South Africa, some countries must take the lead. Just as was the case with South Africa, Ireland should be among those countries.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BPDCXQ6UBJDU7HZHH263APESW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937331},"content":"What can Ireland do? We are a small country, militarily neutral with an independent foreign policy, albeit bound by the restrictions of EU competencies. What we can and should do are those things that are within our gift to uphold international law.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YKVCA7TZCBBEDMZADSRZVDCXCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937332},"content":"At its core, the Occupied Territories Bill is a legal response to breaches of international law. Settlements in occupied territories, such as those in the West Bank, are widely recognised as violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of an occupying powerâ€™s civilian population into occupied land.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FFGDFOW74JA7BOK5DR45XOBORE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193924},"content":"This Bill simply prevents goods and services from these settlements from being traded in Ireland. Trade policies are not just economic tools â€“ these reflect a nationâ€™s values. Refusing to trade in such goods aligns Irelandâ€™s economic practices with our ethical commitments.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7CCN6TVNZRC4ZEZCGI4K4PFQIE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193925},"content":"The Bill was passed by the DÃ¡il and Seanad six years ago. From the outset, Fine Gael committed to block its passage. They succeeded. Fianna FÃ¡il has supported this blockage over the past five years, despite having brought the Bill to the DÃ¡il.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CDCAXCHLEJDUFGJEMYWK6QCQYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193926},"content":"When Fianna FÃ¡ilâ€™s Niall Collins introduced the Bill he asked â€œif this is not the time to act, when will that time come?â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"UN7QCKN4ZNBXXJNBAVMJMNXMLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193927},"content":"Since then, and long before the despicable Hamas attacks of October 2023, Israel continued to intensify its occupation, annexation and apartheid policies without fear of sanction. For the past 15 months Israel has carried out war crimes on a regular basis.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2TQXVS4SPVBADLJQOB3TZDQYHI","additional_properties":{"_id":"YU37XVCGVFC6BMFKAC44ZTSBDA"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"ZITS4XMK4NAGLO74WFRHUBA3H4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193928},"content":"Were it not for the mobilisation of tens of thousands of campaigning citizens, for the political pressure exerted by Sinn FÃ©in and others in opposition, and for the abhorrence of the Irish people at what they have witnessed in Gaza, then we wouldnâ€™t have the commitments, given on the cusp of an election, from Fine Gael and Fianna FÃ¡il to finally move on this Bill.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BF63WNLDBVHKRLHDY6SW4RTBYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193929},"content":"In a world where principles are often compromised for political or economic convenience, this legislation can be a beacon of moral clarity. It is not merely about trade policy â€“ it is about Ireland stating clearly that international law must mean something.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VGKREKPCSFHHRFUN3R66ZPJKXY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937341},"content":"The alternative is a return to the â€œmight is rightâ€ doctrine. We Irish know better than most that this is the real threat to society, the economy and our collective futures. The time to act is now.","type":"text"},{"_id":"75MI6UDM3FCQ7CU2B2TWCRO7ME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193930},"content":"Matt Carthy is Sinn FÃ©in spokesperson on foreign affairs and defence and is a TD for Cavan-Monaghan","type":"text"},{"_id":"FIT44CIZL5DKREOV2HYA5P2IRM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193931},"content":"Daniel Mulhall: We need to cast a cold eye on a Bill that is likely to be seen as a boycott on Israel","type":"header"},{"_id":"FAWND7OUBVHIHEGFHNO57Q3JFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193932},"content":"Cards on the table. Palestinians have suffered a grave historical injustice, but they have also been ill-served by Hamas. The callous attack on Israeli civilians on October 7th, 2023, was an outrage. Israel was justified in hitting back at Hamas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CDZEENRLCNHQZLX732RGA4ZM4I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937345},"content":"The assault on Gaza has gone on far too long now with huge loss of life and needs to be brought to an end, with all hostages held by Hamas also being released. It is high time to resurrect a political process with some form of two-state solution as its end point.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T7NVDKPIBZGB3KZKO55YY2ZEWE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193933},"content":"Ireland has long been sympathetic to the plight of Palestine and, in the past year, we have recognised its independent statehood and intervened in the case taken by South Africa at the International Court of Justice. Israel has announced the closure of its Embassy in Dublin and, wrongly in my view, accused our Government of anti-Semitism.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BPXZSLRCTNDDREKQD63GMK6GPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937347},"content":"The planned legislation known as the Occupied Territories Bill, first tabled in 2018, has gained renewed momentum and could be given a green light by the incoming Coalition.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XDDEBWXLM5DXPEBFUUTKELYN2A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193934},"content":"This measure has its supporters and detractors. I am in neither camp, but I do think its pros and cons need to be weighed very carefully. It wonâ€™t do to conduct a purely emotional discussion about moral imperatives. We need to cast a cold eye on the Bill and its implications for Ireland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PVICOXYAJ2JVPKGTTDEECMLME4","additional_properties":{"_id":"HONKRS56NREBBKBZCI2D247JJM"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"2R6OFUQZIFBXHBGJFAVRZQEMFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193935},"content":"I would like to see an account of how this Bill is intended to aid Palestinians. Irish trade with the Israeli-occupied territories appears to be minuscule, which means that the legislation would have no material impact. Its supporters say it will send a strong signal to Israel, which, however, is largely impervious to international pressure except perhaps from the US.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVCT3GEB5JDAJC25RBHLQYUMQU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193936},"content":"Foreign policy decisions are not a free hit for a country like ours with a complex set of international interests. There is a real risk that the Bill could breach EU law and trigger legal action against us, but the Government may perhaps be able to iron that out with the EU Commission.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CBHIWZ5VGNA5ZLVC2ZOMOWPEG4","additional_properties":{"_id":"6D6RKN2NGNHVJEBCUDCZQEIPH4"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"TK64M2Q2ANG2ZOCIJN2EFAGXGU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193937},"content":"The more serious threat comes from the US where the Bill is likely to be seen as a boycott of Israel. While we may have legal advice to the contrary, that wonâ€™t count with the White House or the US Congress. They will make up their own minds and act accordingly. Even our most influential friends in the US will not have our back on this one.","type":"text"},{"_id":"THYRY2FUGZEO5D4SADVW43K53E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937354},"content":"For its part, Benjamin Netanyahuâ€™s government would be more than happy to see Irelandâ€™s standing in US undermined.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IQOTR2J6MVBMZNDR7UX67HDB24","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193938},"content":"It is hard to calculate the potential scale of retaliatory action from Washington, but it is not negligible. The advent of the Trump administration, with the president-electâ€™s tendency to shoot from the hip, changes everything. Governments everywhere are having to recalibrate in face of this unpredictable new reality. Imagine how different the world now looks viewed from Copenhagen than it did before Donald Trump publicly set eyes on Greenland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OPNFSWEHIZDXXIQ2TA7TA5XDUM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193939},"content":"It would be wise to bide our time on the Bill and size up the incoming US presidency for a year or two. The Trump teamâ€™s inclinations on tariffs and the reshoring of industrial activity already represent a definite challenge for Ireland. Is it wise to put ourselves in their sights over the Bill?","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVYHVGUU2BG4TPU3DDNNI2ZNYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937358},"content":"I donâ€™t suggest that we abandon this proposition, but a good foreign policy has to reconcile values with interests. The cause of peace between Israel and Palestine may actually be better served by arguing our case within the EU instead of pursuing a lonely furrow as an outlier.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RAQDL3WBFVE2DH7KITS2CXBMBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736783937359},"content":"My instinct with regard to the Bill in such a fraught international environment is to handle with care.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S6KECAS3ERDN7IW5SRM6UG3SX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736778193940},"content":"Daniel Mulhall was Irish ambassador to the US from 2017 to 2022. He is on X: @DanMulhall and Bluesky: @danmulhall.bsky.social","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Daniel Mulhall"},{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Matt Carthy"}]},"description":{"basic":"Contentious proposed law would ban trade with Israeli firms operating in occupied Palestinian territory"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Should Ireland pass the Occupied Territories Bill? Sinn FÃ©inâ€™s Matt Carthy and former ambassador Daniel Mulhall debate","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"5HD52MFRPA4GABVXOQGZ7UMUAQ","auth":{"1":"9de5863141c582483aac30d7497bede95468c89f24e242b2da7de50a90623f54"},"focal_point":{"x":2679,"y":1953},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/5HD52MFRPA4GABVXOQGZ7UMUAQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/the-debate-should-ireland-proceed-with-the-occupied-territories-bill/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"IH7F7FVGYVCPLCR5OHRE5IHSRM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":313,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/3a460bd9-1a13-47c0-a506-8a7906d69c79/versions/1736779084/media/98d647939f9e18be1f04d351cf4c3e8e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/from-the-la-wildfires-to-valencia-floods-impacts-of-climate-crisis-are-becoming-too-great-to-ignore/","content_elements":[{"_id":"BZZ3YEYQSRAWDIO7IQSHA7MN5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744993},"content":"My family WhatsApp messages started coming through from Los Angeles last Wednesday evening.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DJYQJSGWUJH5FAHIYK2MDC2KHY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875531},"content":"My sister-in-law in South Pasadena fled with her family to San Diego to escape the approaching wildfires. Someone who had worked with my sister has lost her home to the fires, as has the mother-in-law of a neighbour from Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M4AOOIB4FZDIBPNJMGY2YWV4GI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875532},"content":"As I write, the death toll is 24 people, and is likely to rise. Meanwhile the red and orange imagery on our screens looms large. Thereâ€™s a shot of Sunset Boulevard with flames behind, and the Hollywood sign with smoke and flames in the distance. Some video footage from the Malibu coast road brought to life Cormac McCarthyâ€™s post-apocalyptic novel, The Road.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M3V5PTQFYBFCXK4LZROEIGPEOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744994},"content":"It felt similar two months ago when I was in Barcelona speaking at a conference on â€œdecarbonising architectureâ€. News started coming into peopleâ€™s phones about the floods in Valencia, just a few hours south, and hundreds of lives were lost as we spoke about the imperative for climate action. These events are starting to repeat themselves; it must be a call to greater action.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SZPP46KFIZCTXHYIVHPCU5I54A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744995},"content":"Last weekâ€™s news from the EUâ€™s Copernicus Climate Change Service was more than worrying. The year 2024 was the warmest on record globally, and the first calendar year that the average global temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees above its pre-industrial level.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3WODQ4OAB5EV3OTXD4FWHYYWAY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875535},"content":"We cannot simply kick the can down the road and say weâ€™ll act at some unspecified date in the future. And yet, despite the ever-growing body of evidence, and the climate catastrophes that have struck European countries, the European Peopleâ€™s Party led by Manfred Weber continues with its green-bashing, attacking climate policies for short-term political gain.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DDEBZK7ZAJGSBLR4KXPF3MAZKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875536},"content":"By delaying the solutions urgently needed to curb the devastation of extreme weather events, centrist and right-wing parties are failing to protect the people, today and for future generations. Climate justice delayed is climate justice denied.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UIHCPBMSN5BVNM4MMRWRKAA4ZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744996},"content":"Obfuscation, delays and denial are not only being used by national political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic, similar tactics can also be found closer to home.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AIXZVF44GRHGPDT3OXRBIVTBFE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875538},"content":"Here, some columnists, business groups and commentators have queried plans to reduce our emissions in Ireland. The Bus Connects plan? But how will drivers get to the car parks? Maintain flight levels at Dublin Airport? Not a chance; the Airport Authority states that â€œthere is unequivocal national demand for air travel which is essential to Ireland as an island stateâ€. Safe segregated cycle lanes? The Greens â€œhave turned Dublin into a spaghetti junction of cycle lanes that have divided the city like East and West Berlinâ€, says Fine Gael senator and now MEP Regina Doherty.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVAKQGEVQVCY5NHBCVDWI6BYYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875539},"content":"Even now, as we face fires of biblical proportions in Los Angeles, we have Fianna FÃ¡il saying the 2:1 ratio of expenditure between new public transport and new roads spending enshrined by the previous government is probably â€œopen for discussionâ€. It seems like we are going back to the future with an incoming government that may endorse policies that continue with business as usual.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WVGAANKPHNCL3OMHZHAKHGGLZQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744997},"content":"There is a moral imperative to act, but there are also financial reasons for doing so. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has warned that the State could face a cost of â‚¬20 billion if it fails to achieve reductions in carbon emissions by 2030. The new government must therefore continue to invest in public transport route improvements, lower fares, and ramp up retrofit supports. These measures tackle energy poverty, improve air quality, save people money on bills and help the planet.","type":"text"},{"_id":"44GV6B3NXJES7GJFMFVL2IYZ7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875541},"content":"Over the past five years I worked in the European Parliament on a European Green Deal that lays the foundation for action in the years ahead. We passed around 20 separate laws that tackle deforestation, support renewable fuels for aviation and shipping, encourage the renovation of our building stock and ensure a just transition.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQNMB2T3DBBAFFGCLPSPWLGTRE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875542},"content":"The Nature Restoration Law, even reduced in scope, will help reset our relationship to the natural world to keep us safer. It is important that this work continues. If we do this right, we will improve the quality of peopleâ€™s lives. It can provide decent employment for businesses small and large and it can reduce the risk of extreme weather events in the future.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5UVA7HJQNJGZPIBH2DPYAU6QSQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736786875543},"content":"Political decision-making requires courage. The incoming government must rise to the climate challenge and continue the work started in Ireland and Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"724ZVXWEHFF2JKGLQMGFSAPDGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736776744998},"content":"CiarÃ¡n Cuffe was a Green Party MEP from 2019 to 2024 and is co-chair of the European Green Party","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"CiarÃ¡n Cuffe"}]},"description":{"basic":"Obfuscation, delays and denial are being used by national political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic, and similar tactics can also be found closer to home"},"display_date":"2025-01-14T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"While LA burns, Fianna FÃ¡il says pro-climate policies are â€˜open for discussionâ€™ ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BUA4L4XMYMN3ZZA6YT4ZGIRXII","auth":{"1":"36ea49cce00540a9f5f65368787bc879888b06bddc86dd0d7669aec3c66bf1c0"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BUA4L4XMYMN3ZZA6YT4ZGIRXII.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/14/from-the-la-wildfires-to-valencia-floods-impacts-of-climate-crisis-are-becoming-too-great-to-ignore/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"Z2XIMUJR2VCCJEODXEMSRGWPLE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":436,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e7bedfb8-6c8f-48e2-b75b-c2b5b1d860ac/versions/1736538997/media/3de109e881e16ab5e50144fb91a8d888_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/13/is-social-media-really-behind-an-epidemic-of-teenage-mental-illness/","content_elements":[{"_id":"MM2JKB5O2ZGG5KM5DS6VTEXV7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833047},"content":"In September last year, the outgoing Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, described childrenâ€™s exposure to harmful content on social media as a â€œpublic health crisisâ€ and suggested stronger laws may be needed to tackle the issues.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZLNN42WZCZHCPMUMDSOWRPVKDI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736616509677},"content":"Few people would disagree with him. The arrival of social media has coincided with a surge in mental health issues among teenagers and a mounting chorus of alarm among experts, schools and parents of a possible link to smartphone use. There is an emerging consensus that platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok are not just idle bystanders in this crisis but active contributors to it, feeding young minds an unhealthy mix of constant comparison, misinformation, and emotional exploitation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YA5I2OLVAFAP5BQMGXM6JTVFMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833049},"content":"The growing sense of urgency among experts and legislators about the impact of social media on young people feeds into the fears of parents. With every new report on the damaging effects of these platforms, the concerns are harder to ignore. A few months ago, in a move that has drawn international attention, the Australian government proposed a landmark ban on social media access for children under the age of 16. And now Britain, Norway and Greece are considering similar restrictions. American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is a supporter of such bans. In his bestselling book The Anxious Generation, he argues that the mass adoption of social media and smartphones â€œ ... is the single largest reason for the tidal wave of adolescent mental illness that began in the early 2010sâ€. Thereâ€™s no doubt there is a big appetite for this narrative. But is social media really behind the teenage mental health crisis?","type":"text"},{"_id":"HGGPGWOZQVFXBE3WSQSYFF65DA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736616509679},"content":"The scientific evidence would suggest the answer is no. Recent examinations of nationally representative large scale data sets challenge the narrative that the impact of social media is entirely negative. For example, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the largest long-term study of adolescent brain development and health in the United States, found no evidence of the harmful effects associated with digital technology. Other studies conclude that social media only has a negligible impact on adolescent wellbeing â€“ far less than other factors like sleep, diet, and exercise. In fact, some studies point to potentially positive impacts, such as receiving emotional support from others, especially for those who feel marginalised. An October 2024 editorial in The Lancet, one of the most prestigious journals in the world, best sums it up: â€œIf there is a meaningful causal link between social media and mental illness, it is likely small, although it may also be important.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"6RJR4DFBUVAF3GID4DEGSWHQSU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736616509680},"content":"The reality is that the effects of social media are unique to each individual. Just as most people can eat nuts with no issues but for some they can be life-threatening, two teens could use social media in very similar ways but experience very different reactions. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam conducted an extensive study of teenagersâ€™ daily interactions with social media and found that 10 per cent did feel worse, but 46 per cent felt better and 44 per cent felt no better or worse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LQTWPWRJSNCVHE2ARDYZ2LEBEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833052},"content":"But while the impact of social media on the mental health of young users may not be as dire as has been suggested, we do know that some teenagers experience negative impacts including anxiety, depression, and a sense of alienation, while others thrive in the online space, developing connections, finding validation and support. This disparity raises questions for researchers about what is driving these differences and how they can be addressed. The real challenge involves figuring out how to reduce the negative effects and amplify the positive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IBOFAEW73ZBZ5CEHOT4OYLS3MQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833053},"content":"One fascinating development centres around the idea of social media mindsets. This concept echoes Henry Fordâ€™s famous words: â€œWhether you think you can, or you think you canâ€™t â€“ youâ€™re right.â€ Ford understood that perceptions often lead to reality, and in the case of social media, our beliefs about these platforms may profoundly influence how they affect us.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4SBYWK2TJJH35BQ5FKT3HCB3UY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833054},"content":"Mindsets are core beliefs which shape how we interpret and act in specific situations and which guide our expectations. A meta-analysis by Stanford Universityâ€™s Social Media Lab suggested that individuals with an â€œempoweringâ€ mindset about social media â€“ who see themselves as having agency over their use of it and see it as â€œa tool they could leverage to pursue personally meaningful activitiesâ€ â€“ experience better wellbeing. Those who view social media primarily as a toxic space and feel their use is out of control are more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and depression connected to their online interactions. The Stanford analysis found mindsets to be a better predictor of wellbeing outcomes than the amount of time people spend online, or even how they used social media.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6VFVN3LO7BBCPB7J3APUX6TPFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736616509684},"content":"Mindsets matter because they shape behaviour, especially in young people. So if we continue to tell teenagers that social media inevitably leads to poor self-worth, that may shape their experiences. For teenagers, whose minds are still forming, these beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophecies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FG5HIUETZJEOHK3NF4BFOHX4GQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736528833057},"content":"So instead of the blunt instrument of social media bans for under 16s â€“ which, by the way, are just not practically achievable â€“ a better approach would be to focus on developing mindsets which promote healthy interactions with digital technology. Encouraging a more balanced view â€“ one that acknowledges both the positive and negative aspects of social media â€“ could help young people navigate their online worlds more mindfully, reducing the likelihood of harmful outcomes and helping them build more resilient relationships with these platforms. Mindsets matter, and in this case, changing the conversation could change the experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4CDM2FPHLFG5PJHQE6CYRV7TUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736535120179},"content":"Eoin Whelan is a professor of business analytics and society at the JE Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Eoin Whelan"}]},"description":{"basic":"The scientific evidence is not as compelling as some commentators suggest. But our negative narrative around social media may risk becoming a self-fulfilling one"},"display_date":"2025-01-13T06:05:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Social media has a limited effect on teenage mental health ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"IKKHQJBH2ZDKXAHSX6ICTQS4YU","auth":{"1":"c8c506974eec2a34a08eb521bfa739ccf005d2985027a8f27cecd08fad921b84"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IKKHQJBH2ZDKXAHSX6ICTQS4YU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/13/is-social-media-really-behind-an-epidemic-of-teenage-mental-illness/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"GXCLKB4XIBHZJK5KXJIP5MXL64","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":402,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/80b74e89-462f-467d-a27a-444ab4baf77e/versions/1736528291/media/7c3b6e51380fbe96ae6697c1c52f7567_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/13/rachel-odwyer-of-course-i-remember-the-irish-bank-strikes-my-mother-says-your-dad-took-to-carrying-a-gun/","content_elements":[{"_id":"TS7CYVJJWNA2JGSDX2O25PJPD4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217088},"content":"In Ireland in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the banks went on strike, sometimes for months at a time. Unions demanded better wages and working conditions. One strike, from May to October, 1970, was among the longest in modern history. An earlier one, in 1966, lasted for 12 weeks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZI4EFI6M2BAI3ETYQ3SWVS2LPU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736537813677},"content":"The banks closed and there was no money, but the economy didnâ€™t collapse. Instead, local shopkeepers and publicans came forward and acted as â€œa second level of bankingâ€ in the place of the State. At first, they cashed real cheques, but soon it was just plain old IOUs scrawled on paper, no more official than a spit and a handshake. They could do this, the story goes, because everyone knew everyone else. If thereâ€™s community â€“ if thereâ€™s trust â€“ you donâ€™t need money.","type":"text"},{"_id":"53ZNOOC7IFBQ5BDU4BIXRBOXDY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217089},"content":"So what lessons can we learn from the bank strikes? What is this story really about?","type":"text"},{"_id":"2P5XKM2OLNGQNPMX2UT7YN5CJY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217090},"content":"One lesson we can take away concerns the strength of local economies. When the Irish banks closed it seemed immediately obvious that the whole system would collapse. Instead, the strikes became a global economic case study. They showed the resilience of local economies when a central money issuer was absent. They showed how the Irish nation could adapt to an economic curve ball.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M56KOD24NZFQXIH3SBKXV4ZHE4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217091},"content":"Could a similar localism today offset the vulnerabilities that have come, first with Brexit and now with the spectre of Donald Trumpâ€™s second tenancy in the White House? In light of Trumpâ€™s protectionist economic policies and their potential impact on foreign direct investment in Ireland, we may need to reduce our dependence on external economies and multinational corporations.","type":"text"},{"_id":"27P6YLNX6BFRPIEQSR3RXI3NQE","additional_properties":{"_id":"U5AVMK2DTJBJVEEDJXEKLKC4TM"},"content":"Donald Trumpâ€™s economic plan: the key areas for Ireland","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"KWRSOIT6YVFKLKQDRZPCBCH5PI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736537813682},"content":"The banking strikes not only highlight our latent adaptability in moments of crisis, they also foreground the value of local communities. Strengthening local economies could buffer against the shocks of global economic crises, such as supply-chain disruptions or financial market volatility. By investing in local businesses, promoting local production and encouraging community-based financial systems, Ireland might build resilience against external economic pressures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UDUQ6K6DKBEY7BHAFGBKTAPAME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217092},"content":"But wait, thereâ€™s more to this story.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O7INPL5W2JD7TI4E5NUJY5KTWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217093},"content":"My father owned a pub in Kilkenny at the time. â€œDo you remember the bank strikes?â€ I asked my mother recently. â€œWhat were they like?â€ I was looking for tales of the good old country, of a community that pulled together. â€œOf course I remember,â€ she said. â€œYour dad took to carrying a gun on his way home.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"URGY5UVT4FENNIJ76EFLA2IG5I","additional_properties":{"_id":"DWDMYYHX5JETZON6YQITPNHC4Y"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"UYYA7JWDSRA7PP4YDKUHEXSR6A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217094},"content":"â€œSorry,â€ I said, pulled from my misty-eyed reverie, â€œa gun?â€ There was nowhere to deposit the float at the end of the day, she went on. â€œBusinesses were incredibly vulnerable to theft.â€ I pictured the road that winds from the pub on the hill to the house where I was born. It was dark and deserted. My father appeared in my vision, carrying a giant hemp money sack in one hand and a hunting rifle in the other. No, I decided, this was not the story I was after.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YGVWKZJEU5DVLLUGYKQ3QUVAYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217095},"content":"By 1976, when a third strike loomed, many businesses that had been left holding worthless paper promises in 1970 now bore signs in their windows: â€œSorry. No Cheques Acceptedâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IDL6IBZI2JEWNOLIEIRMNZZRPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217096},"content":"Itâ€™s easy to romanticise the local economies of a postcolonial society such as Ireland, but itâ€™s often a mistake. What looks like goodwill is also a type of insurance, a way to manage the risks posed by those who are less fortunate than us, or by those we donâ€™t know. The communal spirit of the Irish publican also acts through what James C Scott has called the â€œabrasive force of gossip and envy, and the knowledge that the abandoned poor are likely to be a real and present danger to better-off villagersâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2WJZMBZFLBGHDGPMCE4PXVCO4I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217097},"content":"Villagers like my father, maybe, cashing an IOU in business hours, but carrying a gun into the night. Another lesson from the banking strike, then, is that while community trust and embracing the local can be good in a crisis, we might also want to think about what our trust is made of, about who â€œthe localâ€ includes, and who it leaves in the dark. As anti-immigration and far-right sentiment gains ground in modern Ireland, itâ€™s always worth checking what stories we forget when we glorify the good old days when everyone knew their neighbours.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FVTZP3WNWFF3LC42EWFFRDVELY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217098},"content":"Tech bros the world over love the story of the Irish bank strikes because it shows us alternatives to publicly mandated money. For those who feel that markets are not a matter for the state â€“ Musk and Trump among them â€“ this story suggests other ways to do business. One of the takeaways from the bank strikes is that money is a proxy for trust. If thereâ€™s enough of the latter you donâ€™t really need the former. The Bitcoin whitepaper, published in 2008, outlines a technical â€œsystem for electronic transactions without relying on trustâ€. It delegates the messy business of trust to technology.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ST2FD5E4KVEOXGH4PNA3D72HUE","additional_properties":{"_id":"GYQ67ZGZP5FERCTEZ4DPQQPZ5U"},"content":"The rise of anti-immigrant â€˜community watchdogsâ€™ across Ireland","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"DYCZQVBN5ZAOBJWEQNBNWDDAVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217099},"content":"The bank strikes is a story about trust, then, about local versus monolithic forces, but itâ€™s also a story about automation, the automation of jobs and the automation of human-seeming faculties like gut intuition, social ties and taking the measure of those around you. The bank tellers were campaigning for wage increases and they finally got them in 1970, but one of the key outcomes of the second bank strike was that banks began to invest in automated teller machines and other technologies to reduce their reliance on human labour power.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YD4V46GBLRA47C3S4HV4UMDJ3U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736537813693},"content":"The bank strikes is a story about the might of the people when they pull together, then, but itâ€™s also a story of the march of machines. Walk into any bank in a rural town today and youâ€™ll be met with rows of them. Itâ€™s strangely silent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4TVFFPQ7SZA3ZJX56FWIU6O27Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1736526217100},"content":"Rachel Oâ€™Dwyer is a writer and lecturer in digital cultures in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. Sheâ€™s the author of Tokens: The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Rachel O'Dwyer"}]},"description":{"basic":"Irelandâ€™s economy didnâ€™t collapse when the banks shut for long periods in the 1960s and 1970s; instead, local shopkeepers and publicans acted as â€˜a second level of bankingâ€™. But donâ€™t romanticise it too much"},"display_date":"2025-01-13T05:57:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"â€˜Of course I remember the bank strikes,â€™ my mother says. â€˜Your dad took to carrying a gunâ€™","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4PLMVNO2MFPDTMVBR2TDBF6V74","auth":{"1":"ac0635adeb90f8dfea26f9c5d4ee09fcb0872cde681bc4a64cf6107317470a51"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4PLMVNO2MFPDTMVBR2TDBF6V74.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/13/rachel-odwyer-of-course-i-remember-the-irish-bank-strikes-my-mother-says-your-dad-took-to-carrying-a-gun/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"65SNN33VBFEDJMHD4MJVMGE7GQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":454,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/c31f7ffd-5f06-4134-b6a1-479cef98eeef/versions/1736442333/media/f41aece7c2f6b24945226eb8924cd84d_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/lorcan-sirr-having-a-job-is-no-longer-a-guarantee-of-having-a-house-thats-a-breach-of-the-social-contract/","content_elements":[{"_id":"Y7YZ6ZZCLZFFJE6BIVQ3PTYOWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672066},"content":"Ireland is one of the few countries in Europe that defines homelessness in legislation. It characterises homelessness as having no accommodation available to a person, or anyone who might reasonably live with them, or someone who is living in a hospital, county home, night shelter or other such institution because they have no other accommodation available to them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D3RDHPHN45HDPNFNM3GBK5V3PA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672067},"content":"This is quite a limited definition, omitting individuals who are on the streets, couch-surfing, women and children in domestic violence refuges, those staying with friends, sleeping in cars, parentsâ€™ box rooms and so on. These people are also excluded from official data.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YTTKUR7OWJARPN6CDLFW33DZLU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672068},"content":"Including these categories would provide a far more accurate count of those in need of housing, but brave will be the minister who opts to adopt a broader definition, given the impact it would have on consistently record-breaking numbers of homeless people. A definition that excludes those who probably should be included means policy is not led by need, but by political necessity and the avoidance of responsibility.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UCDWRQFPSJDL3JDHQRUK7ZR2ZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672069},"content":"Homelessness is not an unusual phenomenon, but the trends are. In the last decade, it has increased by an average of 16 per cent a year, and a number equivalent to the population of Waterford â€“ Irelandâ€™s fifth largest conurbation â€“ has entered emergency accommodation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M4DOHA4GYJEBRHHWYSUOUBX3SY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672070},"content":"Since 2014, official homeless numbers have increased by nearly 360 per cent. Latest figures show 15,199 homeless people in Ireland, comprising 10,541 adults and 4,658 children. (Ever obfuscating data, the Department of Housing Monthly Homeless Reports donâ€™t provide a total number for homelessness, leaving it to the reader to calculate across various tables.)","type":"text"},{"_id":"SSV4NVTI4NCQRDFABUP47NWUZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736441992912},"content":"These numbers exclude rough sleepers and the thousands with leave to remain stuck in Direct Provision or the 3,001 International Protection applicants without accommodation (a court-determined breach of the Charter of Fundamental Rights), something Simon Harris forgot when he linked rising homelessness numbers to immigration.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H7J3OMJMVFHJPC3NB7XZDAVAOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672071},"content":"When homelessness numbers breached 10,000 in 2019 under Eoghan Murphy, then Opposition housing spokesman Darragh Oâ€™Brien said the figures were â€œ disgracefulâ€ and â€œ a shameful and saddening example of failed Government policyâ€. One wonders how he feels today with official homelessness above 15,000 and real homelessness far above 20,000.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KKDW73CIOFCK7N2RD7JZFFTZ3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672072},"content":"Whereas homelessness used to be a problem mainly experienced by men, there are now some 4,115 homeless women, almost 40 per cent of the total. Family homelessness is another relatively new phenomenon, increasing 480 per cent since 2014 to 2,168 today. So too are the working homeless. The last census showed that 59 per cent of those who described themselves as homeless were employed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZT7VBMZH6FD5ZFMU5WC7CK2IAU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672073},"content":"In a complete breach of the social contract, over the last decade having a job is no longer a guarantee of being able to house yourself.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JIA5GWUE6BANRNGY2OMSNS5YTM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672074},"content":"Behind the statistics are real humans, often living with children in cramped hotel rooms, trying to get homework done, to wash clothes, to shop, feed, entertain, keep safe and support their families as well as hold down jobs and ensure their own emotional stability. Watch Paddy Breathnachâ€™s award-winning film Rosie to appreciate the daily grind.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KTFC2AAGZ5BELGBIORZPF2FX5A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672075},"content":"On the surface, homelessness is a housing problem, and a top-down housing supply recovery with too much expensive housing and not enough that most people can afford has not helped. Economic success has brought its own problems. New sources of wealth, increasing wages, property prices and rents have brought prosperity for some but also marginalised many, particularly those at the edges of society and pushed more over the edge, increasingly into homelessness.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BXT35ZQX65C45GJX5Y5GFTIYKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672076},"content":"Policies such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme (introduced in 2004) and Housing Assistance Payment (2014) have marketised welfare benefits by sending over 55,000 households (another Waterford) in need of housing out to source their own accommodation. This means the State is hugely reliant on private landlords for the most fundamental of its housing needs, which is a very risky strategy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FYVJ6WNQYVBZZIFLHQQJLK66AI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672077},"content":"The typical route for those becoming homeless is eviction from the private rented sector. The moratorium on no-fault evictions during Covid slowed the rate of evictions and therefore homelessness, but is not politically-appetising post-crisis, although arguably it should be, alongside equal tax treatment for small and large landlords.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MFOB3U2QL5DNLAWYLC5556PSWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672078},"content":"Despite the 47 per cent increase in homelessness since the 2020 election, the topic got about half the mentions in government party manifestos in 2024 that it got in 2020. Having overseen the decade-long surge in numbers, Government politicians appear hapless, helpless, clueless and shameless in the face of increasing homelessness, with some accused of trying to shift the blame on to homeless people themselves.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZH52UIKU7ZFJNEUKKUXBB7XOAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672079},"content":"Many politicians have expressed their desire to significantly reduce or do away with the â‚¬303 million â€œhomeless industryâ€. This is simplistic. The truth is across housing the State is as dependent on non-profit NGOs as it is on the for-profit private sector to do the heavy lifting for Government both in preventing homelessness and helping many thousands of homeless people each year (including those who never appear in statistics, such as homeless under-18s). So, knock yourself out and defund the â€œhomeless industryâ€, but then what?","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZDD4IKAMQFB5PKI6IXBVNKFEOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672080},"content":"Beneath the supply issue lies bias and ideology. Conservative thinking â€“ and Ireland is still a conservative country â€“ holds that because people have personal choice, they are responsible for their own destiny in life. This is a half-baked, divisive, meritocratic philosophy that assumes everybody has equal opportunities and resources to better their lot, which they obviously donâ€™t.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FQBXQZCLNNFLPPBCCVCSPQHYSY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736441992923},"content":"Both Thatcher and Reagan, for example, believed people are responsible for their own wellbeing, and help is only due to those who had no hand in their own misfortune, thus dividing those in need into the deserving and the undeserving.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HR46KA2IIJFDVHMMHJ2CUZCGWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672082},"content":"Here, the State prefers to help those who help themselves.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SGAMIMZXV5DR7LXWFXKC7SAURM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672083},"content":"This was the core of Leo Varadkarâ€™s party of â€œthe people who get up early in the morningâ€ thinking, with which even Simon Coveney disagreed. In policy terms, it relieves the State of responsibility for doing everything they can for everybody they can. Finlandâ€™s previous commitment to eradicate homelessness has been dispensed with by its new conservative right-wing government who felt there were more deserving uses for the money.","type":"text"},{"_id":"52CYRQTH3VH7HP52ZULW4CVCCM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736433672084},"content":"When housing supply is improving, but the homeless problem is getting commensurately worse, itâ€™s not a question of money but of ideology, priorities and a tacit acceptance of the unacceptable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LUNRODGCJEXVAWCGV3WBPKXII","additional_properties":{"_id":1736435567317},"content":"Dr Lorcan Sirr is Senior Lecturer in housing at the Technological University Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Lorcan Sirr"}]},"description":{"basic":"Irelandâ€™s conservative thinking holds that because people have personal choice, they are responsible for their own destiny in life. This is a half-baked, divisive, meritocratic philosophy"},"display_date":"2025-01-12T07:04:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Having a job is no longer a guarantee of being able to house yourself. That breaches the social contract","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VW7XEM7RXNB3ZGOETRFPK7O4ZQ","auth":{"1":"cc98944985fedcabcce911a8a2479530038284b8ed0cda4b41fda9854c99648f"},"focal_point":{"x":4511,"y":1575},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VW7XEM7RXNB3ZGOETRFPK7O4ZQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/lorcan-sirr-having-a-job-is-no-longer-a-guarantee-of-having-a-house-thats-a-breach-of-the-social-contract/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"W6POV64P35DDPLMEJWM57VRYWY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":391,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/59e86716-8067-4185-8611-0a5bcdeb6d55/versions/1736525858/media/ced0451d4c16d7de63a79fc020fa781a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/12/brutal-reality-of-todays-world-is-that-a-woman-is-killed-every-10-minutes/","content_elements":[{"_id":"33CGK2ZF3JAPFAMMKEZCPQNRMA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677767},"content":"Gender-based violence (GBV) breaches fundamental human rights at a very basic level and is a significant barrier to achieving equality. Women, girls, and people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are most at risk. The statistics are staggering.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NXHOU5HB3FGXFNYULNYN2TVQ3U","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677768},"content":"Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed simply because she is a woman. Thatâ€™s the brutal reality of the world in which we live.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PI3YD3W5GNC6ZPBUEBV7V5B3KI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677769},"content":"The UN has identified violence against women as one of the most severe human rights violations globally. In humanitarian crises, the problem worsens â€” 70 per cent of women in crisis settings experience GBV, compared to 35 per cent worldwide.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4XQ72TY6LVD4PKCGEHJQ6BTK7I","additional_properties":{"_id":"DRK5SKKUVBDRPLUD2JCWUR3RQY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"BGYD75Q2HZFSFBYK7TPGZ3FYBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677770},"content":"The evidence is all around us, reflected in the heartbreaking reports of violence against women, nationally and internationally, unfolding across our screens daily.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4ASCCTVS4BATNPF2ZY7BWPNSGM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677771},"content":"Sexual violence is used systematically as a weapon in conflicts all over the world, devastating men, women, children, and LGBTQI+ communities. The impact is compounded by the destruction of critical GBV services and the loss of skilled staff during conflicts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IPOPCZFZLZE6RFXVPJQMDN3EXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677772},"content":"In Sudan, the need for GBV-related services has skyrocketed â€” increasing by 100 per cent to 6.7 million people as of December 2023. Internally displaced women and girls face the highest risk, enduring conflict-related sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2SN2NMSQNHKJENAR3Q5SXKFJI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677773},"content":"The Irish Consortium on Gender-Based Violence (ICGBV) was established in 2005 in response to extreme levels of sexual violence faced by women and girls in Darfur, Sudan. An alliance of 14 international human rights, humanitarian and development organisations, including NGOs, Irish Aid and the Irish Defence Forces, it was set up in response to reports of this ongoing and systematic sexual violence against women and girls in Darfur. Since it was established nearly 20 years there has been progress in shifting GBV policies and practices to recognise survivors as the architects of their recovery.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PFXSQZIXMNA6JFNKNMXB6MEFLA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677775},"content":"The ICGBVâ€™s recent report, From Survivor-Centred to Survivor-Led: Lessons from Promising Survivor-Led Gender-Based Violence Accountability Initiatives, highlights valuable lessons from survivor-led efforts in GBV prevention, mitigation, and response. As ICGBV patron and President Michael D Higgins put it: â€œThis report gives voice to those who have too often been silenced, voices that can make a difference, voices of those who have not only survived violence but have found the strength to lead in the pursuit of justice and healing.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"QWEFDDCMRVDKTCXKSFKIC6T4HQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"4YSUOHSTPFEEBNGM7CLIJIE2DA"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"7YY4LACKUVAVZOVQKANYPRBEB4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677777},"content":"Survivor-led accountability requires that survivorsâ€™ dignity is upheld and that they have the resources and skills to lead the process of justice and recovery â€” if they choose to do so.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CXW7SEDSZFFR7HYSN22UR54LPA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677778},"content":"Empowering survivors at every stage is critical, especially considering the profound loss of agency they experience during acts of violence. Research suggests that even well-intentioned survivor-centred approaches can unintentionally decentre survivors, reinforcing paternalistic systems within humanitarian protection. True survivor-led approaches shift power dynamics, recognising survivors as the best decision-makers and experts, based on their own lived experiences. Higgins also noted the â€œtransition from survivor-centred approaches to survivor-led action seeks a profound shift in policy and practice â€” one that places survivorsâ€™ agency at the heart of justice efforts. It is a powerful, enduring call for justice, dignity and action, highlighting that those who have endured the deepest wounds must be central to building solutions, shaping policies, and ensuring accountability.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"XK7VDPCQVFDZPGOUTQY63NGCJE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677781},"content":"ICGBV research emphasises the shift from â€œsurvivor-centredâ€ to â€œsurvivor-ledâ€ accountability. Empowered survivors advocate for themselves and others, creating a ripple effect that strengthens community resilience and advocacy efforts, influences policy, and ultimately leads to long-term, sustainable, and systemic change. Survivor-led approaches also strengthen accountability mechanisms, making services more responsive to survivorsâ€™ needs and driving better outcomes, including increased funding opportunities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JWJIYAEVHZAVRH4CQJJ3UIMV3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677783},"content":"However, supporting survivor-led approaches requires dedicated resources to run their initiatives, including fair compensation for their expertise and time. Advocacy for systemic change is resource-intensive and often takes years. Despite the significant economic cost of GBV â€” more than double the expenditure on education in many countries â€” and its long-term impact on future generations, funding to tackle gender-based violence remains low, accounting for just 0.69 per cent of total humanitarian aid and less than 1 per cent of official development assistance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OK7RTEX3YZGHZCKFEQCPDBBLXY","additional_properties":{"_id":"ULXCY2O6SBE35LC3WFJEAQCGE4"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"LLQUD5VTUNCT5BJWZGYFIBB5JA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677785},"content":"Flexible, unrestricted, multiyear funding is crucial to support the comprehensive work needed to change the norms, attitudes, and behaviours that drive GBV. It is also essential that priority is given to fair and equal involvement with survivor-led gender-based violence accountability initiatives that are in line with their responsibilities. We are approaching the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and platform for action, considered one of the most progressive blueprints for advancing womenâ€™s rights globally.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQ6WLZN2BJCIDNBP7I7HVUV2AE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677787},"content":"Many believe it would not be possible in todayâ€™s environment. It is therefore timely that we mitigate against the current challenges that affect its implementation and the achievement of gender equality more broadly. Eliminating violence against women is paramount to this agenda and the only right path to achieve it is by following the courageous lead of survivors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4T75DDWB3JDURM3PMBK5NV7HXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736502677789},"content":"Mary Van Lieshout is deputy chief executive and director, external relations, Goal and co-chairwoman of ICGBV.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Mary Van Lieshout"}]},"description":{"basic":"Rite & Reason: Funding for gender-based violence remains critically low, accounting for just 0.69 per cent of total humanitarian aid"},"display_date":"2025-01-12T00:30:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Brutal reality of todayâ€™s world is that a woman is killed every 10 minutes ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MQP5KCMQQUBMAEVU6TNQHSFWEM","auth":{"1":"9fa605278514960842e604788e0ae08c4cc10ed1ebc0db9d123fab0a6a7de75d"},"focal_point":{"x":2080,"y":1137},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MQP5KCMQQUBMAEVU6TNQHSFWEM.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/12/brutal-reality-of-todays-world-is-that-a-woman-is-killed-every-10-minutes/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DUFDEPFMJBE7TDQ6JGHXNYTROI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":440,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e915502f-8c90-4c09-bfa4-f313f0929a12/versions/1736504668/media/5b0e1498a4c9b9de08a10619b1269e8e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/moves-by-elon-musk-and-mark-zuckerberg-set-the-scene-for-confrontation-between-the-eu-and-the-us/","content_elements":[{"_id":"KG2JIYA3DBHELOBVJQOIKZIECE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838468},"content":"Four years is a long time in the social media industry. On January 7th, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg suspended Donald Trump from Facebook for â€œusing our platform to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected governmentâ€. On January 7th 2025, Zuckerberg apologised for â€œtoo much censorshipâ€ and announced that he wanted to â€œwork with President Trump to push back against foreign governments going after American companies to censor moreâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WOGIGHRVTBCPZFAGG3YBRFAUIA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838470},"content":"This volte-face is part of a swathe of changes across all the Meta platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Threads.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UFDE67YTHNBT5DVN27AF6LZPWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838471},"content":"The Meta fact-checking system is to be abandoned in favour of a crowdsourced â€œcommunity notesâ€ system such as that used by X. This means removing the key restrictions on fact-checked content: misinformation and disinformation will no longer be demoted in the algorithm, nor trigger a warning page before you see a post. While we donâ€™t yet have full details, it will presumably also eliminate other fact-checking safeguards including the ban on ads which have been debunked and the rule preventing misinformation repeat offenders from monetising their Facebook pages.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G2XGLB6DKBE6RA4PU2Y2VYYQCI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838472},"content":"While Zuckerberg now describes this as â€œcensorshipâ€, in its reports to the EU, Meta has previously said that fact-checking is â€œthe basis to prevent the spread of large-scale misinformation and disinformationâ€ and was a key part of its approach to election integrity during the high number of EU elections in 2024.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZU67EQRNPBCMFJ7OG3NWTKC7E4","additional_properties":{"_id":"S4ARVRFMLZC2LGWEK5WB6654TY"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-82181","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"XCL7GSL6MZGJZAURG6IKA4YLTM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838473},"content":"Meanwhile, the hateful-conduct policy has already been changed to cater to the far-right by loosening restrictions on hate speech targeting women, migrants, and transgender people. For example, the policy now allows â€œallegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientationâ€, allows â€œinsulting language when discussing transgender rights, immigration or homosexualityâ€, and no longer bans describing women as â€œpropertyâ€ and â€œhousehold objectsâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FKD5B2GVOBGXDGQ6FFZDMGYTGQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838474},"content":"The nakedly political nature of these changes is highlighted by Zuckerbergâ€™s announcement that content moderation roles will be moved away from (liberal) California to locations such as (conservative) Texas because of â€œconcern that biased employees are overly censoring contentâ€. As it happens, research does confirm that pro-Trump accounts are more likely to be restricted or suspended on social media â€“ because they share more misinformation and are more likely to be bots. However, this has not got in the way of the conservative narrative of victimhood and grievance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6KPETQNJ2RDKLF4K3ZQKSY3SGA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838475},"content":"There is probably opportunistic cost-cutting also. Meta will save on payments to third-party fact checkers, shift US staff from California to low-wage states, and reduce its overall reliance on content moderators by cutting back on moderation and relying more heavily on crowdsourcing and AI moderation. Meta is facing worldwide litigation by moderators who say they have suffered serious psychological harm from being exposed to violent and graphic content such as beheadings, suicide, and child abuse images, and these changes might reduce its liability in future cases.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ACTL5UTLCFEM7CA5UB7UOGASUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838476},"content":"What are the implications for Europe and Ireland?","type":"text"},{"_id":"W3FE67FIDRCVNPJIC2QPFH2NAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838477},"content":"Zuckerbergâ€™s capitulation to Trump must be seen in the wider context that a small number of foreign entities control European social media. Public discourse is largely in the hands of two billionaires aligned with the far-right, and one Chinese-founded firm (TikTok) that is under formal investigation by the European Commission on suspicion that it allowed Russian interference in the 2024 Romanian presidential election. We should be very worried about what this means for election integrity and the growth of the far-right in Europe in the coming years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"54Y6FT47UFHGZIWSFAZ74URT3A","additional_properties":{"_id":"4DCYJXB6U5HEPAK3RMVVZIJBGQ"},"content":"Musk says â€˜things will get much worseâ€™ for Germany unless voters rally behind far-right party","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"BMWALXVO2FGQ3NV23RAKCT5Y5A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838478},"content":"Meta claims it has no immediate plans to end fact-checking in the EU. However, this is probably only a temporary reprieve. Zuckerberg has accused the EU of having â€œan ever-increasing number of laws institutionalising censorshipâ€ and said that â€œthe best way to defend against the trend of government overreach on censorship is with the support of the US governmentâ€. This endorses Elon Muskâ€™s project to use American power to dismantle EU controls on social media, exemplified by the incoming vice-president JD Vance, who has threatened to withdraw US support for Nato if the EU imposes penalties on X.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QHIADLLZCZAQNHNHLNCBHZF5IY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838479},"content":"The scene is set for a showdown between the US and the EU over social media regulation, though the flashpoint will come with the increasingly manic Musk rather than the more cautious Zuckerberg. Musk has heavily promoted the far-right across Europe, including by attacking the then taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, in the wake of the Dublin riots. In the last week alone Musk has been accused of interfering with the German elections by hosting a live-stream with the radical Alternative fÃ¼r Deutschland party, has promoted the UK anti-Islam extremist (and imprisoned criminal) Tommy Robinson, and has set out to undermine the UKâ€™s Labour government through misinformation about child sexual abuse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z7UIUOEBUNA7FLSW6CSD6F4PWA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838480},"content":"As a purely legal matter, the European Commission is already investigating X for multiple breaches of its obligations under the Digital Services Act, and these new provocations very likely also breach Xâ€™s obligations regarding algorithmic transparency and disinformation. These should ultimately result in significant fines. However, enforcement will depend on whether there is political will within Brussels to stand up to US pressure. National governments are split on this issue with some, such as the Italian government of Giorgia Meloni, choosing to cosy up to Musk instead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DBO5NQKRXRBFLOPJLZJRH6QFVY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838481},"content":"At the moment Ireland is largely on the sidelines. While X and Meta have their European headquarters in Dublin, enforcing the Digital Services Act against these very large platforms is primarily the responsibility of the European Commission rather than the Irish CoimisiÃºn na MeÃ¡n. Meanwhile, politicians have been distracted from responding to current developments by government formation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IZKJG4QXQZDITPF6JZTTWELRVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838482},"content":"Nevertheless, there are several things we must do. First, the Irish government should vocally support action by the European Commission against X and any other firms that choose to break the law. Second, it should immediately revisit the hate-speech offences that were dropped from the Hate Offences Act last year in order to get it passed before the election. Third, it should fully implement the Electoral Reform Act 2022, which will address online political advertising and electoral misinformation but has not yet been brought into force. Finally, we need to move Irish government bodies off platforms such as X that promote the far right and on to decentralised alternatives instead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXCMPMGWSFGFLJOTXHPRKWIVVQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736426838483},"content":"Dr TJ McIntyre is an associate professor in the UCD Sutherland School of Law, consultant solicitor with FP Logue Solicitors and chairman of Digital Rights Ireland","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"TJ McIntyre"}]},"description":{"basic":"Meta will now allow â€˜insulting language when discussing transgender rights, immigration or homosexualityâ€™, and no longer bans describing women as â€˜propertyâ€™ or â€˜household objectsâ€™"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Moves by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg set scene for confrontation between EU and US","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"TPQU7CAORNBJBIR46WA4VCYG5A","auth":{"1":"4e020fc6eaeaada46c19a8f5b6239a49298f6ff23cd27f8aa16ce377255b7050"},"focal_point":{"x":734,"y":333},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/TPQU7CAORNBJBIR46WA4VCYG5A.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/moves-by-elon-musk-and-mark-zuckerberg-set-the-scene-for-confrontation-between-the-eu-and-the-us/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"OZOEKTSNLREXXBWLKMIGJI7FS4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":339,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/7aaa3e13-582c-46e7-830d-ce81ebf54388/versions/1736502136/media/873a2651a084e0ad4027529b642f4510_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/how-will-the-contradictions-in-trumps-policies-play-out/","content_elements":[{"_id":"IHUUZDSTWBGTJPKJTY5YAJZ7RU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598489},"content":"Donald Trumpâ€™s policy contradictions are legion and have been well-publicised in advance of his inauguration. In understanding and responding to him it helps to analyse how these conflicting goals and interests might play out between his strategic priorities and his own political will.","type":"text"},{"_id":"37EHEZ2VAZAELDYYFBEMON3J2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598492},"content":"The policy contradictions are firstly economic. Trump wants to eliminate inflation but also intends to impose 60 per cent tariffs on China and 25 per cent ones on Canada and Mexico, which will raise import prices. Economists say these goals are irreconcilable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ABLQCW2AOFCCXAK2OMPQ54GPZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598493},"content":"Trump wants to maintain the dollar as the worldâ€™s primary reserve currency, but weaken it to promote US competition, despite much evidence that tariff increases raise the dollarâ€™s exchange rate. The US trade deficit would be reduced by tariffs, according to Trumpâ€™s team; but he also wants to maintain capital inflows and outflows, which is very hard to do. This is the contradiction between reduced and continuing globalisation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OYF3WJAQVREJLPCBUW7ELAPPKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598494},"content":"Such economic and international tensions feed into the social basis of Trumpâ€™s electoral coalition. He wants higher tariffs, harder borders and lower taxes to protect poorer and less educated white Americans; but he attracted more support from black and Hispanic minorities, who also felt their lives had not been improved by Bidenomics (even though their number was dwarfed by the 7.1 per cent of Biden supporters in 2020 who failed to turn out for Harris). This is more a case of dealignment than realignment of working-class votes, which remain evenly split between the two main parties.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IUBYHJGLVG3DJ4YIJUACVJH3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598495},"content":"Tax cuts will hit the public programmes Trumpâ€™s rural and poorer base relies on, as will the public expenditure efficiency cuts to be led by the worldâ€™s richest man, Elon Musk. That conflict between popular votes and billionaire deregulatory interests is manifesting in the argument within Trumpâ€™s team between Steve Bannon, JD Vance and Musk over who should have priority. How can you make these Americans great again without reducing the USâ€™s huge wealth inequalities, which have doubled since 1980?","type":"text"},{"_id":"FY4OEGRTDVA4ZFHAALLMCWQEGY","additional_properties":{"_id":"TI2SNNXM6BBZJEDYPVJIIKEGRI"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"SYCGGRWTRJCPVPSQ77CHB6HNFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598496},"content":"This echoes the contradiction between Muskâ€™s interests in relatively open trading and investment relationships with China and the hawks determined to close them. Similarly, falling domestic birth rates require immigrant labour; skill shortages and cheaper labour costs encourage immigration against workers who insist their interests are best served by expanding trade union rights and stronger social protections â€“ conflicts of interests playing out over the H-1B visas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BHYED2KUSRGN5A2EKOE2EWJFZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598497},"content":"Contradictions reveal conflicting goals and interests and can be interpreted in several different ways. This may mean the goals and interests cannot be realised simultaneously, or are logically inconsistent. Contradictions can forge historical change; they are not static but dynamic and express conflicting, yet interdependent, forces at play in a society. They show up social dysfunctions and a lack of â€“ or a yearning for â€“ social stability and normality. The precise balance between such interpretative considerations and actual social practice informs critical social theory. But it passes over into political and social action too. Contradictions are not simply objective but need to be articulated into subjective public awareness and consciousness. They can then be asserted or actualised in alternative political programmes on goals and interests in social struggles and political conflicts. They may produce moments of crisis demanding far-seeing political leadership and power to resolve by systemic change. If this does not happen, prolonged impasse can result, when in Antonio Gramsciâ€™s celebrated formulation, â€œthe old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appearâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIEO342UUVHVBCMUG327JW7B74","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598500},"content":"In light of such reflections on the varying role of contradictions, what can we say about how they might play out in Trumpâ€™s second term? A few elements in the forthcoming US political process will be worth watching closely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYR35T3ECJEVXOB74RNZMFARTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598501},"content":"Trump says, firstly, that the US is in a crisis, one that he intends to resolve with strong leadership and regime change to take power away from its coastal liberal elites. His cabinet appointments value loyalty above competence, so much revolves around his own role. He will have to prioritise and phase goals and interests rapidly; most evidence points to him opting for deregulatory policies favouring the super-rich in this calculus. That will disrupt his electoral coalition and challenge his liberal and left-wing opponents to exploit such divisions. It will be a testing time in the creation of a new US left-liberal bloc beyond identity politics in social protests and conflicts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WEKSUVB6RZDYJJJEAZD5YLVM44","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598503},"content":"Trumpâ€™s authoritarianism will respond harshly and viciously to any such resistance, using State security and surveillance to enforce immigrant expulsions and target opponents. How the economic and international contradictions play out will determine whether he can claim transactional success in the medium term.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O5CKUI7VXZCKDPM2DB754IHNVM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736339598504},"content":"Many such impasses are therefore likely to appear over these four years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Paul Gillespie"}},"name":"Paul Gillespie"}]},"description":{"basic":"Worldview: With his economic and policy goals often irreconcilable, how these economic and international contradictions play out will determine whether the US president-elect can claim success"},"display_date":"2025-01-11T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"How will the contradictions in Trumpâ€™s policies play out?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"DEVQORE55U227W3E3HCOHCQOH4","auth":{"1":"44f204721e59f68876c741f2354f647342bbd939d1f7fb0767054621ae4c70c9"},"focal_point":{"x":2145,"y":746},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/DEVQORE55U227W3E3HCOHCQOH4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/11/how-will-the-contradictions-in-trumps-policies-play-out/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"3BLJPJU2JFCFLKJOZSOTCQBEPA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":373,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/a6200ca6-1b47-42a6-937a-1da7fccd2c1b/versions/1736351083/media/112cef89b267c637f4addb4741422a47_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/ireland-is-not-immune-to-the-wave-of-foreign-state-espionage-and-threats-sweeping-europe/","content_elements":[{"_id":"S3AY3POVRVEX3GPKC6FYKWC4OE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296350},"content":"In the coming months, the government will have to make a number of critical national security decisions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OINA7J5B2JG3VPIHFSPQCVKPZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296351},"content":"The first will be how to persuade the incoming Trump administration that Ireland is not a soft touch when it comes to industrial espionage â€“ that hostile states such as China and Russia are not stealing intellectual property for potential â€œdual-useâ€, military purposes. There have already been concerns raised by the outgoing Biden administration that Ireland lacks an advanced vetting system. Without such a system, Irish nationals and residents risk being excluded from working on private sector projects that US intelligence services conclude are sensitive to national security.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVHAQXUUVBAOPLI4EEA2ND3QWM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296352},"content":"A severe thaw in relations between the US and Europe also has a potential impact when it comes to European defence. It is no accident that the United Kingdom has taken an ambitious lead role in a new non-Nato defence initiative, the Joint Expeditionary Force, a key component of which is to protect subsea cables in northern Europe â€“ Operation Nordic Warden. European countries such as the UK, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands know that they will have to look increasingly to their own defence capabilities, easing an excessive reliance on the United States, to deter and defend against Russian or other threats to European security. Ireland, severely lacking in naval assets, will have to decide whether it wants to join this or another European initiative to actively monitor and protect the critical infrastructure off the Irish coast that enables transatlantic communications.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HYVBU3ZI4FBBHD5CVNOE7TJFBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296353},"content":"Ireland is also facing a significant European-wide increase in far-right and Islamist extremist radicalisation. The horrific violence in Gaza and in Lebanon has been drawn upon by Islamic State and al-Qaeda to foment grievance and generate recruits. The director general of the UKâ€™s domestic intelligence service, MI5, recently reported an alarming increase in incidents of radicalisation of children under 18, individuals with â€œwith only a tenuous grasp of the ideologies they profess to followâ€, and in some cases viewing Islamist extremist material as well as far-right conspiracy theories and disinformation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X2DJZALEHNF5ZB5EQDBGEOS2MI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296354},"content":"Ireland is not immune to these trends. Michael McElgunn, the assistant commissioner in charge of the Garda national crime and security intelligence service, has warned of the myriad rising threats he and his officers face, especially from extremist actors and the spread of disinformation. Last year a teenager, whom gardaÃ believe was exposed to Islamic State-linked material online, was charged with the attempted murder of Defence Forces chaplain Fr Paul Murphy. The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that the boy be sent forward for indictment at the Central Criminal Court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ODARFCP7KRH3NHQG535Y32S7ZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296355},"content":"Europe is experiencing a wave of foreign state espionage. Much of this, as McElgunn observed, emanates from Russia. Moscowâ€™s intelligence services increasingly subcontract acts of sabotage and assassinations to criminal gangs in a range of European countries. However, Russia is not the only threat â€“ Iranâ€™s security services have cultivated links with the Kinahan organised crime cartel over many years. In recent years a wave of Chinese overseas police stations â€“ aimed at influencing and controlling its diaspora â€“ were uncovered in a range of European cities, including one in Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3HVSYC7IHRBFVKPKJ5KFHANVCA","additional_properties":{"_id":"YXU7XDPZAZDZHD2SCHXRDWAINY"},"content":"Itâ€™s a mistake to dismiss the Cobalt allegations as Carry on Spying","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"H64CB5WPNNHQVCZFIA46HHUEUM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296356},"content":"At the end of December the Sunday Times reported that an unidentified member of the Oireachtas allegedly recruited by Russian intelligence â€“ given the name â€œCobaltâ€ â€“ was suspected of having access to â€œhighly sensitive information on defence policy from serving and retired military personnelâ€. Taoiseach Simon Harris has not responded directly to the allegations, except to comment that Ireland was â€œnot immuneâ€ to hostile Russian intelligence activity. MicheÃ¡l Martin told that DÃ¡il that as Minister for Defence he had â€œ never received a security briefing stating that there is a spy in the Oireachtasâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AELZBY3OJEH7BT33DBZLE6SMU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296357},"content":"The Cobalt claims underline a number of critical security vulnerabilities that will only increase over time if not addressed. The first is a lack of advanced vetting and other counter-intelligence capabilities. Vetting and the proper classification of government material are integral to the security of any democracy that wishes to protect itself from unwanted intrusion by foreign intelligence services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4L7SCZBTG5B7NIZFL5DYMGLRCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736355402833},"content":"The public deserves some reassurance that the Cobalt allegations are being addressed. As in other European countries, it is possible to put some information into the public domain about intelligence threats without compromising operational security. A new government should state whether the Cobalt allegations, as reported by the Sunday Times, are accurate. Second, depending on the verification of Cobaltâ€™s alleged activities, some indication should be offered as to whether significant damage to national security has occurred.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KWZTVIGISZDN7EOWWIP3HSOIOQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296358},"content":"Finally, the government should offer an assessment of whether current legislation is fit for purpose when it comes to espionage offences. If not, it should commit to remedying this national counter-intelligence deficit. Public representatives or officials recruited as agents by foreign intelligence services may still cause significant damage to democratic institutions even if they do not gain access to secret information. Ireland is now increasingly a target for diverse and complex foreign intelligence activity. In order to build resilience, public confidence and awareness of threats to national security, the government should also announce a wide-ranging review of intelligence structures and capabilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GKD3VMJYLFFXRLDN4OCWLXEFFI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736349296359},"content":"Dr Edward Burke is assistant professor in the History of War since 1945 at University College Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Edward Burke"}]},"description":{"basic":"One of the first tasks of the new government will be how to persuade the incoming Trump administration that Ireland is not a soft touch"},"display_date":"2025-01-09T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ireland is not immune to the wave of foreign state espionage sweeping Europe","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VY2F25M4HJKMP565QBZ57TLOCE","auth":{"1":"2c6df1d58edbb1f141eaeee34e3c63f033ba5662a95f2f55f1766e05b25f3398"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VY2F25M4HJKMP565QBZ57TLOCE.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/09/ireland-is-not-immune-to-the-wave-of-foreign-state-espionage-and-threats-sweeping-europe/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"NV7AVAXYDBEB5EKPY65S2SQ724","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":372,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/dc8dfe2f-11de-4664-a092-adc67286c47f/versions/1736267787/media/bd1efd80ec881d3a8c27b246302cdf71_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/eamon-ryan-political-science-cant-trump-climate-science-here-are-4-key-tests-for-the-new-government/","content_elements":[{"_id":"LOW6RB24QJBDPMNF6FQMCIEATI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355429},"content":"Parties negotiating the new programme for government are â€œopen for discussionâ€ on weakening some of the key elements of our existing national climate plan, according to reports in The Irish Times on Monday. Taking such a course would be a terrible mistake. The exit poll after the recent election proves that the silent majority of Irish people, who want us to act on climate, would be rightly appalled. It would not only be morally bankrupt, but would cost us all in the long run. We would miss out on the clean industrial revolution that is already taking hold and all the new green jobs that are already coming here.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RPSQCOBLDZDKNDWDP7BKIH7A2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355430},"content":"Stepping up is not easy. The scale and speed of change required is unprecedented and is not always immediately popular. Fine Gael will miss some of its best climate leaders from the DÃ¡il and Fianna FÃ¡il has not had to grapple with the issue at ministerial level for almost two decades. Some of the Independents have also made a great name for themselves by opposing every measure. That cannot be a reason for steering the country in the wrong direction. It is vital that the programme for government gets the climate commitments right.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NJG2NDCQBVFXTF6P2OTBMSLNHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355432},"content":"Firstly in transport, any weakening of investment in active travel and public transport, or failure to implement the Moving Together sustainable transport strategy, which was widely supported in public consultations last year, would make it impossible to reach our targets. The recently revised National Planning Framework commits us to delivering compact, low-carbon and balanced regional development. Everyone in Government agreed that a large proportion of the new growth would have to be centred around public transport developments, creating social, safe and green local environments. That is the only way we are going to be able to provide the high-quality and affordable housing we need. Going the other route only makes us more car dependent and adds to the cost of housing. It inevitably ends in congestion and it leads to road deaths and injuries, which bring such terrible loss.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VK3I5QGZFRH45BVRFYE22VLWYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355433},"content":"Yes, we will have to spend a lot on new roads, prioritising those badly-needed bypasses of our most congested towns. However, if you switch the 2:1 ratio of spending on public transport and roads, as is apparently now being considered, there will not be enough funding for what we need, even with all the corporate tax money to hand. It would mean fewer metropolitan rail and BusConnects in Cork, Limerick or Waterford. No reopening of the Western Rail Corridor or light rail in Galway. No Navan rail line, and no way of making it safe for people to walk and cycle, which is where all the best international transport plans are going.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5I55OYD52JHC3EMZMAOO66AHZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":"27VEIE5QP5CKNDESSGTVUPDHZE"},"content":"There is something delusional about your frantic trips to the recycling bin","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"D4FBMGS3QRDVRBWD6XLTTWPBFQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355434},"content":"The second test will be in finance. Some politicians depicted the carbon tax as the greatest burden known to man, but in truth it is the best way of protecting our most vulnerable people from the high costs of imported fossil fuels and poorly insulated homes. Rather than weakening our commitment to the tax, the new government should put the already agreed allocation of the revenues into social welfare, domestic retrofitting and funding for small farmers to restore nature, on to a legislative basis, so everyone can clearly see the benefits that the tax is delivering.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CXDEWT2D7RCPJHIZPUAHCIUF3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355435},"content":"Third in energy, a key question will be how the new government invests long-term funding in our electricity grid while avoiding the imposition of undue costs on the Irish consumer. And whether it can do this while attracting industries here, who will be looking for countries they can rely upon for clean, secure and ethical power. I donâ€™t believe there will be any rowing back from the new Green Deal in Europe. We will never be more competitive by relying on burning imported fossil fuels.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IEDXJJABF5HSPNEBEXFJK2JQKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355436},"content":"Fourth, it will be vital for the new government to complete the work of the Land Use Review taskforce that is due to report shortly. The aim of the review was to see how we could optimise the use of our land to support rural development, food production, the storage of carbon in our soils and forests, the return of pristine rivers and lakes and the restoration of biodiversity. The taskforce report could then be used by the newly established Just Transition Commission to consider how we make that complex series of developments happen in a fair and sustainable way. No doubt that is also going to require funding, which is one of the reasons why the programme for government should outline the proposed allocation from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, which needs to start flowing as early as next year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2QDDWNONENGLZPFM7JVZ7SXWW4","additional_properties":{"_id":"4SMTC4BOZRA65PFMB7DCCPQCJQ"},"content":"Letâ€™s get real: Irelandâ€™s data centre boom is driving up fossil fuel dependence","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"ZKTYMT5OARHQFAGNIIA5O6Q4YA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355437},"content":"Last but not least, the new government needs to recommit to the science-based targets that were enshrined in our climate law. It puts it up to every relevant Government department and minister what they have to do. Any watering down of the resolve would undermine the whole approach. The new government should collectively agree to what was promised in the Fianna FÃ¡il manifesto and join those countries willing to target a 90 per cent reduction in emissions by 2040. It is no doubt a massive challenge, but no harder than it will be to deal with the ongoing climate destruction that is increasingly happening before our very eyes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F3DORPBK4FH6DCIWX6XHP47UBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736251355438},"content":"I have no doubt that the Taoiseach, TÃ¡naiste and other future ministers have a real understanding and commitment to the climate issue, but for too long it seems that political science trumps climate science when it comes to delivering the change required. Perhaps in the negotiations they might draw some strength from the question that Pope Francis put to politicians in his letter, Laudate Deum, two years ago: â€œWhat would induce anyone at this stage to hold on to power, only to be remembered for their inability to take action when it was urgent and necessary to do so?â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Eamon Ryan"}]},"description":{"basic":"The scale and speed of change required to tackle climate issue is unprecedented and not always immediately popular"},"display_date":"2025-01-08T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Political science must not trump climate science. Here are the key tests for the new government ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"X6MSAHLE7BBGJJKX3EXJYASILQ","auth":{"1":"1490849e0d5f8fe73c21e90d21c2d62a6777789d518d690dd7f1e71ced68223f"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/X6MSAHLE7BBGJJKX3EXJYASILQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/08/eamon-ryan-political-science-cant-trump-climate-science-here-are-4-key-tests-for-the-new-government/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"J7IQODSXQVHBXCFFNM3L5B6EN4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":364,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/59e1272f-9870-45ba-916a-2ecf98329252/versions/1736173509/media/9bbfd5987fe5ee93c4c95341cca60328_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/liz-carolan-trumps-alt-right-edgelords-will-inevitably-come-for-ireland-we-cant-take-the-bait/","content_elements":[{"_id":"TILLZBSL6VEWBPF7XFVW26FKA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272519},"content":"At some point in the next four years Ireland will become the target of a culture or meme war attack from Donald Trumpâ€™s â€œalt rightâ€ allies. The pressure will feel immense but we cannot afford to take the bait.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZLUVTH6MVNBTTLGOFS2PNDQWOI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272520},"content":"In his first electoral victory and presidency, Trump relied on the religious right to build and maintain his winning coalition, appointing ultraconservative Mike Pence as his vice-president and committing to promote anti-abortion supreme court justices. Promises made, promises kept.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CGUF4NERYNHVXEMIYTMYZ6AWIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272521},"content":"This time around he shifted his core alliances, moving from the religious right to the â€œalt rightâ€, from the puritans to the memelords. Again this is embodied by his vice-president pick, the â€œextremely onlineâ€ JD Vance, and his lucrative strategic partnership with provocateur Elon Musk. Both Vance and Musk have demonstrated their ability to weaponise internet culture and humour to rally a younger, digitally engaged base, reshaping conservative politics.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YETXYHC5LBHPVL3MM6WJPNNMVI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272522},"content":"Trump bringing them into the fold helped to cement his win, but it also now positions them as architects of a strategy that ratchets up culture wars and viral spectacle as a cover for extractive policymaking. We see this in the naming of a new body Musk will lead to slash government spending as D.O.G.E., a name synonymous with an internet meme about a dog.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LMAQVFLKVFHZJPO6AHL4AM6XOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272523},"content":"Both Trump administrations will equally rely on theatrics, provocations and manufactured crises that distract from the core aims of those governing the US, and there are already some indications that foreign policy will be a key arena for this new era of ramped up government-by-sh*tposting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UTH667K6AFFLRAYV7JOUHOTCSM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272524},"content":"Over the Christmas break, Trump asserted on his own social media site that the US should purchase Greenland, â€œfor purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the Worldâ€. Eric Trump, the president electâ€™s son, followed up by posting a meme of an Amazon shopping cart that included Greenland in the basket.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YXHTO3Q7ABEQLEJWPSUCSZBIWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272525},"content":"This is just one of many comments on US imperial expansion, with the president elect also making various statements about seizing the Panama Canal and annexing Mexico and Canada. Governments are forced to respond, news outlets cover the story and opinion pieces proliferate. The New York Times declared that the comments about Canada have a â€œtrolling jocularityâ€, while those about Greenland and Panama are â€œnot a jokeâ€, though they add an important qualifier: â€œthis timeâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5K6ZFUZR2NCULPF6XQ3EC7Q2ZI","additional_properties":{"_id":"ZHHNUFTOBRELTKAUUZKM5CHTBU"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"IEL5S24VEBGJ5BMO26UQ7ZBVTU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272526},"content":"These types of statements are sent out into the world as trial balloons of Hindenburg proportions â€“ tossed like grenades that will either cause real world devastation, or explode in a Jackass-style farce of silly string, leaving braying bullies to LOL at your humiliation. The blurring of online jokes and declarations of intent by the worldâ€™s most powerful man is deeply destabilising, and our turn is coming.","type":"text"},{"_id":"77TO5LZ4L5F6LIHINZQRZUBZ5I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272527},"content":"What Greenland and Panama have in common is that they are seen as posing strategic impediments to the â€œAmerica Firstâ€ project, Greenland with its underexploited rare-earth resources, and both with their role in shipping and commerce. Many within the new Trump administrationâ€™s appointees also see Ireland as a problem. Trumpâ€™s trade tsar Robert Lighthizer has said â€œIreland gets a substantial part of the tax revenue that would normally be due to the US governmentâ€ and this is a â€œtransfer of wealth from us to themâ€. Howard Lutnick, nominee to head the US commerce department, said â€œitâ€™s nonsense that Ireland of all places runs a trade surplus at our expense ... When we end this nonsense, America will be a truly great country again.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"HB32WTTLINFFZIXEXVJASDJT5E","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272528},"content":"Add to this the fact that Ireland has already found itself in the crosshairs of US culture wars, notably in the recent hate speech Bill debates. Musk, Trump jnr and Vance all engaged in online discourse criticising that Bill. Musk in particular has been engaged in a long-term feud with the Irish State, which perfectly blends his â€œanti-wokeâ€ politics with his business interests. He was formerly doing this as the worldâ€™s richest man and owner of X. He is now doing it as both of these things and as a senior representative of a Trump administration that has its eyes on Irelandâ€™s economy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJW4DY3Z3NEZDGQJMBTD2O75CQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272529},"content":"It will be tempting, and probably smart politics, for Ireland to keep its head down. But anyone who has dealt with online bullies knows that this is not a long-term strategy; the edgelords will come for us at some point, whether we sit on our hands or not. What we need now is to work out how we will react when the spotlight inevitably comes on us, how to integrate the art of avoiding online baiting into the craft of diplomacy and the politics of statecraft. And we need to start planning for the risk of weaponisation of our presidential election later this year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XSX2LQZFFJF5BFGYLV4TM4T3EY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272530},"content":"The extra layer of challenge we face is that the trolls have real tools to threaten our economic stability. Our business model of foreign direct investment has served us extraordinarily well over the past 30 years but it has become golden handcuffs chaining our national stability and economic wellbeing to the whims of tax and trade policymakers, and ultimately to the vagrancies of oligarchs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VEW3XCTQJZGE5HVJKYWIZOF3ME","additional_properties":{"_id":1736166272531},"content":"The best way to beat trolls is to defang them of any real ability to hurt you. In this new year, with a new government with a fresh mandate, it is finally time to build a real alternative vision of Irelandâ€™s economy without our extraordinary reliance on mobile capital. Failing to do so will leave us with no leverage and could end up threatening our economic sovereignty.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WBD3JOENMVAWBAKIV7WCZUTQTY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736170629053},"content":"Liz Carolan works on democracy and technology issues, and writes at TheBriefing.ie","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Liz Carolan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Blurring of online jokes about Canada and declarations of intent - such as buying Greenland - by the worldâ€™s most powerful man is deeply destabilising. Ireland could be next"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:15:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trumpâ€™s alt right edgelords will inevitably come for Ireland. We canâ€™t take the bait","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PWWXWXNX2JVUCJBPK3JRBA5FUA","auth":{"1":"097bea9e1ee0dd69ca385bb436a3ebd11e4c1dcbf3894d0e480b25e56cbfb4a3"},"focal_point":{"x":1210,"y":824},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PWWXWXNX2JVUCJBPK3JRBA5FUA.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/liz-carolan-trumps-alt-right-edgelords-will-inevitably-come-for-ireland-we-cant-take-the-bait/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"5N6HM7NWHJBZDNBSHWOTD6NPJA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":370,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/b0c3339c-44bd-46b0-bbfc-0e18ba5852e6/versions/1736177180/media/49665701e77ba57920021349a7e7d694_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/recycle-sportsgear-eliminate-party-bags-four-easy-climate-resolutions-for-every-household/","content_elements":[{"_id":"V6VCE7IRTZCD3CDYN547WSLOLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879136},"content":"Our green bin was full even before Christmas Eve rolled around. I joined my husband outside, where he was stomping down its contents to create more room. In the then still-unseasonably warm air it was hard to imagine a sleigh crossing the night sky. Going back into the sweet warmth, the clementines had attracted fruit flies and a three-week-old non-shed tree was finally yielding its scent, the gifts and floor under it strewn with promise-breaking needles. I was already counting the hours until this week, when I could take it all down.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZX3WN6PAAZHDHPD3GDIRZCNKRI","additional_properties":{"_id":1736192735713},"content":"Call me Scrooge or the Grinch, I donâ€™t care, my favourite part of Christmas is now â€“ when itâ€™s all over. I make no secret of finding Christmas oppressive, and I donâ€™t mean two-hour carol services or the delicious collective pause. Itâ€™s mostly the pressure to consume, when buying is such a burden for many, and when so much of what we buy is not needed or wanted and soon discarded.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TULIYXBSMZB2BLCCR7NLQXDLVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879138},"content":"The Environmental Protection Agencyâ€™s Circular Economy and Waste Statistics and Highlights report published last December underlined that Ireland produced 15.7 million tonnes of waste in 2022. Packaging waste alone was 1.2 million tonnes. Further, our circularity rate (a measure of recycling versus consumption that reflects our efficiency at dealing with waste) is just 1.8 per cent. The European Union average is 11.5 per cent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XLLIC4L7ZZE4PO37KNUQWDK7BU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879139},"content":"We made an incredible recycling stride in 2024 with the launch of the deposit return scheme. But we also need to consume less and reuse more. With Christmas finally over (*leaps for joy*), itâ€™s time to consider how as individuals we can make our new yearâ€™s resolution a circular revolution. And, as with any resolution, you should start small but tell everyone. So hereâ€™s my shortlist of four ideas every household can adopt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XFQPLLA3VFC6ZEBLRWPGT6TYBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879140},"content":"1. Reuse. Try a gear exchange. In Ireland we discard 164,000 tonnes of textiles per year. This is the second-highest rate of per capita textile waste generation in the EU, according to the Circularity Gap Report by Circle Economy Foundation, commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication and published last October.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7KRBJH7ADFC2JL5BJ55VO2U6XQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"S5T4VTH2DJHSLC3A5SNG3DHSEA"},"content":"There is something delusional about your frantic trips to the recycling bin","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"FDYP2RXKRBGCNFXANB3ROSG7IQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1736192735718},"content":"In our local scout troop, parents are encouraged to select uniforms from a bag of hand-me-downs. Gear exchange is one of the ideas given a mention in the GAA Green Clubs toolkit. If every sports club in Ireland made gear exchange the norm, this could save hundreds of thousands of plastic-based garments and shoes from needlessly being produced, to be worn for just one season, destined for an overflowing clothes pod or some well-intentioned clothing drive for Africa. Before you say it, no, named sponsors wonâ€™t mind â€“ most clubsâ€™ lead sponsors are static from year to year, and what matters to them is not a new jersey but a commitment from the club to regularly talking up the support they give their community, which can easily be promoted on social media.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7NT4MI3QG5EZZMRW3OTWUZL4NU","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879142},"content":"2. Reduce. How about a â€˜no party bagâ€™ pledge? Our children donâ€™t need to be sent home with twizzle-me-bobs of plastic and packets of sugar, and parents donâ€™t need the additional hassle or cost of procuring them. The party bag habit got its toe in the door playing up the etiquette of gift exchange and watched the money roll in. As a class, as a school, we can easily reset everyoneâ€™s expectations and benefit the environment too.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BNTDGFCYOBE7FC7DG3X7V7GGYM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879143},"content":"3. Collaborate and campaign. Alone youâ€™re a killjoy, an evil nerd or a grinch, and not just in the eyes of the under nines. Together, the members of a club, workplace or school can undo decades of disposable habits in the space of a season, a half year or a term. Figure out who has skin in the game and share your ideas with them. The parentsâ€™ association at our school recently introduced a voluntary smartphone pledge. A super win for the sustainability of our kidsâ€™ mental health. They achieved it through a careful gathering in of opinions and non-judgmental figuring out what would work for the majority. Where social media has failed our children, online tools such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms can help build a mandate, while WhatsApp groups can easily spread a sustainable revolution.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OZ7K2BYDT5AWVK6A24HA3GHOXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879144},"content":"4. Say no to excess. Sometimes itâ€™s about nudging changes in behaviour; sometimes itâ€™s just calling out unnecessary waste. At the beginning of December, for instance, the Santa Dash fun run in St Anneâ€™s Park in Dublin attracted more than 1,000 entries, handing out disposable costumes â€œmade from 100 per cent virgin polyester felt in plastic packagingâ€. As part of its â€œsustainabilityâ€ commitment, participants were encouraged to â€œuse them again at homeâ€. When life is as frenetic as it was in 2024, itâ€™s tempting to let it all go â€“ whether itâ€™s another coffee cup, party bag or reusable Santa suit. But sometimes you just need to make the point and others will follow.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BELOWMC4ZFGXJILFI5P64QLFP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1736156879145},"content":"You can find everything you need to make your 2025â€²s new year resolution a circular revolution on Green Schools from An Taisce; the GAAâ€™s Green Clubs. For more resources for communities and households try CRNI, My Waste, StopFoodWaste.ie, Voice and the Rediscovery Centre.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OWOKMAXW6VDPFG5JYVQ6BU76UM","additional_properties":{"_id":1736173680219},"content":"Angela Ruttledge is a former restaurateur who writes about food and sustainability","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Angela Ruttledge"}]},"description":{"basic":"Call me Scrooge or the Grinch, but my favourite part of Christmas is now - when the season of excess waste is over"},"display_date":"2025-01-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Recycle sportsgear, eliminate party bags: four easy climate resolutions for every household","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"IX5JTMEY4K7RWGBSN36ZAVBUQ4","auth":{"1":"1aefaef445304126414a8d3873e7cc4168140a1993bf52ff40a6a18a5fff68a6"},"focal_point":{"x":1574,"y":1502},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IX5JTMEY4K7RWGBSN36ZAVBUQ4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/07/recycle-sportsgear-eliminate-party-bags-four-easy-climate-resolutions-for-every-household/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"QKDANKYMVVCXTHLTQ5FMND26BM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":341,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6ffeeb95-ad80-416a-9c3b-b1582e7d2690/versions/1735916731/media/fb3439db9a21f47ceb9d10f4d97faa68_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/orla-oconnor-women-dont-want-a-rest-on-nollaig-na-mban-they-want-decent-childcare-equal-pay-and-access-to-healthcare/","content_elements":[{"_id":"HBVJLAHRPJEVHOWMSPLZ7PQSIM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559588},"content":"As government formation talks gather pace, many women will be marking Nollaig na mBan, also known as Womenâ€™s or Little Christmas, today. It is the day women traditionally take a rest, get together and celebrate their Christmas while men do the housework.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FR7SB5N74JEWXE2NVDH3BHXQEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559589},"content":"It is a well-earned break. Because never is the gendered division of labour more apparent than at Christmas. From the physical and emotional labour of managing a household to the extra care work involved at Christmas, it is far from a time of rest for most women.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SRPS36EQXRDCHE73XU5VILMIHY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559590},"content":"But unrecognised care work is not just for Christmas. According to research carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), from one end of the year to another, women carry out twice as much unpaid care work and housework as men.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z7ILE2S5URDARHI7E3E5PQURUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559591},"content":"And so the message today from many women to those negotiating the next government and its programme is clear: we need radical change over the next five years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EAUZXKBCHNDMPOBT2ILKMJUSLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559592},"content":"The deal breaker for the advancement of womenâ€™s equality in the next political term is public childcare. Currently, the lack of affordable, accessible, quality childcare means women are often forced into part-time, more precarious work. Some women feel they have no choice but to leave the workforce altogether. This results in a key driver of the gender pay gap: the motherhood penalty. Womenâ€™s earnings plummet after the birth of a child, while menâ€™s remain static or even improve. Research from Maynooth University in 2023 found a significant 27 per cent decline in womenâ€™s earnings after childbirth.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPYUP2L3SJH2PLPORGOBJRG5QU","additional_properties":{"_id":"VGBO7XQ2GZC6NKMVHYDQVCJWQI"},"content":"Is free, publicly funded childcare possible in Ireland?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"E3ZRXSXLMNFXDD3COJQHHQ3BLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559593},"content":"Delivering a public system of early childhood education and care would tackle this penalty and provide enormous benefit to children, women, families and early years educators. It would mean a guaranteed childcare place for every child, irrespective of their background, their needs or where they live. Combined with well-paid family leave, it would offer real choices to women and all parents to participate fully in every aspect of their lives. And it would mean better pay and working conditions for the mostly female early years educators, commensurate with their education and experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2RY5V7BPTZGR5JATUYETCV43IE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559594},"content":"Women are also calling for radical change when it comes to tackling the epidemic of violence against women. Fifty two per cent of women in Ireland have reported experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. In 2023 An Garda SÃochÃ¡na received domestic violence calls every 10 minutes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M2FSIP455JDSXAZPO3TWP2LQLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"VGYFIMPBYBFVXIQAYZFSMWMCEY"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-45283","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"AKKVWFHRLBBUFANOIQUSWPJKYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559595},"content":"The commitment to a zero tolerance strategy in 2022 and the creation of Cuan, the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency, represents important progress to tackle violence against women. The new government must now drive forward to a society where women can live free from violence, abuse and harassment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EWZK6HMRIRCQ7ODXOYS7QEHSZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687334},"content":"Cuan must be fully resourced to carry out its mandate and implement the strategy. Frontline services need secure multiannual funding so they can continue to provide their vital services. The courts and judiciary must be reformed to provide a more victim-centred approach which does not retraumatise women.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MMICDCG4ERADHBUZA24G5UM63I","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687335},"content":"Finally, we must understand and tackle the serious impact of the housing crisis on women. The homelessness rate among women in Ireland is one of the highest in the EU. Women fleeing domestic abuse and violence and those caught up in sex-for-rent exploitation must be able to access secure housing and accommodation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MVXMOXITAJB5BNSH54P75B3FGE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559596},"content":"This Nollaig na mBan, women are demanding radical change in the area of womenâ€™s health. Marginalised women in particular face significant barriers in accessing the healthcare they need. The introduction of the free contraception scheme, free IVF and free HRT were important, positive milestones over the last few years. This progress must continue with a renewed focus on the delivery of a universal healthcare system and increased, dedicated investment in mental health services that meet womenâ€™s unique needs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TOF722UTTZAR3KF2L5BQC6ICHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1736080687337},"content":"One demand that should be completely uncontroversial is the delivery of the long-awaited mother and baby unit. This unit is urgently needed to allow mothers experiencing very severe and complex perinatal mental health difficulties to receive in-patient care and support without being separated from their babies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WZPCAEWRCRFV5HE3VYOSXSYLOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559597},"content":"And with more than 1,000 women having to travel from Ireland to Britain for an abortion since 2018, we want to see a clear commitment from government to implement the recommendations of the independent review of abortion care by Marie Oâ€™Shea. This includes an end to the mandatory three-day wait and the full decriminalisation of abortion care in Ireland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UVZCCYW2UJGRPGWMLNQ5XUEE5M","additional_properties":{"_id":"5ANV34YKJZB7THZOJCRX2FQ6ME"},"content":"Taoiseach says abortion legislation review requires â€˜careful considerationâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UXDFUGIY3ZDSDB3CMEGOXSJHTE","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559598},"content":"These are some of the calls from women to the negotiators of the next programme for government and all newly elected TDs, including a record number of 44 women elected. With significant resources available to tackle some major, structural issues for women, the time to act is now. Women deserve more than a rest for Nollaig na mBan; women need equality.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W7OBZTJFFRC3DFIVW6XBSG6IYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1735913559599},"content":"Orla Oâ€™Connor is the director of the National Womenâ€™s Council","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Orla O'Connor"}]},"description":{"basic":"Lack of affordable, accessible, quality childcare means women are often forced into part-time, more precarious work"},"display_date":"2025-01-06T05:45:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Women donâ€™t want a rest on Nollaig na mBan. We want decent childcare, equal pay and access to healthcare","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"WCZHAVDCD5DCNO4T2Y5CLJVHGQ","auth":{"1":"9a54f16d62571a9d9fbd891f9490f2cd7f57297734aeefb1f7298405805924e2"},"focal_point":{"x":3009,"y":1477},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/WCZHAVDCD5DCNO4T2Y5CLJVHGQ.JPG"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/06/orla-oconnor-women-dont-want-a-rest-on-nollaig-na-mban-they-want-decent-childcare-equal-pay-and-access-to-healthcare/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"HEAOYWTBSFDXLPRR6DRYEFKXK4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":420,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/f8d5926d-077e-4178-84b1-ce2e65dce677/versions/1734967959/media/7b14c6f60ab4e99795e9bb9b7e3c2433_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/ben-tonra-europe-is-deluded-if-it-thinks-it-can-manage-donald-trump/","content_elements":[{"_id":"CI2N6POQO5AX5IMSSSXFKKPTME","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281048},"content":"The re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has profound implications for European security and the future of transatlantic relations. How worried should we be? Very.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7B5QM4PVPJDQ3FZNV57ECFPRNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281049},"content":"Trumpâ€™s previous tenure in the White House was marked by an innate contempt for the very premise of collective security, an intrinsically transactional approach to allies, a profound hostility towards the European Union and a preference for the company of autocrats. His worst impulses, however, were constrained by the so-called â€œadults in the roomâ€ â€” most of whom opposed his re-election.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SERSOQZYRZFLTHOXF63CO7OKBU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281050},"content":"Throughout his election campaign, all this was again on full display. According to Trump, Russia could â€œdo whatever the hell they want(ed)â€ in Europe â€” especially to those not paying their rightful Nato dues. His framing of Natoâ€™s 2 per cent defence spending target is that of a mob bossâ€™s racketeering scheme â€” pay for protection or lose protection. His running mate suggested that Nato protection would be withdrawn from EU member states if they threatened the business interests of big US companies such as Elon Muskâ€™s X. Musk is now, of course, a close adviser and cabinet member.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXI35T6TZRGBBMSWJD5IX5E22E","additional_properties":{"_id":"GUC6S4H3FZG7BGLXGRJHKXADYY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"46HIMQJ2IZCINNDIY67EHOFHFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734543056723},"content":"Trumpâ€™s economic policy calls for universal import tariffs which will inevitably spark equivalent tariffs from the EU and threatens a much wider trade war. Appointments thus far to Trumpâ€™s national security, foreign policy and economic teams suggest nothing if not a doubling down on these ideas and this â€œAmerica Firstâ€ strategy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JUDX33TW75HP5O3IQMNE6ZJAXA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281051},"content":"Many seasoned European diplomats extol caution in response. It was an election after all, they tell us. Things said in the heat of a campaign â€” especially from a candidate not known for his tempered restraint â€” can be at least partially discounted. Moreover, the laws of economic and political reality still apply, and US national interests are predicated upon strong alliances. Trump is also highly transactional and loves the â€œdealâ€ even more than he loves the excitement of shaking things up. In any event, they tell us, we survived Trump 1.0 â€“ why not the same for Trump 2.0?","type":"text"},{"_id":"6YL734BICFEV7EQEZWBLY2RICY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281052},"content":"Apart from the renewed ideological vigour of this second Trump administration â€“ to be found in his Project 2025 manifesto, from which he has distanced himself â€“ we have yet to factor in what lessons Trump himself has taken from his first government. As noted, his personnel choices are eliminating any prospect of checks and balances coming from within his own White House. He has also secured majorities â€“ and Maga [Make America Great Again] majorities at that â€“ in both congressional houses and he has a bespoke supreme court majority. He also has scores to settle. His nemesis Angela Merkel may be gone, but the kinds of European leaders he despises are all there. He also intends to take a scythe through the US military establishment, the senior leadership most attuned to the needs and strengths of Americaâ€™s military alliances. Trump has also forged close ties with many on Europeâ€™s right-wing populist front â€“ celebrating, for example, Hungaryâ€™s Viktor Orban. The bottom line: this isnâ€™t likely to be a rerun of Trump 1.0.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BAT7WUDHCVBQNBAPDC7ZZZJXTQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"JMZYOPNUUVFSHH7H46M7KFY6VM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"CLJOOYZ7RZGXZCN53GVQMAZE6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281053},"content":"From a security standpoint, itâ€™s also useful to remind ourselves that Natoâ€™s credibility does not rely on treaty text. Indeed, in drafting the treaty it was a US demand that Natoâ€™s response to any crisis would rely on what each state â€œdeemed necessaryâ€ rather than any automatic military response. Thus, there is no need for Trump to withdraw from Nato to destroy the allianceâ€™s credibility. He has only â€“ through his own words and actions â€“ to continue to disparage the US commitment to the alliance to allow Natoâ€™s adversaries to draw their own conclusions and to accelerate the kinds of hybrid attacks we are already witnessing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GJ45BAXCBGTZMZSVNOLZLHZZI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281054},"content":"The European strategy in responding to all of this is to trust in Europeâ€™s capacity to â€œmanageâ€ Donald Trump. This will be accomplished, we are told, by explaining how much Europe is contributing to Ukraineâ€™s defence, by pointing to the number of Nato members already meeting or far exceeding the 2 per cent threshold, by underlining Europeâ€™s potential role in leveraging China on issues of importance to Washington, and by serving up political â€œwinsâ€ to Trump that he can showcase as evidence of his deal-making genius. This is the opening European strategy â€“ but is it also European wishful thinking? Is it perhaps the diplomatic equivalent of whistling past the graveyard of the transatlantic partnership?","type":"text"},{"_id":"MK4X4LRAC5EZ7NPY75O6M27GRQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281055},"content":"If this second Trump administration makes good on what has been said and on what is said to be planned, the transatlantic relationship will enter a period of profound crisis and potential collapse. Options are limited. It is possible that the European Union will respond with the kind of collective power it evidenced in the euro and Covid crises. EU defence bonds may put hundreds of millions into national defence budgets and the bones of an EU common defence may come into being. Europe may fill much of the gap in helping Ukraine defend itself. Europe may even stand toe to toe with the US in the upcoming tariff battle, withstanding threats of blackmail. The United Kingdom, France, Germany and especially Poland may also rise to the occasion, creating a bold coalition of the willing, capable as a Euro-Nato or EU+European Political Community to forge the necessary will and deploy the resources required to thwart Russian imperialism and proxy Chinese adventurism via North Korea.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2NQJ2T442ZDYBNZLKO7N5THGUA","additional_properties":{"_id":"H4WDXNEM6NCVVAGKVUUCLGRKLQ"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"YAT5FKXN2VBR3ESDKZIHIRIH4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281056},"content":"Alternatively, European capitals will beat separate paths to Washington to supplicate at the court of Trump, and to secure whatever bilateral assurances and guarantees may be available. Trump may craft his own illiberal coalition in partnership with Orban, Le Pen, Fico and others, thereby collapsing the European Unionâ€™s foreign policy and drawing into question its own political foundations. Russia will keenly exploit Europeâ€™s weaknesses, possibly even creating its longed-for buffer zone of client or neutered states across its western borders.","type":"text"},{"_id":"426G4LMZWFDSJBTVKRLJLGBFEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734542281057},"content":"The lamps have most certainly not gone out over Europe, but there are now threatening winds blowing from the West and Ireland will inevitably be caught in some severe storm-force crosswinds.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EGULSKA6AVG6ZDPVXGYW5DG2CM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734543056731},"content":"Ben Tonra MRIA is full Professor of International Relations at UCD. A version of this article was published with the UK in a Changing Europe project","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Ben Tonra"}]},"description":{"basic":"If this second Trump administration makes good on what has been said, the transatlantic relationship will enter a period of profound crisis and potential collapse"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Europe is deluded if it thinks it can â€˜manageâ€™ Donald Trump","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BT6HP4N2MW5MAVHG2VEEKI4GEU","auth":{"1":"741a93a28a0ce70bb9d34bf22639cff164efccfb49b6259e0622115abb2f7485"},"focal_point":{"x":4525,"y":2171},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BT6HP4N2MW5MAVHG2VEEKI4GEU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/ben-tonra-europe-is-deluded-if-it-thinks-it-can-manage-donald-trump/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"ZVQGITB2GBCRTIKWV3YBHAZTA4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":421,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6dd86b15-6d1d-46cb-96ea-0bec55c2ef31/versions/1734447654/media/ce405307e18a052baebc6cca8e33620a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/planning-to-join-a-swimming-pool-in-the-new-year-read-this-first/","content_elements":[{"_id":"7QYV5QH74JD4RJUM47MFD4ZQT4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539620},"content":"It has been an incredible year for Irish swimming â€“ three Olympic medals, fantastic performances at the World Championships and short course Worlds, and national record after national record put to bed. If, like many, youâ€™ve been inspired all the way to the local pool, we warmly await your cap-clad arrival to the poolside of your choosing. But please, tread carefully.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNYAVT76IVEC3I56RQZWPCXAGY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539621},"content":"As a twice- or thrice-weekly lunchtime lane-swimmer, I have advice to help you glide seamlessly into this world without enraging your new colleagues. Swimming is unusual among sports for how close it forces you to be with your fellow athletes and it can involve some calibration to maintain a decent rhythm. But lane selection is perilously self-assessed. I see crimes at both ends of the spectrum â€“ fast people menacing the fine citizenry of the slow lane, and splashy slow swimmers disrupting the fast lane.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IP22TVV7HJCKNEJB5LTBXW5I7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539622},"content":"Often, I can see the latter coming. Theyâ€™re men in good shape, and they choose lanes on identity grounds (â€œIâ€™m just a fast lane kinda guyâ€) rather than swimming ability.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5J23YCTELFDCJN5LQIV7PHJBYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539623},"content":"The following happens frequently. Iâ€™m in the fast lane, swimming medium/fast laps of the pool (50m in under a minute, at least), stopping every 12 laps. Someone enters the lane, and just as I am, say, 4m from their end, about to turn and go again, the person takes off. Now, I canâ€™t just tumble-turn and continue, as Iâ€™ll swim directly into the back of them as I come out of the turn. So, I stop. Or rather, I am stopped. They canâ€™t see my reaction, which is visibly frustrated, so thereâ€™s nothing to stop this becoming a continuing theme in our shared lane experience.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3S5WYPYORZC73EXDUJ4GFWTK2Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539624},"content":"Occasionally, Iâ€™ve attempted a discussion, but swimming pools are terrible mediation spaces. â€œIâ€™m sorry but, I notice you keep just beginning as Iâ€™m about to turn. Could you please, em, just wait until Iâ€™ve turned or go when Iâ€™m at the other end?â€ They look genuinely confused or roll their eyes, and a weird mood captures the lane â€“ one heightened by all the inscrutable goggle-wearing. If, instead of talking, I respond by just turning anyway and immediately overtaking, they often speed up, and an exhausting, close-quarters race ensues.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJBXXHSOO5G7BGL246G3LZ6DN4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539625},"content":"The next point: if someone taps your foot, donâ€™t panic. When returning to lane-swimming, I learned the main rule was that if a swimmer behind taps your foot, thatâ€™s a signal they want to overtake, and you should respond by making that easy â€“ donâ€™t stop dead, but swim on slowly to allow them to get around you quickly. The one time Iâ€™ve attempted this recently, it was met with complete bafflement (they stopped and turned around, thinking I was trying to chat). Unfortunately, the intersection between the set of people who swim enough to know the rule, and the people likely to need to be overtaken, is vanishingly small. Thus, a foot tap in the wild is likely to be interpreted as anything from an unwelcome rogue tickle to an act of physical hostility.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DWPR47FRMJHYLHDM44K72262PM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539626},"content":"Iâ€™m no Daniel Wiffen. I find it intimidating when someone faster joins my lane. If thereâ€™s a free one, or another one thatâ€™s moving well, Iâ€™ll often switch. When I canâ€™t switch without sacrificing a good training session, Iâ€™m very mindful of not messing up their rhythm. Iâ€™ll swim four lengths for every six they do and slide to the corner, or up on to the edge, giving them lots of room to turn and overtake.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AFK2OVM66BAPXJ4U2564ZWUXFY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539627},"content":"This sounds neurotic, but I have come to think the neuroticism is linked to ways women have of perceiving their bodies and the space they take up. Itâ€™s why I get so frustrated when a person cuts me off. I avoid attributing malice where obliviousness is plausible. So, when I think about what it must be like not to be worried about blocking someone elseâ€™s way, to be so completely unconscious of the space my body takes up as to not see that Iâ€™m going to force someone else to stop, Iâ€™m both jealous and annoyed. For me, taking off just before a faster swimmer turns would be no less craven than chasing and then lying down in front of a jogger.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IJ4YUH2FBAT3HFY2RZ6Z4VXBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539628},"content":"Some philosophy I read recently illuminated my rage. Phenomenologists believed the history of western philosophy had relegated the body to a kind of shell that the mind, as the proper seat of consciousness, merely drags around with it. Descartes & Co prioritised the mental over the physical. For phenomenologist Merleau-Ponty, we are our bodies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TYTTRJTDQVHI5GDDKQNRGIMCNA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539629},"content":"In Throwing Like a Girl, Iris Marion Young uses phenomenology to explain how women can struggle to achieve a harmonious relationship with physical activity. According to Young, at our most primal, people are bodies, interacting freely with our environments. The body is capacity â€” a set of powers. But this can work differently for women. Young describes a corrupted version where the power is inhibited, its relationship with its surroundings flounders, causing feelings of incapacity, frustration and self-consciousness.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZOD4GOZ3FCBNGKAMMWYG4RPEQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539630},"content":"In laymanâ€™s terms, we regard our bodies in a way that interferes with the experience of them as primarily powerful. We think about our bodies as objects rather than subjects â€“ things that other people see or, in the case of swimming pools, things that may be in someone elseâ€™s way.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2SWIUISZJFHCJH4UVUD3KPFW7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539631},"content":"This is why, in addition to manspreading, we have womansquinching. Consider the shared armrests between public seats, like those on planes and trains. For those of us whose phenomenology has been beaten down by life, those armrests will always be about occupying space. The idea of freely engaging them simply to reduce the weight-bearing load of our arms, without a thought for the rival elbow is mere fantasy. Similarly, I overthink my lane etiquette, constantly worrying over the possibility of my body becoming an encumbrance to another. Itâ€™s a shame, because it is while swimming uninterrupted that I feel the most primal relationship with my body. I feel like the driver of a decent car, and less like a road hazard.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PX5T55FO3VFHZJXEGECLN23ZEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539632},"content":"So, if swimming is your new yearâ€™s resolution, and you are in the fortunate camp for whom your connection to your body is so natural that you donâ€™t anticipate when you come close to causing a two-body-pile-up, I implore you, try to pick the right lane.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3SVSYYW5V5CLFCJWQHJ5DGWOC4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734440539633},"content":"Dr Clare Moriarty is a Research Ireland postdoctoral fellow at Trinity College Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Clare Moriarty"}]},"description":{"basic":"Watch your lane etiquette; never take off just before a faster swimmer turns; and donâ€™t panic if someone taps your foot"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Planning to join a swimming pool this January? Read this first","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4WRUQ7ZSCFA2ZI4APCIE6P6QNU","auth":{"1":"a6f5d2782307d31e95c3b62d621a7f7fc4360bda3a0af6f2b569fd6312bbc9b7"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4WRUQ7ZSCFA2ZI4APCIE6P6QNU.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/planning-to-join-a-swimming-pool-in-the-new-year-read-this-first/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DHI4UUZ5VVCKFELP746V6ALK44","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":368,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/bb5384d8-c8d7-4e2b-b002-9e9cd49ac888/versions/1734699657/media/c03fff12f928a9a399083dd3f9d5960d_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/rachel-odwyer-my-friend-sends-me-a-dizzying-list-of-pills-for-what-she-calls-biohacking-perimenopause/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WWIW56LBFBG7NICGJYB4ELA73A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795772},"content":"My friend Suzy and I visit a luxury forest spa before Christmas. Neither of us are really sure what we are supposed to actually do in the luxury spa for three hours. Along with a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, many of the rooms â€“ â€œexperiencesâ€ â€“ appear to simply be designed for sleeping. There is a Scandinavian snug, for example, with a fire and huge fluffy blankets that you can lie under with a view of the forest beyond. I lie blearily on a chaise longue, watching robed figures wander through the trees outside and thinking about Ari Aster horror films. The spa offers a class in sleep as it happens, another in mindful meditation, and a third in skincare, which is just beginning when we arrive. Behind a glass partition, a row of women in identical fluffy white robes all face front. Thereâ€™s a distinctly Wall-E feel to the whole spectacle. They stare earnestly ahead at an invisible instructor, all gently massaging the delicate skin around their eyes with the fourth finger of each hand in neat, circular motions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBWCOSOUWRDKLKE34YVTJAX2PY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795773},"content":"What comes to mind when you think of wellness? It might be colostrum serums, aura points or simply having enough free time to go running. (The word â€œcolostrumâ€ alone is enough to conjure shivers of deep personal failure in my own psyche). A wellness trend Iâ€™ve seen forecast in several places for 2025 is â€œlongevityâ€, which is simply the aspiration to be so healthy that you live longer than everyone else. Maybe it speaks to cynicism on my part, or at least a cynicism about the future, but Iâ€™m surprised that younger people want to live forever when the planet is burning. Maybe this cynicism also explains my own approach to new yearâ€™s resolutions, which is less aspirational and always just â€œmake it from January 1st to March 20th without doing myself a violenceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RGIXCYDMNBB4LJAOETGUW5QPLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795774},"content":"For many of us, the Covid pandemic sounded the death knell for any residual cries to â€œlean inâ€. Many Gen X and millennial women worked and cared and parented past the point of burnout. They continue to do so. If the womanly dream of â€œhaving it allâ€ has been revealed to be simply â€œdoing it allâ€, wellness promises something different. It suggests there can be healing from all that striving, that self-care could replace the demand to be a girlboss, hustle or achieve. And maybe this is why wellness is so appealing, promising that a new you might be purchased as easily as a fancy jade roller.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HGRXQT7DFE2DPLOMHAWK455TY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795775},"content":"Figuring out how to be well feels dispiriting at a moment when so much of the language of healing and transcending has been absorbed into the vernacular of corporate productivity and self-optimisation. Iâ€™m stating the obvious here, but even the very state of wellness as opposed to simply â€œbeing wellâ€ implies a luxury product we consume rather than something we simply are, a sentiment still perfectly encapsulated by the yoni eggs sold on Gwyneth Paltrowâ€™s lifestyle website Goop, designed to be inserted into the vagina to â€œharness the power of energy work, crystal healing and Kegel-like physical practiceâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"COJSHRNSONCG5F733MY7KB2QJA","additional_properties":{"_id":"EUZNX5AMRNAMFMFPUAFDR55ZA4"},"content":"My smear test dilemma: How do I confess that this is my first one, at the age of 41?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UU7QVFHHU5HGVGDN3NL67LI3PQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795776},"content":"If, on the one hand, we have Paltrow shilling us expensive Kegel toners to fill the aching voids in our lives, in the past year or so Iâ€™ve noticed another less glamorous but frankly more useful approach to health and wellness among millennials. This age group are using tools like the internet, AI and the wisdom of crowds to navigate womenâ€™s health issues. My cohort are well used to navigating a Reddit wormhole. If we donâ€™t entirely trust the health system to care for our bodies we would rather trust in the hive mind to help us sift through the noise surrounding topics like perimenopause and postnatal depression.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PGN4TY3HOREKTKIJSY442MOHBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795777},"content":"The results are mixed. â€œHave you tried low-dose naltrexone? How about metformin?â€ A friend in the States texts me. Iâ€™d been complaining about a general unwell feeling for the past few months, tired and achy in my joints. But maybe this is just what getting older feels like? â€œWhat are they for?â€ I ask, quickly googling to discover that the first is prescribed in higher doses for addiction but used at lower doses off-label for numerous purposes including long Covid and the latter is prescribed for diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. My friend has none of these conditions as far as I know. â€œI donâ€™t know, Reddit told me it would keep me skinny and make me young,â€ she quips, proceeding to describe a dizzying list of supplements and medications she calls â€œbiohacking perimenopauseâ€. Alongside the aforementioned, thereâ€™s low oestrogen birth control as a precursor to hormone therapy and Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant with stimulant properties. â€œItâ€™s shocking how much my parenting has improved.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQK6FBVJEFGCJFB62HY6TVB6BU","additional_properties":{"_id":"N74J2YRYPJFZTCQGHETFO5WYUA"},"content":"Men are deemed more masculine for taking up more space, women more feminine for taking up less","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"7Q4GT7WW3NBXBHDPY2FRVTD4NY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795778},"content":"I notice that many of my WhatsApp groups ostensibly devoted to motherly admin are frequently highjacked to poll health supplements: magnesium, strength training and the best (okay, fine, least worst) hormonal contraceptives. Even though picking up heavy things has always topped my list in terms of boring forms of exercise, it clearly tops the shared list of recommendations for recommended stuff to do as you get older. The shared consensus, too, is that supplements advertised for menopause are simply magnesium and vitamin B at a much higher price tag and not worth your money, however many influencers try to shill you a fancy version of Starflower oil. I add them to my online shopping cart. Itâ€™s cheaper than a crystal egg.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7Q3S4RJ2RH63ILS2D7A4BIB4E","additional_properties":{"_id":1734541795779},"content":"Rachel Oâ€™Dwyer is a writer and lecturer in digital cultures in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Rachel O'Dwyer"}]},"description":{"basic":"My generation prefers to trust the hive mind to the health system when it comes to caring for our bodies and minds. The results can be mixed"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"My friend sends me a dizzying list of pills for what she calls â€˜biohacking perimenopauseâ€™","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"CWZ7N6KUJZCDLLEMSELAFH4VW4","auth":{"1":"3b1c0fe58af6ce06db8182d3d1a5eff819469ebae741958bf210018af75da722"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CWZ7N6KUJZCDLLEMSELAFH4VW4.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/rachel-odwyer-my-friend-sends-me-a-dizzying-list-of-pills-for-what-she-calls-biohacking-perimenopause/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"PORZ7NMM75GCVPS7T6ZOHVAJ5M","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":327,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/bb471816-cf06-4853-b567-3bb279c94ea4/versions/1735230765/media/428284ccdec3b285d1817dfdaa00dc4a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/freedom-of-religion-an-empty-formula-unless-places-to-worship-available/","content_elements":[{"_id":"PGQZYLLZ55D3TDXH2T2HAN23YU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171814},"content":"Places of worship in this country were traditionally guaranteed by well resourced religious institutions. In recent years religious worship has become more diverse and many worshipping communities now exist outside wider hierarchical structures. Their resources are limited.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H4D7MX57UNHJPM4DTIYEMR2ULM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171815},"content":"Access to places of worship is a big challenge and, when found, they are often inadequate. â€œFreedom of religionâ€ is an empty formula unless people of faith are able to gather to worship under suitable conditions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JDA2MIQWFNBE5HVEOXMKXCK6E4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171816},"content":"In the changing face of religion in Ireland, people of Muslim faith make up a large proportion of regular congregational worshippers. Of the 24 mosques and Islamic prayer rooms in Dublin, three are in the north inner city, the only place in the Republic where they outnumber Catholics.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EAR7O3AEUFHPROTQZJRMA54TLU","additional_properties":{"_id":"37XVNNQAHZESLJPTKLTQ4EAC7I"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"HTT2JCSEOJAPVPBJBMO7Q6LIHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171817},"content":"One of these north inner city mosques â€” Masjid Rahma (Mosque of Mercy) â€” was previously renting a premises in Temple Lane off Gardiner St, which held 400 worshippers, until the lease was terminated in order to develop the site. This story is typical of the many new faith groups in Ireland.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TLG5ZVWTJFDBVJGOC6NJEIAEZA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171818},"content":"When they do succeed in finding a place to worship, the costs are daunting, the tenure is uncertain and often the conditions are inadequate. Other mosques in the area face the same problem of inadequate space, which means that they are forced to multiply weekly services when the norm is for the entire community to gather at the same time.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TN2NURL2VBA6BN6MSNKIAI3YYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171819},"content":"Masjid Rahma now occupies a former garage which can hold only 70 worshippers. This means that the majority of its community is no longer catered for. Most of its members live in the immediate area. They send their children to the same local schools and they share the same workplaces as their Irish-born neighbours.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LZEMSIZQNFA45OQ7T3KPR3MEL4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171820},"content":"This part of the city is no stranger to ethnic diversity. As early as the year 2000 there were 10 ethnic groups in Gardiner Street National School. There are now 30.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NTWJ7T3RDNA55CCA5KEHMLG7KA","additional_properties":{"_id":"RENLEZVMX5DSLJDFVNYQIEHCJQ"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"ME4NCZINNJGERJUDEQIN5V22OA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171821},"content":"According to official statistics, the population of the Republic is due to increase by one million by 2040. Some of that increase will be due to immigration as the economy offers new opportunities to fill much needed roles and draws the attention of people from other parts of the world in search of better life.","type":"text"},{"_id":"27GW7LCQSRGRTPQHR4LPNKVGIE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171822},"content":"Indeed, they will be doing what so many Irish people have done over the past two centuries. Wherever they went around the world, they drew strength and support from their Catholic faith. This is typical of all migrants from any part of the world and, as they find their way in a new country, these new arrivals will look to religious faith for support.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TJQ2CEEOTRGRJDSCUTI3N6WLCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171823},"content":"This pattern is already clear among immigrants who have been living in Ireland for some time. Dublinâ€™s northeast inner city is a preview of Irelandâ€™s future with its rich diversity of religious groups.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DJY3WU26E5CLPE7TAMPMUPOYAY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171824},"content":"There should be no repetition at national level of the indifference shown in the northeast inner city. The changes which we face will lead to dislocation, with potential for conflict, unless they are planned for.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3EHYJC2EU5FYHOIGSH2HDJHD5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171825},"content":"There is a growing public awareness of the need for a different kind of planning than in the past â€” one which takes into account more than simply the building of houses, though housing is fundamental. The common good requires that everyone has access to what they need to thrive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6OUVAOC47FB3RBLCHCUR7ITX64","additional_properties":{"_id":"AUJECCHMEBEY5KOU5NQS6ZQ46M"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"MT4ZMY5WENEFLA7PTFVP7NLC6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171826},"content":"The large isolating housing estates of the past were not grounded in building sustainable communities, and many did real harm to those who lived in them. The National Planning Framework, launched in 2018 and being reviewed currently refers to â€œspatial planningâ€ whereby housing has to be seen in relation to various facilities such as schools, transport and hospitals. It also refers to care of the environment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RWIVRTGQGZGNLH26XOWGVHND5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171827},"content":"There is no reference in the National Planning Framework to providing space for worship, as part of creating spaces that build and sustain communities. This will be a significant need for the various ethnic and religious groups living in Ireland today and in the years ahead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6PJ5D4TJBVHXBHVCWNDTQ22BKI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171828},"content":"For anyone who is part of a faith community, congregational worship is as fundamental to their wellbeing as a school or a hospital. This will call for fundamental change in our attitude to land and its use. After air and water, it is the most valued resource in every society.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MERLQNFU65A6LJ3WKVZA2U4MM4","additional_properties":{"_id":"2FJVES72WZA3VOOMMOAO2F6BMM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"DW3U3RHZ4FFUPEGVD4HZABLPHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171829},"content":"If it is simply seen as a commodity, instead of a human need, many people will be denied the basic requirements of a dignified life. The prevailing approach to land development, which lends itself too easily to a culture of land speculation, is based on a supposed right to private property, but that right, according to the Constitution, is subject to â€œthe exigencies of the common goodâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"76NT7BAN6VCDZCEC7VBG3F4DRI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171830},"content":"The right of speculators to have it their way is about as legitimate as the right of 19th landlords to exact exorbitant rent from impoverished tenants.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZKQLQWVNVBC6PEDNSK3YYG2DGE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734724171831},"content":"Imam Shamsudeen MacSeain of Masjid Rahma on Dorset Lane and Fr Edmond Grace SJ of the Jesuit Community, Gardiner St, Dublin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Imam Shamsudeen MacSeain and Fr Edmond Grace, SJ."}]},"description":{"basic":"Rite and Reason: No reference in National Planning Framework to providing space for worship as part of creating spaces that build and sustain communities"},"display_date":"2025-01-05T00:30:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Freedom of religion an empty formula unless places to worship available","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MWLQRSG4T5FJHLXJK766LIDEZA","auth":{"1":"e9c1cdd8637874a605fc775d25a31d58675491800c8aa7d11dd3c3af46f9ff76"},"focal_point":{"x":3439,"y":676},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MWLQRSG4T5FJHLXJK766LIDEZA.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/05/freedom-of-religion-an-empty-formula-unless-places-to-worship-available/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"63ZOKCCBFFD4RBNBAQEG4TA5G4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":369,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/654c38c3-3323-4c09-947b-8316f858712f/versions/1735333648/media/55ba4e1163439c12e81252b486cfaf73_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/rivkah-mckinley-i-long-to-escape-the-tyranny-of-yoga-fruit-and-my-weekly-glycolic-peel/","content_elements":[{"_id":"ABNNKLOIEBEQ3JMHCUJ5EBS6EU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352005},"content":"My boyfriend and I were talking about success. â€œI feel successful because I eat fruit every day. Between breakfast and lunch. Iâ€™m always full of vitamin C.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"TFC6VRIUNVEDFKMK2VPIQXWHSY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352006},"content":"He is bemused. Itâ€™s strange to him, this idea of success â€” bodily care. But to me it feels gratifying, it feels good. To serve my body as if it were another. My self, I think, virtuously. A man wouldnâ€™t understand, I venture. You think success lies in writing books and rescuing people from fires and making money. I feed the body fruit. Good body.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GRQTZ2TRZEAJKL5RNY7HX2TPE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352007},"content":"This makes me think of the childrenâ€™s books. The books for boys â€” about train drivers and builders and firemen and postmen and all of the things that you can do when you dive into the world and begin to act. Well, boys can do. And the books for girls â€” about love and flowers and hugs and kisses and being nice and the colour pink. All of those lovely things that I so appreciate myself, deeply, and always will. And about the highest form of girlhood you can aspire to â€” princessness â€” where you donâ€™t have to do anything at all because youâ€™re rich in some mysterious way that you donâ€™t think about. You just brush your hair and are lovely.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7VCDB44DORE5RFRL6AYMRRZOMY","additional_properties":{"_id":"CJYUCABNUFEUBITGS5KECM3W5Q"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"CAGZN3XUTRBE5CPSKP7MLESY6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352008},"content":"All of this has been recognised and widely known, though not remedied, for a long time. Boys are trained to act, women are trained to care for others. We are lovely after all. And without a doubt, the little boys could use some more of this loveliness in their training â€” I still remember with terror the great mystery of why boys always wanted to come over, say something mean, and push you over in the mud. Youâ€™d been peacefully weaving a friendship bracelet and talking about what kind of pony youâ€™d like with a dear, dear friend. And then this violent being appears, and you never understand what theyâ€™re doing or why.","type":"text"},{"_id":"POAYHTZADNGGZJT7PDMUOJDZHM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352009},"content":"Women as carers. We know this story well: weâ€™ve watched it crush female potential since the start of history. Iâ€™ve watched it, growing up, and always said: not me. Iâ€™m a writer.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3HHTP525QBC43MNIWEX267VN6Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352010},"content":"In the meantime, it seems weâ€™ve all discovered another form of caring. One that women can do, all day every day, without ever having to feel that weâ€™re wasting our short lives, our energy or our minds. It turns out that the problem with care was its selflessness. So weâ€™ve found a way around that, misusing another academic term so that it can be used to sell things. Self-care. You know, that trillion-dollar industry that immobilises women. Well, immobilises me. I was a kind of rabid femcel communist before someone bought me a smartphone. Iâ€™m much, much calmer now. Science says that dark undereye circles do not go away, but Iâ€™m a bastion of hope and I will prove them all wrong. I appreciate that this is probably some kind of capitalism vs women thing, but Iâ€™m tired of that discussion. I want to glow.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T6LHCL2ZCFAPFLL6LP6IBI7WQU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352012},"content":"Self-care means, for me â€” I havenâ€™t prepared my classes, I havenâ€™t written anything, and I havenâ€™t had any fun, but I feel very, very good. I feel like virtue itself. Because I did a hair mask before I got into the shower, even though it was boring. I ate a bowl of beautifully sliced fruit. I did yoga for so long that my thoughts are pleasant and slow and peaceful. Hours pass inexplicably, but virtuously. I am completely on top of things.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GIKX7RNVSNGDXKXAI5MPDUHNRE","additional_properties":{"_id":"3LSRKHFWF5GA5M7PLOYODKESXM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"66KU5233ZRBRFGUQ3PUXVD7SO4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352013},"content":"One thing Iâ€™ve learned from teaching literature, where the discussion is often ethical, is that everybody wants to be a good person. This is always an earnest conversation â€” no one wants to miss the argument that might better their souls. How do I treat others right? What do I do, in this world of horror, but also any world; what is the right thing to do? Goodness. Everyone wants goodness. Simone Weil wrote: â€œEvil when we are in its power is not felt as evil but as a necessity, or even a duty.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"D2DESR6QAFBGNMG24E62QIBNYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1735331683318},"content":"Sometimes my students talk about things that are wrong, but which, even as they strive for goodness, they have been made to feel are the only possibility â€” it might be prisons, capitalism, or some other cruelty. No one ever thinks that these things are good or kind. They just canâ€™t yet make out the other options.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CLIMDQBZVJCCBBBDXYCCJXFCPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1735331683319},"content":"We want to be good. We buy eco-friendly, and we offer to do the dishes like our mothers taught us. And sometimes this translates into letting a piece of writing or work or something I deeply care about sit idle while I scrub a countertop, or, because it is 2024, exfoliate my feet. I crave virtue and I need to care for someone. And I know I shouldnâ€™t be making my boyfriend salads all the time, I know that for the sake of womankind, I should try to escape the forms of oppression that have swallowed up lines of women before me. But how has this become a weekly glycolic peel, a thing that I donâ€™t want or believe in? Distraction, procrastination, lack of a Xanax prescription â€” sure. All of these personal things. But this stuff has all found its outlet in one particular way, and that is for one reason only. Because I am a woman.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2FBJVD6M45BKBHANOZULHU7PB4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734545352016},"content":"Rivkah McKinley is an Irish writer living in Amsterdam and working on her first novel","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Rivkah McKinley"}]},"description":{"basic":"Women as carers; we know this story well, weâ€™ve watched it crush female potential since the start of history but ... now thereâ€™s something even more insidious â€” the self-care industry"},"display_date":"2025-01-04T00:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"I long to escape the tyranny of yoga, fruit and my weekly glycolic peel","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"5STD4GRWQFF3DPNCZO67K3P46A","auth":{"1":"4d860db202c96640e9ca53fdca110ff0d645ae6a6595787e0845934999607bb3"},"focal_point":{"x":1440,"y":1058},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/5STD4GRWQFF3DPNCZO67K3P46A.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/04/rivkah-mckinley-i-long-to-escape-the-tyranny-of-yoga-fruit-and-my-weekly-glycolic-peel/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DAHTOJ2NXJH5PC6OKN5HZ6RSVQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":449,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/4ecd3e69-a2fe-44ba-bf46-0a96476b0cf2/versions/1734617062/media/aeadeecd477db20fb157d18d35719b7c_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/02/david-w-higgins-australias-economic-fairytale-wont-last-forever/","content_elements":[{"_id":"7KF3RDB3ERCVNCIWHY4S4HANAA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012153},"content":"Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, faces re-election in May. It feels like only yesterday that the country ended nine years of Liberal rule in favour of Labour. The countryâ€™s short three-year terms are meant to give voters a regular opportunity to pass judgment on their politicians. It also means governments have less time to get things done.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4MVQ2ZCWQ5EQ5JW7IUIXVDR3ZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012154},"content":"But even amid the rush of high office, every politician needs their breaks. Albanese clearly had this in mind when he recently purchased a holiday home on the coast of New South Wales, an hour north of Sydney. Given that Sydney has the countryâ€™s most expensive house prices, itâ€™s no surprise that the getaway mansion comes with a hefty price tag of AUD $4.3 million (â‚¬2.65 million).","type":"text"},{"_id":"W2QRMKHUH5BE7KXT746BXX3XFY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012155},"content":"Weâ€™d all be suspicious if an Irish politician paid so much for a property. â€œWhere did he get the money for that?â€ â€œWho does he think he is, Charlie Haughey?â€ But in Australiaâ€™s red-hot property market, such a purchase is in line with what others on his salary pay. The Demographia International Housing Affordability survey found Sydney house prices are 13.8 times the median household income. Among the 94 metro areas in the report, only Hong Kong has more unaffordable housing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UBKBN2I5YFF7FLD6KCYOCEHKG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012156},"content":"The thing about Australia is that it never had a property crash like Ireland did. It had a bubble, sure, but while Irelandâ€™s popped, Australiaâ€™s kept on growing. The period after 2008 saw a global recession but a steady recovery as Chinaâ€™s appetite for raw materials remained insatiable. It left Australia with continuous growth. No recession, no property crash.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YWMRF6JSYNEHVBMSRYDR5DRQ4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012157},"content":"Many Irish owe thanks to Australia for these circumstances. While Irish unemployment peaked at 15 per cent in 2011, it was closer to 5 per cent down under. The many Irish workers let go from our boomtime construction sites found their livelihoods sustained by Australiaâ€™s fortunes. They also found warmer weather.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IOV6GILQBAMLMKJ3OONCPFOQ4","additional_properties":{"_id":"TXDZLFNWYVA4VERNPRQD7GLMMA"},"content":"In Australia rents are high, costs are rising. Can it remain a mecca for Irish emigrants?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"WWRC5W5RFZA2DDPGPZXPTKF46U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012158},"content":"The late 2010s recovery in the Irish economy led to an easing of numbers leaving for Australia, but its attractiveness has seen something of a post-Covid revival. Boosted by a better exchange rate, and pandemic-induced wanderlust, a new wave of young Irish are emigrating to Australia in the highest numbers for years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LL47YZYJDFAE3D7H3VJ4PUVFBE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012159},"content":"In the areas where rents are similar to home, many Irish report more space and higher-quality properties. There is a tendency to compare the worst of rents in Ireland with the best of Australia. Itâ€™s part psychological. Comparing Dublin with Perth is attractive because both have between one and two million inhabitants, but itâ€™s comparing the largest city in Ireland with the fourth largest in Australia. If we compared in reverse (Galway to Sydney), the rent appeal vanishes. Comparing like for like doesnâ€™t reveal the same stark difference.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FBQI7KWWSBEIFKLVTQ5QTXMYC4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012161},"content":"But us economists shouldnâ€™t get too bogged down in details, especially as young mid-twentysomethings continue to head off.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E44HHZ4MZBDITJLFH4X6JUQXBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012162},"content":"Australia isnâ€™t unattractive today; it very clearly is, but there could be clouds ahead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FHA6VGAXSRFTPC3AFHZCRSH2RQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"7T2LRGK3MRAI7HPJ6QBRORIO3A"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"BAQZWAQCAJCDFJYLH6QVTJH4NU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012163},"content":"Rents have seen double-digit growth in recent years and, ironically, a surge in inward migration (Irish included) is partly responsible. Stories are emerging of falling rent quality and long queues to view a limited number of rentals. While the housing market feels very â€œDublin 2007â€³, the rental market appears very â€œDublin 2017â€³.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PSMHRR2I7RGDXIOGVKYPPTI2CY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012164},"content":"The question for the young Irish in Australia is whether they want to make Australia their forever home. Most donâ€™t but some consider it. If youâ€™ve found love there, or a great community you just never had at home, nothing in this article should change your mind. Ultimately, do what suits your personal circumstances. But be aware that the extortionate levels of property prices there are bound to face a correction sometime. Itâ€™s crucial to remember what this meant for the generation that bought their first Irish home during the 2000s. They were stuck. Negative equity meant many had to ride out the 2010s in the same properties. The only rational decision was to stay put until prices recovered to their old levels. Otherwise, you sold at a loss and still owed money to the bank.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMLTGTUPOVFB3FTWVQGQLQYJXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012166},"content":"When could this correction emerge? The honest answer is no one knows. Predictions for Irelandâ€™s crash came a decade before it happened. Buying an Irish home in 1999 wasnâ€™t foolish. It was foolish not to. The curious thing about Australia is that just when you think the boom is over, it keeps on going.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3CS3NGZCJVCHBEF3NVT6YFTQ5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012167},"content":"Australiaâ€™s bubble stays inflated by a policy known as â€œnegative gearingâ€. Landlords of rental properties incur costs such as mortgage interest and repairs. If these exceed the rental income from the property, the difference can be used to lower the landlordâ€™s income tax bill.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PLL7ZVCGNZA3FH4YSUUEIJJICY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012168},"content":"Where higher interest rates usually weigh on property prices, in Australia it encourages growth. Landlords have an incentive to take on more debt and another investment property. Who cares when you know that everyone else is doing the same thing, and prices must go higher from here? It all sounds so familiar.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5WL2L2JE4JE5BJN67CDDTFAPYY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012169},"content":"The difference to Ireland 1999 is that thereâ€™s unlikely to be upside ahead in Australian property. The OECD reports that Irish household debt was less than 100 per cent of net disposable income in 1999. If you devoted one whole year of your net disposable income to paying off your debts, youâ€™d pay them all off. By 2009 that had doubled to more than 200 per cent. Australia is already at those high levels today.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KNMXBHSKFBFH5OBJHIKUOTQSAI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012170},"content":"You have to ask if taking on such high debt repayments is worth it. Even if property prices donâ€™t fall there, thereâ€™s no joy being a slave to debt. Ireland learned a hard lesson on that front, and we now have rules to cap mortgage borrowing. Lending to landlords has almost been regulated out of existence.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B3ABZHLKDFHVBFJHDBCCJXD6ZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734527012171},"content":"The Demographia survey includes Dublin among its 94 metro areas. Despite the real challenges in Irish housing, weâ€™ve managed the position of the seventh most affordable market (with prices 4.8 times median household incomes). I use the phrase â€œboomerang emigrationâ€ to describe the emigration of young Irish to Australia. With property prices so high there, most still conclude that itâ€™s better to come home again.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZQH7ZD3XFVGU3JUBN77Y343Q3I","additional_properties":{"_id":1734533598429},"content":"David W Higgins is an economist and co-host of the Next Round podcast. A version of this first appeared on his Substack","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"David W. Higgins"}]},"description":{"basic":"The extortionate level of property prices there are bound to face a correction some time. When prices crashed here, a generation that bought their first Irish home during the 2000s was stuck"},"display_date":"2025-01-02T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Moving to Australia? Beware, their economic fairytale wonâ€™t last forever ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"JN4HLRT6TXPABNPU26IATOFA4U","auth":{"1":"aad9a9cd775977e9c5d162555dcf5dd5f67b2b6e65cc1ef12869ff6f2db8ea8a"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/JN4HLRT6TXPABNPU26IATOFA4U.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/02/david-w-higgins-australias-economic-fairytale-wont-last-forever/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"MS4IYMA6ERB3JOVLNEFSJDIUBQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":374,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/0240996e-4a15-4811-81e1-6b6a3dcb5d06/versions/1734448892/media/7ce05636e611310145d8d4e433d47f0a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2025/01/01/a-neuropsychologists-view-on-how-to-thrive-in-an-angry-unpredictable-world/","content_elements":[{"_id":"BQG3EH6J6JH5TEVJ2XFC6AI7QA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479379},"content":"Thereâ€™s a lot to feel anxious about on this first day of a new year â€“ war, the economy, climate, housing and more. And there is anger too â€“ at the awfulness of Gaza, Sudan and other warzones and the more personal reasons to be angry that haunt many injured family, friend and work relationships.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DCHF5YM7EVBUPFZOJBYXXOPGOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479382},"content":"Unshackled from routine in these strange midwinter days, it is all too easy to find ourselves immersed in ruminations about the state of the world, or individual hurts and perceived injustices.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WX7OJ5ADDJHDXFKIZQMZQAO7QM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479383},"content":"Emotions evolved because they served a purpose â€“ they helped us to survive and pass on our genes. Anxietyâ€™s purpose was to make us run from danger. The purpose of sadness was to gain succour from others; disgust is designed to stop us being poisoned, and happiness to attract a mate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZUDEOBBDSZEFJNNQUT5B7TDICE","additional_properties":{"_id":"O4EOZZQ4KVCUVM46MDI3RJJL5I"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"SLBICFS5RRDN3EVG2O5AUMWULQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734445812288},"content":"And then there is anger, a more complex emotion with a less obvious purpose.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NY4IKOOMTVC4TJ4BRDC5DCQRW4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734445812289},"content":"The poet Maya Angelou said that you should be angry but not bitter because bitterness â€œeats upon the hostâ€. Instead, she says, you should avoid bitterness and use anger by taking action of some kind. Aristotle said something similar: anybody can become angry â€“ that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose and in the right way ... is not easy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LNTNGDMYMRDPDNGXU7ZVGHJIUU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479388},"content":"Angelou and Aristotle speak sense, neuropsychologically speaking. Deprived of a clear goal and a specific target of the emotion, anger is like a car engine disconnected from its wheels â€“ its revving becomes a useless whine which makes the car rattle and shudder but go nowhere. In striving for some grip, this inward-directed energy revs faster and faster because there is no resistance from the road.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H74A5OAZIFABRJQSJPG3MXFN6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479389},"content":"And here is the real sting â€“ anger and anxiety have more or less the same bodily symptoms as each other, including beating heart, dry mouth, sweaty palms and twisting stomach. Anger that is not connected to the engine of action leads to a spiralling torment where anger morphs into anxiety and anxiety into anger and so on until you face the risk of Angelouâ€™s â€œcancer of bitternessâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DTJQSEOO2RBP5GICS7FQWWJ2D4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479390},"content":"Research shows that people who have suffered a severe trauma â€“ say a road crash â€“ may not recover emotionally if they are angry about what has happened to them. Rather than gradually regaining their equilibrium over the years, many get worse, because their anger and anxiety resonate together in a toxic feedback loop that spawns an almost constant negative emotional state.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QDDCYO5D3BCTTK7M7K524RBKNU","additional_properties":{"_id":"KHDLTHUINZAZRCXJMMX5324WEA"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"IJQWYFHHZZARPHEUMNIAQ5RYMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479391},"content":"To be angry about generalities of injustice or unfairness â€“ whether global or highly personal â€“ risks releasing a virus of negative emotion through your body and your days. Instead, you need to harness anger by getting clear in your mind something feasible that you want a specific person or group to do. As Aristotle said, this must be done in the right way. Anger does not have to be shouted, it can burn quietly and will be all the more powerful because of that. This is because angerâ€™s evolutionary purpose is as a negotiating tool; the angry dogâ€™s low growl will soon quieten the wild yapping of its adversary.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OXGAPAI7UFEQJFMICBU5FZLJ5I","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479394},"content":"The biggest source of anxiety in humans is the same as what makes us angry â€“ other peopleâ€™s actions. Anger that is properly harnessed, targeted and expressed is, in fact, an empowering, positive emotion that helps release you from anxiety. But anger is a powerful tool and you need training to use it otherwise, it will injure you. So, if you are anxious about the year ahead â€“ and particularly if you are also angry with someone â€“ then harness these emotions into the redeeming outlet of action.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AYKWYWYZ7FB3VLFQJUDO6J7Q3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1734448239411},"content":"Talking to others about how to solve a problem, rather than wasting conversations fruitlessly complaining about it, can transform a state of anxious impotence into an empowered and mood-lifting sense of direction. This new focus of conversations with others and with yourself is on defining what should be done first, who should be asked to do it and how the request should be presented in a way that could result in consent rather than reciprocal anger and hostility. This will not alleviate climate change or the suffering in Gaza but it will put you into the mindset of taking action rather than engaging in emotionally-exhausting rumination. It will also focus your attention on specific goals outside of yourself and gently steer it away from anxiety.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IOPVT7464RHXBITC5R337JNK6A","additional_properties":{"_id":"BYWYDTA6SVGKFGVDQG6N35XWAY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"EDMTKX2ABZFSNKS6ACT2USFK7E","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479400},"content":"But the sheer unpredictability of what will happen in 2025, from Trump tariffs to Putinâ€™s threats, means that even when we are focused on taking action, itâ€™s hard to escape the uneasiness that uncertainty causes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HGXNJCUULJCHFMB3XWNX3K262E","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479401},"content":"We all differ in how much we can tolerate uncertainty. Low-tolerance individuals are much more prone to be anxious and depressed because uncertainty is everywhere, especially now. But you can learn to embrace uncertainty â€“ maybe even enjoy it a little.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RJZ6WOL6JRFDTK33UV7XHPEK74","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479403},"content":"Not knowing whatâ€™s going to happen makes us alert and attentive, and in this state, we are better at learning. You can even learn to enjoy this wait-and-see state of mind and body if you relax your impossible-to-satisfy need for certainty. This condition of edgy hope is nowhere more apparent than today in Syria.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PKTOQ7RQD5B3HDKALEGBJN2XNM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734367479405},"content":"Here is my resolution for 2025. If I find myself caught up in angry-anxious ruminations about anything, from Gaza to Donbas to the climate crisis, I will end that by embracing uncertainty and taking some sort of small action, ranging from making a donation to Unicef or contacting an advocacy group. Being alive in this incredible world is far too precious to allow our minds to be filled with anxiety and anger over things we cannot control. But there are things we can control and if we walk the walk rather than just talk the talk, the grand old stretch is already beckoning us toward springâ€™s promise.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Ian Robertson"}]},"description":{"basic":"All emotions serve an evolutionary purpose â€” the key is not to hide from anger, but to harness it productively"},"display_date":"2025-01-01T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"A neuropsychologistâ€™s view on how to thrive in an angry, unpredictable world","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"IFKP7A25GVHE7E2657DKV327ZI","auth":{"1":"89d05b253f0248e4b2f5ab62197615e0e2e36ffd1fe98c05a24d6e619f522899"},"focal_point":{"x":565,"y":342},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IFKP7A25GVHE7E2657DKV327ZI.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2025/01/01/a-neuropsychologists-view-on-how-to-thrive-in-an-angry-unpredictable-world/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"DBB77MHJC5FPRCQ5UJHLJQSKG4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":449,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/52c76aa5-023b-49ac-8f14-3d2f0ebe3ce2/versions/1734534432/media/41eb82e2e918294a49e06008e886c138_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/31/lara-marlowe-unstable-new-world-order-has-frightening-echoes-of-the-1930s-and-40s/","content_elements":[{"_id":"4JBUBMRMMVDLZPALSU5THAP5W4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045766},"content":"Standing on the steps of the Ã‰lysÃ©e Palace on December 7th, Donald Trump made a for-once accurate observation: â€œIt certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now,â€ the US president-elect said. Anyone who followed the news in 2024 would agree.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CUM4GW225JC3VC2BTDS7MUWHF4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045767},"content":"Trumpâ€™s election to a second term was part and parcel of the global turmoil. â€œThe election of Donald Trump and the uncertainty he maintains regarding his diplomatic intentions, like his very personal practice of strategic ambiguity, act as a catalyst on the most serious crises of the moment,â€ Sylvie Kauffmann wrote in Le Monde.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KP7MMTD3EFHOHNKUWT6EI3EUFM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045768},"content":"Russian and Ukrainian forces are struggling to seize territory before Trump takes office. Russia conducts a â€œhuman safariâ€, picking off civilians in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson with FPV drones, and continues its advance in Donbas. North Korean troops joined combat in the Kursk province of Russia, which Ukraine had invaded. Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to use US-made Atacms missiles against targets inside Russia. Vladimir Putin retaliated by launching an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile with multiple re-entry warheads against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The Oreshnik (â€œHazelnutâ€) missile is designed to carry nuclear warheads; Putinâ€™s message was clear. Ukrainian intelligence then assassinated the Russian general responsible for nuclear, biological and chemical warfare in a Moscow street.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UYKOHYJQMBE5VOA6XGPBT6HRYY","additional_properties":{"_id":"QR3XKD6YHBHEPBUQXO254L4EFQ"},"content":"Russia detains suspect over killing of general in Moscow bomb blast","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"F2K7FBTN3BCDHCT5GM325PIIHM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045769},"content":"The world seemed to have lost all sense of morality and justice. By December, Israel had killed more than 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, in response to the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attacks which claimed 1,200 Israeli lives. The US made itself complicit in the slaughter by continuing arms deliveries to Israel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y5CD5KKOJJBWHIVF5TLRYZYBYM","additional_properties":{"_id":"HUKLQ4NQOZENPFRSXXEY6R6M3I"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"52YGTRMYWZCQLOZEG5DVUS3XBY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045770},"content":"â€œIn 37 years in the intelligence profession, I have never seen the world in a more dangerous state,â€ Richard Moore, the head of MI6, said on November 29th. That was nine days before conflagrations in Ukraine, Palestine and Lebanon resulted in the unforeseen overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, because Assadâ€™s Russian allies were otherwise engaged and the Lebanese Hizbullah, who had served as Assadâ€™s Praetorian Guard, were decimated by Israel. Iran lost its land corridor to Syria and Lebanon, a serious blow to the mullahs. Israel and Turkey, which backed the victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, looked like the new masters of the Middle East.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HBHRJXKH7FH7XARTGP3BHFTMYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045771},"content":"Back in the 1990s, the worldâ€™s future looked promising. Liberal democracy appeared to have triumphed. It was, the US academic Francis Fukuyama wrote, â€œthe end of historyâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VMUPB5DHXRAFTFTTEQ7RE4K6DM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045772},"content":"Globalisation benefited world elites but further impoverished the disadvantaged. Some felt alienated by progressive social policies such as marriage equality and LGBTQ rights. Liberal democrats were ill-equipped to deal with Islamic extremism and mass immigration, phenomena which pushed western electorates to the political right. A combination of economic and cultural backlash and reliance on social media fuelled the rise of nationalist populist authoritarian leaders.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QCI2G6MWBBD6VH2BZDG3GHDTPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045773},"content":"Trump seems to regard the wars in Ukraine and Gaza as pesky distractions to be quickly dispensed with so he can concentrate on China and immigration. On December 16th, he reiterated that Volodymyr Zelenskiy â€œshould be prepared to make a deal, thatâ€™s allâ€. Trump is unlikely to grant Ukraine the security guarantees it needs. He opposes a two-state solution for Palestine and has promised â€œhellâ€ in Gaza if 100 remaining Israeli hostages are not freed by the time he takes office. He may allow the Israeli far right to drive Palestinians out of the West Bank and Gaza, killing all hope of Palestinian statehood.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5LSQ7VLRE5FDVMXHQSNDJURHBU","additional_properties":{"_id":"I6NGK5DWHNDGDILMYXJ6MIXKSU"},"content":"Trump says Ukraine â€˜needs to reach dealâ€™ with Russia","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"S5OAIRCBSFCTVPEZQX2J5X7MK4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045774},"content":"Trump is part of a seemingly unstoppable wave of far-right populist nationalists, autocrats and dictators which has stretched from Asia to Latin America.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQJ6AOPQOBCKJOBGSP7WIGW654","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045775},"content":"Within the EU and Nato, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, seconded by his Slovakian colleague Robert Fico, impedes attempts to help Ukraine and confront Russia. In France, Marine Le Pen may succeed the embattled President Emmanuel Macron. The far-right politicians have often shown sympathy for Putin and were heartened by Trumpâ€™s victory.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6GXBNEZMJ5GWRDBPESPRXVA4PE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045776},"content":"After 24 years in power, Putin is the granddaddy of the autocrats, and the leading agent of chaos. â€œRussia plays a special role in the autocratic network, both as the inventor of the modern marriage of kleptocracy and dictatorship and as the country now most aggressively seeking to upend the status quo,â€ Anne Applebaum writes in Autocracy, Inc.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R5VUTZTTSVHKXLNYYUGSFHOU6A","additional_properties":{"_id":"CKS3VGKMENFCBH5QVJK4TM3LKM"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"YIMXJYDSQBCUNIXOZNAT62ZBLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045777},"content":"Putin recently meddled in elections in Georgia, Moldova and Romania, in line with his determination to re-establish the Soviet sphere of influence. â€œThis is not about Ukraine at all, but the world order,â€ Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said shortly after Russiaâ€™s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia is also stepping up â€œhybridâ€ attacks on its western adversaries, for example cutting undersea cables and shipping incendiary devices to the UK and Germany via DHL.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DTBUQJ7M5JD2RCGNKMTDMT3C3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045778},"content":"The new instability has unhappy echoes of the 1930s and 1940s. Putin is rehabilitating Stalin, and German parliamentarians have sought to ban the far-right Alternativ fÃ¼r Deutschland because they see in it a resemblance to the Nazis. During his presidential campaign, Trump denied allegations by several past close associates that he praised Hitler and Hitlerâ€™s generals.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RLYXYJGTBRADVNWAJC66MBUSPA","additional_properties":{"_id":"5PVYYS6AP5DL3ALUVDJXAGOQZI"},"content":"Why did Israel single out Ireland and accuse Simon Harris of anti-Semitism?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"774Q6S2NGJGP5FXKTNOWAYJXWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045779},"content":"Trump is not the first to proclaim â€œAmerica Firstâ€. The America First Committee was an anti-Semitic, isolationist movement which in 1940/1941 opposed military aid to the UK and said Nazi Germany was not a threat to the US. Its most prominent orator was the aviator Charles Lindburgh.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C5BWIFO7E5APFKPDQZK4GWWUAQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045780},"content":"In 2017, millions joined marches around the world to protest at Trumpâ€™s inauguration. Women wore pink â€œpussyhatsâ€ â€“ an allusion to Trumpâ€™s assertion in the Access Hollywood tape that â€œYou have to grab them by the pussy.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"OTR7NUHHUBCQLFFJO6IWNPHL6A","additional_properties":{"_id":1734521045781},"content":"At a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on December 16th, Trump boasted that â€œin the first term, everyone was fighting me. In this term, everyone wants to be my friend.â€ Foreign leaders, tech barons and media moguls are trooping to pay obeisance to the president-elect. In our post-truth era, no one any longer seems shocked by â€œalternative factsâ€, the evisceration of US institutions and international treaties, the betrayal of Ukraine and the Palestinians. The will to fight seems to have gone out of the body politic.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Lara Marlowe"}},"name":"Lara Marlowe"}]},"description":{"basic":"Trumpâ€™s re-election fuels global turmoil in which Putin is the biggest of many autocrats blending kleptocracy and dictatorship. US institutions and international treaties are fading, and Ukraine and Palestine have been betrayed"},"display_date":"2024-12-31T06:45:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Unstable new world order has frightening echoes of 1930s and 1940s","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"QYF4A5CTKIMLFVXLLMK7BFVAKY","auth":{"1":"0a7b2ebf4094453655b9c7e0a2004c6590a3065fecae5d2605310a7637f9bfb0"},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/QYF4A5CTKIMLFVXLLMK7BFVAKY.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/31/lara-marlowe-unstable-new-world-order-has-frightening-echoes-of-the-1930s-and-40s/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"ZSUP64U5KVBMLH3GFZ3IQ4TIQY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":437,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/dc415396-e53a-493e-a053-1d1cd3185b3e/versions/1734525531/media/24b7039f25c55632592f9c20a8d645d4_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/30/vincent-durac-one-of-the-casualties-of-12-months-of-war-in-the-middle-east-was-the-rule-of-international-law/","content_elements":[{"_id":"GZ3D7GBAJJAUJEMXHQJYWYTSXY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734370585959},"content":"The past 12 months have witnessed a transformation of the Middle East to an extent not seen since the eruption of the Arab uprisings 14 years ago. Across the region, as conflict has raged in Gaza and Lebanon, old certainties have been shattered while the future remains, as ever, unclear. For the most obvious reasons, global attention has focused on Palestine, where at least 45,000 people have lost their lives in an Israeli onslaught on a scale that no one could have anticipated, following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7th, 2023.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L46QN5KEARHXZCDBXZRQQCJSI4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596525},"content":"In addition to the human cost, Gaza has been devastated to the extent that senior UN officials were describing it as â€œuninhabitableâ€ as early as January of this year. Sixty-six per cent of Gazaâ€™s buildings are either damaged or destroyed and 90 per cent of its population are internally displaced. Despite all of this, there is no clear end to the conflict in sight. To the contrary, there are clear indications that the Israel Defense Forces are intent on indefinite occupation of parts of northern Gaza, paving the way, many fear, for annexation and resettlement. Hamas, on the other hand, continues to insist on a permanent end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as central to any cessation of hostilities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EUIVVX4DZZHK3H53S4UXVJ7ZHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734370585960},"content":"The conflict in Gaza has had hugely significant ramifications for the region. In particular, the last year has seen the isolation of Iran and its weakening as a regional power. The dismantling by Israel of Hamas in Gaza was followed by an extraordinary set of attacks on Hizbullah in Lebanon, both of which fed into the fall of the Assad regime in Syria earlier this month. In the space of a single year, the Islamic Republic effectively lost three of the key elements in its so-called axis of resistance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QVJF6R6TYNHX3LTMJX6HBXIHVY","additional_properties":{"_id":"O6VQWHQIWZC5BARADS5T6ENVHA"},"content":"Assad dispatched $250m of Syriaâ€™s cash to Moscow","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"XGX5NEGFGZCLVJZOIZUFTEMP7U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596527},"content":"Iran itself has been subjected to direct attacks by Israel, to which, despite some sabre-rattling, there has been no meaningful response to date. Earlier this year, the election of a new president in Iran appeared for a brief moment to signal the possibility of some rapprochement with the West. In August, following the surprise success of Masoud Pezeshkian in presidential elections, Iranâ€™s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, somewhat cryptically proposed that engaging with the enemy might under certain circumstances be warranted. This was interpreted as lukewarm support for renewed negotiations with the United States on Iranâ€™s nuclear programme.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VGVXI6JFLBGBXDKIZDEV2S3J74","additional_properties":{"_id":1734518147334},"content":"Pezeshkianâ€™s new foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, was deeply involved in the negotiation of an earlier deal in 2015, which saw Tehran curtail its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. But in 2018, during the course of his first term in office, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal. In the intervening years, it is reported that Iran has made major advances, such that it is now close to the capability of developing nuclear weapons, should it choose to do so.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PJEZV3R55VEAPGAZ5V7S4EFTWA","additional_properties":{"_id":"CLWGEJRMKRC7FPNIML2XNTLRYI"},"content":"Syriaâ€™s path to stability remains deeply uncertain","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"QC7JNLVM5NEOZMJ6HS77NWF7KA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596528},"content":"The Biden administration was dismissive of the possibility of renewed talks on the issue, not least because the prospect of negotiations with Iran was seen as potentially harmful of Kamala Harrisâ€™s hopes of success in the November presidential elections. Recent reports suggest that incoming president Trumpâ€™s transition team is examining a range of options to place additional pressure on Iran to desist from any provocative behaviour, including the possibility of supporting an Israeli attack on Iranâ€™s nuclear facilities, but not excluding a direct US attack on Iran. Quite how an isolated Iran reacts to the changed regional environment will be hugely significant for the Middle East in 2025.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YHFA4QD3GZA2BC7F6IYBMVA4GY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734370585961},"content":"Iran was not the only regional power to be severely damaged by the fallout of the conflict in Gaza. The consequences of the war have proved fatal for the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who was forced from office by an extraordinarily rapid offensive led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5SEBL3HO5BE6LFJWWS6YBOSZBU","additional_properties":{"_id":"TG66FJBTBJCXFBQB464YBZ5PVY"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"ARSOAM4BWVBCHNYVNX22CFLF3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596530},"content":"While the future looks uncertain for a country that has been ravaged by civil war and external intervention since Assad set out to crush a popular uprising in 2011, the new rulers of the country have made encouraging sounds. The interim prime minister, Mohammad al-Bashir, stated that the new government would protect the rights of all people and all sects in the country, while it has been reported that enforced wearing of Islamic dress for women is to be prohibited.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JPGHSH4VSBHCNAK5SZTQVF42FQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596531},"content":"But many inside as well as outside the country remain sceptical that a movement that has its origins in al-Qaeda is poised to oversee an inclusive transition from 54 years of authoritarian rule in Syria. The challenges facing the country are deepened by the array of external actors with interests at stake. Turkey has launched air strikes against Kurdish forces, while Israelâ€™s response to the fall of the Assad regime was to embark on a series of attacks which destroyed much of the countryâ€™s remaining military assets. Israel moved its troops into the demilitarized zone to occupy previously unoccupied Syrian territory for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur war. The response of the international community to what would usually be considered a breach of international law has been muted for the most part. France called on Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone along the border with Syria, while Germany and Spain urged â€œrestraintâ€ during the transitional period post-Assad.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UUPH3DM6RBHBLA3TNNZDWWIG2Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596532},"content":"The Biden administration, by contrast, repeated the Israeli position that it was acting pre-emptively against potential threats from across the border â€“ despite repeated claims from the new rulers of Syria that their focus was on reconstruction and not conflict with Israel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5ZSB2BJLNVBSTF2EUNHG3HRVHQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734370585962},"content":"However, selective adherence to the norms of international law has been another feature of the past year in the Middle East. In September of this year, 50 days after the International Court of Justice declared that Israelâ€™s occupation of Palestinian territory was unlawful, UN experts warned that the edifice of international law stood â€œon a knifeâ€™s edgeâ€ as most states failed to take meaningful steps to comply with their international obligations reaffirmed in the ruling.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZDPQFH5DWRG3LKZ7T5JUW3NFKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734522610211},"content":"The response of the Biden administration to the ICJ judgment had been to criticise its â€œbreadthâ€ because it would complicate efforts to resolve the conflict. When, in November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, his then minister for defence, Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas military leader, Muhammad Deif, Biden issued a statement that the issuing of the warrants was â€œoutrageousâ€. Among the many casualties of 12 months of war in the Middle East may be the health of international law and the institutions set up for its vindication.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VQBHKS52FZGHZMJ7H2IXSCUNOU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734456596534},"content":"Dr Vincent Durac lectures in Middle East politics in the UCD school of politics and international relations","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Vincent Durac"}]},"description":{"basic":"In the space of a single year, the Islamic Republic of Iran effectively lost three of the key elements in its so-called axis of resistance"},"display_date":"2024-12-30T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"One of the casualties of 12 months of war in the Middle East was the rule of international law","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"3H5HZ4AUXGLPE2FKVOJUUNEDEE","auth":{"1":"f92bb5bcb543e99994a4fb7792b675b9fb660b619d93c54c8bc4f4d00afe7403"},"focal_point":{"x":2501,"y":2035},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/3H5HZ4AUXGLPE2FKVOJUUNEDEE.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/30/vincent-durac-one-of-the-casualties-of-12-months-of-war-in-the-middle-east-was-the-rule-of-international-law/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"KMGRIUK3EVDLVAXYPVM4ZP4M2Q","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":360,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/2ecf41c0-7b7e-44ee-8f11-7da23c7d180b/versions/1734951733/media/e061b2611044552f19b78b4fcfaa97c0_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/29/the-catholic-churchs-jubilee-year-2025-is-a-time-of-celebration-an-expression-of-praise-to-god/","content_elements":[{"_id":"VGPHAYVQUFFWTJWD4WLDUTDYAQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715971},"content":"On occasion, the Catholic Church can be unfairly pilloried as a faith group that demands of its adherents to simply â€œpay, pray and obeyâ€. Such a dour and cruel comment, as well as being laden with cynicism, ignores the reality of the beauty of the Church, and that she offers so much to all who are part of her life and mission, generation after generation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TKGUOXRNVJDB3NFOAO7K6BIJYA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715972},"content":"This joy that we hold for the gospel manifests in the universal Church every 25 years in a worldwide celebration where we come together to rejoice in our Christianity. This year-long initiative is referred to as a â€œJubilee Yearâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NBRKBGTBNNHZ5NWSQCZ5UJGLRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715973},"content":"Jubilee 2025 will begin in a few daysâ€™ time on the theme conferred by Pope Francis: â€œPilgrims of Hopeâ€/â€Spes non Confundit â€“ Hope Does Not Disappointâ€ (Romans 5:5). Each Jubilee at its core commemorates and celebrates the great event of the birth of Jesus Christ, and the 2025 theme of hope encourages each of us to be a messenger of hope in our very troubled world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTY42ET5AZBHJO3MP4WV2QIKLE","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715974},"content":"Everyone is invited to participate in this special year of faith through prayer, by supporting liturgies and events locally in dioceses, and/or in Rome for the global celebrations.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LFPUHQWHEFBKFKS3ACDVHW7CEI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715975},"content":"The concept of jubilee has deep roots in our biblical tradition. It is a time of giving thanks for the providence of the Lord and the fruits of the harvest. Jubilee is a time of celebration, a time of singing, sounding of trumpets, an expression of praise to God. It is a time of looking back in gratitude and anticipation of more from a God who is close to us and provides through all seasons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AL2WHIYWJFDKLDJEYACY4DFM5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":"IPSSDLYMURBQHMG3UZZVCRIP2Y"},"content":"Pope reprimands Vatican staff for gossiping, calling it â€˜an evil that destroys social lifeâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"M23KT5NC75D2RF6MOTW7554OYI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715976},"content":"Jubilee is associated with rest, relaxation, reviving the spirit, a period of taking stock and planning ahead with renewed resources, rejuvenated by that celebratory time of sabbatical. It is a special time to avail of what the Church calls a plenary indulgence, an assurance of grace or favour from the Lord in response to that faith assent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2FH6FWTZZBMJCDCUQCOCLBQHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715977},"content":"So why will Jubilee 2025 be the most significant for humanity of all of the jubilee years held to date?","type":"text"},{"_id":"WU3TZVUOIJEHBCN4J5AZMULWQ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715978},"content":"Well, look at the world around us at this time, at home and abroad. Jubilee is a time associated with mercy and forgiveness. It is a time of amnesty, forgetting past wrongs, wiping the slate clean, giving those in debt a second chance, a time to start afresh. So many of our neighbours deserve such mercy in 2025.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y4FUHD3IKRBOBAMFCA4KSKCPG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715979},"content":"Jubilee is also a time of pilgrimage. As â€œpilgrims of hopeâ€ we embark on ritual and real journeys to sacred places in search of that hope that we long for. For Jubilee Year 2025, each diocese in Ireland will nominate a local pilgrimage site, and the bishops of Ireland have designated the following three as national pilgrimage sites: Our Ladyâ€™s Shrine, Knock, Co Mayo; Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo; and St Patrickâ€™s Purgatory, Lough Derg, Co Donegal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TRQJ53IBKFCXRJ6NEO3FQNUHVM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715980},"content":"So, how can we put our best foot forward and prepare for Jubilee 2025? In the last few weeks Pope Francis has published a book on the theme pilgrims of hope called Hope is A Light in The Night.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2LZJDVX3ZNH3LCEHDEFN3PRQHE","additional_properties":{"_id":"EBEIEDIEX5B2NPTGW4ATCKR6I4"},"content":"In times of war, â€˜we have a duty to hope, as without hope all is lostâ€™","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"OMA3L3ZWMJHSHCWXX7JMPHEP4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715981},"content":"Hope, of course, is the second of the three theological virtues, the others being faith and love. The book contains a series of excerpts from homilies and speeches of Pope Francis on the theme of hope.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QER65TVDHNGLBHB6NLFB3DSCFA","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715982},"content":"Helpfully, the pontiff situates the need for hope in the challenging world in which we live, with so much conflict, darkness and sadness â€“ the antithesis to hope, a world of what he calls â€œgloomy discouragement and ill-concealed cynicismâ€.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BW7BXSM4FRBS3MJHZGCSCRN65U","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715983},"content":"Hope, he tells us, is both a gift and task for every Christian. It is more than what the secular world might wish for, an ideal or a sense of optimism, eg; hoping for fine weather or success in passing an exam. It is very real, concrete and present to us because it has been infused into our soul at Baptism, gifting us the pathway to eternal salvation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5BDQGEDOMJD2DMOH7HUXAHIJPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715984},"content":"Pope Francis says: â€œTo hope, then, is to welcome this gift that God offers us every day. To hope is to savour the wonder of being loved, sought, desired by a God who has not shut Himself away in His impenetrable heavens but has made Himself flesh and blood, history and days, to share our lot.â€","type":"text"},{"_id":"JBPOFSTH2FFNRA7EP4XNBQ6ULY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715985},"content":"I encourage everyone to read this inspiring publication, especially at this time of volatility for humanity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T5QCPQJY2RDKDP7DBCB7L47WIY","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715986},"content":"Finally, Jubilee 2025 will be a time of transition. This movement from old to new is captured symbolically with the ritual of opening of â€œHoly Doorsâ€. Holy doors are liminal spaces in sacred spaces; cathedrals, basilicas, places of pilgrimage. In continuity with that great tradition, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door in St Peterâ€™s Basilica on Christmas Eve, and every diocese in Ireland and around the world is encouraged to launch their own Jubilee of Hope this Sunday, December 29th, inaugurating the great year of Hope.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SIB2RIXU6NHGNOYWQ5GOL77N3I","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715987},"content":"The purpose of Jubilee Year 2025 is to allow pilgrims to share our faith as well as opportunities for reconciliation, indulgences, prayer and reception of the sacraments. All of these activities will strengthen our personal relationship with Jesus Christ and enrich our faith journey.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6IHTUEL66BEJLOVMLT66DKBVA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1734715715988},"content":"Dr Fintan Monahan is bishop of Killaloe and the Irish bishopsâ€™ delegate for Jubilee 2025","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Dr Fintan Monahan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Rite & Reason: Pope Francis situates the need for hope in the challenging world of â€˜gloomy discouragement and ill-concealed cynicismâ€™"},"display_date":"2024-12-29T00:30:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"The Catholic Churchâ€™s Jubilee Year 2025 is a time of celebration, an expression of praise to God","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"JUOBZ25BPLRAU42XW6GHT7VSDQ","auth":{"1":"f7fab58e270eaeda8ffdf4d3203830e5e5b2eb8ac9ed42e28a342ab92b2ff4b6"},"focal_point":{"x":2526,"y":681},"url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/JUOBZ25BPLRAU42XW6GHT7VSDQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"opinion","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Opinion"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/opinion/2024/12/29/the-catholic-churchs-jubilee-year-2025-is-a-time-of-celebration-an-expression-of-praise-to-god/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Opinion"}}}},{"_id":"VBXMIBGXXNDTTKEGX27TZEF3HE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":439,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-h0e8gjgjaqe0egb7.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/da06dfb2-ef82-4db0-bf38-86d5ed5c888b/versions/1734015577/media/125caee0cc1a06232135017b8e1ffaa0_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/opinion/2024/12/28/could-social-housing-be-the-next-property-bubble/","content_elements":[{"_id":"3N6OYUMHVBEH3G7R3UFLBUJK24","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449262},"content":"In April 1933, a commission of inquiry into the sale of State-owned cottages and plots under the Labourersâ€™ Acts reported that â€œit is scarcely necessary to argue the advantages of ownership ... In the security which it gives, better citizenship is developed.â€ The commissionâ€™s findings ultimately resulted in the Labourersâ€™ Act of 1936 that formalised a process for rural tenants to buy their council housing, and was only extended to urban areas in the Housing Act of 1966.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XCX27LOSUJCOFNPNLCJHFPQTOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449264},"content":"Encouraged by government, Irish councils were happy to sell off their housing (seeing it as a maintenance cost-cutting measure), as were politicians (seeing it as a vote-buying measure). At Fianna FÃ¡ilâ€™s 1988 ardfheis, PÃ¡draig Flynn announced he would sell off another 40,000 of the Stateâ€™s stock of 120,000 council houses, in â€œthe most attractive house purchase scheme everâ€. More than 18,000 council houses were sold the following year. By the mid-1990s two-thirds of the 360,000 council houses built since 1922 had been sold at significant discounts to their tenants.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IX3DHKIF4JFI3HKKY4QSNJETRM","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449266},"content":"Tenant purchase of council housing continues to this day with discounts of up to 60 per cent for low-income purchasers. Since 2016, councils put an â€œincremental chargeâ€ of 2 per cent per year on houses they sell if they are re-sold, equal to the discount the tenant received. It reduces by 2 per cent each year until no charge remains, usually 20 to 30 years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4UDTBWSXOJHUJOGSQA6U4HTFOA","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449267},"content":"In 2023, local authorities directly built about 1,317 houses out of the total social housing new-build output of 8,110. All councils except Offaly sold a total of 476 existing council houses, or 36 per cent of their direct-build output. Since 2017, councils have added 18,889 houses from various sources to their stock (now 150,224 dwellings) but have sold almost 4,000 or one-fifth of the quantity they have added. Each year many councils also buy thousands of second-hand houses to supplement their supply. Often former council houses, the State now pays twice for the same house.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KK4XM4OPSZG6XIFJCPOLEUGWVQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449269},"content":"There are plenty of reasons why tenant purchase is a good idea and the policy has created many secure and stable households and communities across the country. But is the continued discounted sale of council housing to its tenants a risk to the Stateâ€™s ability to tackle to the social housing waiting list of 58,824 households? Housing experts Dr Aideen Hayden and Prof Michelle Norris of UCD recommended suspending the scheme in their 2018 report, The Future of Council Housing, and this year the Housing Commission also recommended ending discounted tenant purchase.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QHUVD47545HLPLKVEBZFEPJJ5A","additional_properties":{"_id":"MJBX6CT2HBDWXIKFFMSPQQKZPU"},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"AHLWSPQ6KZGGVFK6Y22ETHZIOY","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449271},"content":"Should tenant purchase stop then, or are there other options? Could councils sell their housing but only at replacement cost, or replacement cost less a discount per year of rent paid? Maybe councils could retain ownership of part of houses they sell â€“ for example, the land â€“ so they can limit the future re-sale of ex-council stock to those in need. This could be to purchasers on incomes of â‚¬36,000-â‚¬90,000, the households really struggling to access home ownership.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SNHTJIILM5F7FDCHKVD3L4VK3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449272},"content":"The sale of social housing is a risk elsewhere too. For the last seven years, councils have accounted for just 32 per cent of all social housing output. The balance has been delivered by approved housing bodies (AHB), nine times out of 10 using turnkey acquisition (buying new housing from developers before construction or when built), which was more than 4,000 units in 2023. Councils and AHBs are acquiring so many new apartments for social housing from developers who say they canâ€™t afford to build them for private clients, the State is effectively propping the sector up to the tune of a childrenâ€™s hospital, or nearly â‚¬2 billion, a year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L5HT3O5GQRHILCUF6J3CTSMEA4","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449274},"content":"AHBs now control more than 61,500 houses, or about â‚¬8.3 billion of housing stock with â‚¬7 billion debt, a highly leveraged, high-speed, high-risk expansion from â‚¬2.8 billion worth of stock in 2021, and all on the State balance sheet. At this level of borrowing (84 per cent average, with some undoubtedly more leveraged), a small fall in property values would see many AHBs owing more money than they have in assets; negative equity, in other words.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5F4VWG3WDNB65DZ4TKIFAK2YHU","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449275},"content":"This surge in social housing output through turnkeys could also be temporary as it suits developers cutting their losses in a falling private market.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EJCE7B2SCBACJNPZ3VD5Y7CW4Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449276},"content":"The six largest bodies control 85 per cent of the AHB portfolio, but this AHB portfolio is not part of the Stateâ€™s housing stock. And although not-for-profit entities, once an AHB repays its government loan, ownership of the housing transfers to them at which time they too could sell their housing to help pay for ongoing maintenance of their remaining stock or charge higher rents. The sold stock could quickly become high-priced market housing rather than the low-cost housing originally intended.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6IKWT67QKJERBGT5XVXU24PFTY","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449277},"content":"The State doesnâ€™t give grants to AHBs as happens in other countries, only debt. It lends them 30 per cent of their funding needs (they borrow the rest, sometimes from another State body, the Housing Finance Agency) compared with 100 per cent of council housing (which is entirely paid for upfront), and has therefore been happy to rely on AHBs for delivering social housing. However, it should be remembered that only local authorities bear a statutory responsibility for the provision of social housing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QNNMMAWLVZBUFBVFI2HWW72ZGA","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449278},"content":"Stopping the sale of council housing is toxic for most politicians (only Labour tackled it in its election manifesto), but there are other options that would give the same benefit of secure and affordable homes in perpetuity. Putting the duty of delivering social housing back on councils is commensurately undesirable for policymakers as it would mean having to fund them properly to deliver at scale.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F26B7663S5ET5MR73ZNKEQAEOA","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449279},"content":"With more than half of all new social housing now market dependent, the State is vulnerable to lower tax receipts (possibly Trump-dependent), rising interest rates, price falls, supply fluctuations and â€œhard landingsâ€. The State has insufficient control over its current plans (social housing by others and by turnkey) and wonâ€™t control what it can (funding councils appropriately; selling discounted social housing).","type":"text"},{"_id":"LBAFXR4APVGVVA4HKGMECXCXR4","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449280},"content":"High costs, high borrowings, high risk, high exposure. Itâ€™s all very 2006, but this time for social housing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HNUWFORSYZGZPGKTC6EOCH763M","additional_properties":{"_id":1733845449281},"content":"Dr Lorcan Sirr is Senior Lecturer in housing at the Technological University Dublin","type":"text"},{"_id":"3TXQBAJRLVAPPKEIWTTEG5AHRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Lorcan Sirr"}]},"description":{"basic":"High costs, high borrowings, high risk, high exposure: itâ€™s all very 2006"},"display_date":"2024-12-28T07:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Could social housing be the next property 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