Three Key Issues Relating to Local Government Reform in Ireland
Dr Proinnsias Breathnach, NUI Maynooth Chris van Egeraat and Seán Ó Ríordáin have made far too much of the Local Government Bill, which is a very weak and ineffectual piece of legislation derived, in turn, from the foregoing Action Programme for Effective Local Government, an appallingly inept document which goes nowhere near doing what it…
National Parliaments in the European Integration Process:
National Parliaments in the European Integration Process: finally learning to play the European game’ in the aftermath of the Lisbon Treaty reforms and the EU economic crisis? When? 6th and 7th of December 2013 Where? European Parliament Offices, Dublin. 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2
Democracy in the planning process
Dr. Deiric Ó Broin, NorDubCo I present the third opinion piece in context of the debate on Local Government Reform, organised by the Regional Studies Association – Irish Branch. The package of proposals contained in the Local Government Bill, 2013, the Report of the Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee and the Final Report of the…
Enabling Community-Led Local Development
Brendan O’Keeffe (Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick) A reformed local government system in Ireland has a key role to play in promoting territorial development and competitiveness. Earlier this year, Ireland’s LEADER Partnerships undertook extensive and in-depth consultation with citizens in several counties. As a result, and following liaison with the European Commission, OECD and…
Debating Local Government Reform
Post by Chris van Egeraat (NUI, Maynooth) and Seán Ó Riordáin The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government launched his reform proposals to generally underwhelming degrees of debate on the 12th October 2012 and a year later the Oireachtas is considering these reforms with the Local Government Bill 2013. (See here)
Follow that tank! Political orientation of UK think tanks (and newspapers), via Twitter
Fr. Alec Reid and the Irish peace process
By Kevin Rafter (Dublin City University) Some years ago when writing a biography of Martin Mansergh – then a backroom political adviser – I had the opportunity to interview Fr Alec Reid, the Redemptorist priest who was a central player in the Irish peace process, and whose funeral took place this week.
Was Michael D. Higgins elected for his policy views?
President Michael D. Higgins has caused some controversy (though this might be too strong a word) for his more outspoken comments on some issues. In a speech he gave in DCU in September he was highly critical of neo-liberalism as an ideology and economics as a discipline. We should hardly be surprised. Most know where…
NEW BOOK: The Irish Presidency: Power, Ceremony and Politics
Although the office of President of Ireland has attracted a great deal of public attention, especially since the election of Mary Robinson in 1990, the presidency has been the subject of little analysis. This gap in our knowledge of Irish politics is filled by this timely collection, which brings together a set of studies that explore the political role…
Irish Politics Forum 