David Farrell (July 17, 2010) A letter in today’s Irish Times calls for debate about political renewal: Madam, – Now that the members of the Dáil and Seanad have gone to the beaches and the races, discussion of public affairs moves to the summer schools, where participants listen to the great and the good in…
David Farrell, July 5, 2010 In a letter in today’s Irish Independent, a correspondent writes of how the “obsessive behaviour” of Mr Gormley: “has become more than just an embarrassment to the Government, it has become a dangerous impediment to this country’s economic recovery and the creation of much-needed jobs. Along with business leaders, United…
David Farrell (July 5, 2010) The following letter appeared in today’s Irish Times: Madam, – In recent times, I have wondered whether the collective membership of the Dáil has the ability to cope with matters of national importance, which impact on the daily lives of our citizenry. The low and blinkered level of debate relating…
by David Farrell (July 1, 2010) The Fine Gael leader announced his new front bench earlier today. The details are as follows:
The Summer School will analyse the political, economic and administrative systems that have allowed our economy to be brought to its knees and will propose solutions. The nature and structures of our parliamentary democracy and our political culture will come under particular scrutiny.
David Farrell (June 25, 2010) The controversy over the government’s willful blocking of any attempts to call the long over-due by-elections continues. The following letter appeared in today’s Irish Times: Madam, – The Government chief whip, John Curran said it is inappropriate for the Dublin South byelection to go ahead now because the Dáil “is…
by MUIRIS MacCARTHAIGH (June 25, 2010) The role, governance and political accountability of state agencies has generated a lot of political and media attention recently. Much of this commentary, however, is conducted in the absence of any agreement of how many of these organisations there actually are, and what the overall trends in the agency…
Professor Michael Moran (June 23, 2010) This guest blog is by Mick Moran, WJM MacKenzie Professor of Government, University of Manchester and is an edited text of the keynote address to the Biennial Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research Standing Group on Regulatory Governance, and was presented at University College Dublin, 18 June…
by David Farrell (June 23 2010) A letter in today’s Irish Times calls for the creation of a new political party: Madam, – With all the recent musings and mutterings from various media sources about the possible establishment in Ireland of a new political party, may I add my voice of consent to the chorus…
by Donal O’Brolcáin (June 21, 2010) On Wednesday last, 16th June 2010, in a talk on BBC Radio 4 Dan Lucas, London correspondent for the Swedish Dagens Nyheter newspaper, gave an overview of Swedish-style Freedom of Information laws, as part of a talk in the three part series ‘Home Thoughts from Abroad’. (As of this…
Irish Politics Forum 