Brian M. Lucey

Tag: politicians

  • What might radical politics look like in an Irish context?

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    brianmlucey
    in

    So Renua has been born, a new Irish political party. New ideas and new blood are always good ideas in democracy, and even if there is not a whole pile of it evident so far the principle should be applauded.Their website and documents are full of rhetoric on a new kind of politics and a…

  • Baa Baa Baaackbenchers and IrishWater

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    brianmlucey
    in

    I support, broadly, the idea of water charges. I am aghast at how badly structured, managed, organised etc is Irish Water. When the Seanad resumes, Fergal Quinn, a man not normally associated with common causes for the hard left, will introduce a bill to take the PPS issue off the table. He will require IW…

  • Anglo, Politicians and the bogs…

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    brianmlucey
    in

    I kinda like Joan Burton. No, not in strange way, but she always seemed (at least in 2008-9-10) to have a good solid handle on the banking calamity. It’s a pity she got the smeared end of the stick when labour went into government. Actually, when you think of it – labour got the ‘go…

  • Why we should keep and abolish the Seanad ; Sean(s), Science and Senators

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    brianmlucey
    in

    Sometimes a debate comes along in the upper house that is worth listening to. Usually, and this is I think, down to the (limited) franchise, this comes from the university senators. Last week Senator Sean Barrett (TCD) moved a series of amendments to the Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland)(Amendment) Bill 2012. This bill is in essence…

  • Hall v Ireland (even though Ireland is on his side)

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    brianmlucey
    in

    The essence of democracy is under question in the case taken by David Hall against the minster for finance which starts in the high court Tuesday January. 22nd. Hall is challenging the legality of the wretched Anglo promissory note . He is saying as I understand it that the constitution requires that all expenditure be…

  • Pork, fixins and Professional Politicians

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    brianmlucey
    in

    In the Sunday Independent today (I know, I know…) theres a most interesting piece. It notes that the offices of TDs are exempt from local authority rates while charity shops are not.  This prompted me to think about the nature of politics. The exemption from rates applies not to their offices in the Oireachtas, but to the…

  • Ireland is, probably, not Greece….

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    brianmlucey
    in ,

    This is an expanded version of an oped published in the Irish Examiner 12/January/2013 So, we are back in the bond market, which must mean that every thing is great, and the recession is over….. three cheers….no? really? Well, one cheer for the NTMA anyhow is due, they did a solid professional job of tapping…

  • Wrestling with conscience and winning

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    brianmlucey
    in

    So Dev Og wrestled with his conscience and won. What a strange and faintly nauseating sight it was , also somewhat pathetic to see his dreams of importance fade. I guess however Irish history would have been brighter had his grandad had the same degree of intestinal fortitude as he had. On another level however…