Disability should not become a death sentence in Ireland

Tue, May 08, 2018

I am the parent of a child with a disability. Persons with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else, regardless of their age. Yet in England and Wales, 90 per cent of pregnancies where the unborn baby has Down syndrome are aborted. This is a tragic reality in our nearest neighbouring country.

Every human life is valuable, and our Constitution currently protects all members of the human family regardless of their age or abilities. The Government and Minister Simon Harris plan to change the law to allow implicit discrimination against people with disabilities by allowing medical professionals to end the life of a child for no reason up to three months or when that child may die “shortly” after birth.

Should the Labour Party be disbanded?

Thu, May 03, 2018

In recent polls, the Labour Party has been bumping along at five or six per cent, slightly down from its catastrophic performance in the 2016 General Election, when the party achieved just 6.6 per cent, and held only seven of the 37 seats it had won in 2011.

Keane has the hunger, but does Fianna Fáil have the appetite?

Thu, Apr 26, 2018

When was the last time Fianna Fáil won two seats in Galway West? The 2007 General Election - now more than a decade ago. Older party activists will sigh with nostalgia for the days when FF could take three out of five. The last time that happened was in November 1982 - 36 years ago.

Frank Kearney honoured by NUIG Young Fine Gael

Thu, Apr 26, 2018

Galway county councillor, Frank Kearney, has been awarded honorary life membership of NUIG Young Fine Gael "for his continued support over the years".

Galway's new secondary school should be an Educate Together school

Thu, Apr 19, 2018

At long last, the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, has finally recognised what has long been a glaring and obvious reality - that Galway city and its hinterland is in need of a new secondary school.

Is State funding ruining the arts?

Thu, Apr 12, 2018

“There is a certain element that one is a philistine if one questions it,” so said a Galway TD, and former member of the Galway City Council, at a recent meeting of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee.

Council members pass vote of no confidence in An Taoiseach

Thu, Apr 12, 2018

A motion of no confidence in An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was passed by the elected members of the Athenry-Oranmore Municipal Council, the first time a local authority has passed such a motion on the head of Government.

Ireland falling behind on environmental Sustainable Development Goals

Thu, Apr 05, 2018

Ireland is falling behind on its environmental commitments under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals a newly published report has found. Social Justice Ireland in its Sustainable Progress Index for 2018 warns the State risks huge European fines if we continue to ignore our commitments.

Project Galway 2027 - it is worth fighting for

Thu, Mar 29, 2018

The Government has been getting some criticism recently for its rollout of Project Ireland 2040. In large part this is due to the use of 'advertorials' to shape coverage of the plan in local and national media, in a way that was seen to go beyond acceptable public information campaigns.

National polls - local conclusions

Thu, Mar 22, 2018

There have been a large number of national polls conducted since the February 2016 General Election, and some clear patterns have emerged, which Insider believes will carry through to the next General Election, expected some time in 2019.

Housing crisis is not an accident - it was designed that way

Thu, Mar 08, 2018

Travel around the 26 counties and in the cities, towns, and even villages, and you will come across mature, pristine, housing estates which resemble Shantalla and Old Mervue. These houses were built back in the days when our Republic was poor.

Is Noel Grealish in danger of losing his seat?

Thu, Mar 01, 2018

Come the next General Election, could Noel Grealish be in danger of losing his seat? The answer is yes, but ONLY if Fianna Fáil gets its act together and learns a valuable lesson from the 'auld enemy' - Fine Gael.

Can County Galway help Michael Fitzmaurice keep his seat?

Thu, Feb 22, 2018

The recent opinion polls, if they are to be believed, have broadly backed Insider’s contention, made last week that, contrary to perceived wisdom, the Galway constituencies may be far from predictable next time out. Even those who see little scope for changes however agree the Roscommon/Galway constituency is an exception.

Galway East - no longer ‘the boring constituency’

Thu, Feb 15, 2018

For many years, Galway East was derided for its predictability – ‘the boring constituency’ guaranteed to return two FF and one FG TD and with no doubt about who the individuals concerned would be.

Flooding, a more regular feature these days?

Thu, Feb 08, 2018

Insider feels the pain of all those who have been affected by the recent flooding events in Galway city. Nor should we forget farmers in the county, who are still feeling the effects of the incessant rainfall.

Galway West - youth waiting in the wings for its chance

Thu, Feb 01, 2018

So when is the next General Election? For 18 months after the 2016 poll we were told "There'll be an election in six months." The Government came perilously close to collapse just before Christmas, but now? It seems an election is further away, rather than coming down the tracks fast.

Galwegians take leading roles in Social Democrats

Thu, Feb 01, 2018

Galway based members of the Social Democrats have been elected to leading positions within the party, following the party's national conference in Dún Laoghaire last weekend.

Tackle housing crises by making NAMA the 'National Housing Development Agency'

Thu, Jan 25, 2018

By now, the supposed paradox has become a truism: how is it that a State, which a decade ago had a housing bubble, now has a shortage? Why, when various surveys show thousands of vacant housing units, are so many unable to secure a home? Why has housing turned from an 'issue' to a 'crisis'?

Will Galway ever do ‘socially responsible sustainable’ planning?

Thu, Jan 18, 2018

If the pre-Christmas fear that we would have a general election achieved nothing else, it did flush a few Dáil hopefuls out into the public domain, resulting in a bit of competitive electioneering, particularly from two of the city's more testosterone loaded FF hopefuls.

Expect plenty political ‘seat of the pants’ moments in 2018

Thu, Jan 11, 2018

Insider is still recovering from what was a dramatic end to 2017 - the State narrowly avoiding a Christmas election; Ireland being at the centre of the standoff at the end of Phase 1 of the Brexit negotiations; and locally a SF implosion in Galway West. It was a whirlwind few weeks, and a period that offered wildly contrasting fortunes for the main political players. The Christmas break was badly needed by all.

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