What, in God’s name, can any President of Ireland achieve in a second term that could have been achieved in a single seven years term?

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The National Transport Agency (NTA) wants to redesign all Dublin Bus routes. They promise a faster, more efficient bus service with more buses and better frequency for Dubliners. They also promise a more environmentally friendly transport system for the capital. If this was delivered it would mark a major step forward for life in the city. But the reality is not that simple. The plan hinges on 16 new radial bus corridors on the busiest routes – primarily linking outer suburbs with the city centre. At a future (non-defined) date, they also promise orbital routes to link the outer parts of the city together. read full story / add a comment

This is story is being reposted as it is considered to be of noteworthy interest to the issue of Brexit since it will probably have a significant impact on Ireland

Remainers claim that Brexit will be an economic apocalypse. But it provides the opportunity for a radical break with neoliberalism.

Nothing better reflects the muddled thinking of the mainstream European left than its stance on Brexit. Each week seems to produce a new chapter for the Brexit scare story: withdrawing from the EU will be an economic disaster for the UK; tens of thousands of jobs will be lost; human rights will be eviscerated; the principles of fair trials, free speech, and decent labour standards will all be compromised. In short, Brexit will transform Britain into a dystopia, a failed state ? or worse, an international pariah ? cut off from the civilized world. Against this backdrop it?s easy to see why Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is often criticized for his unwillingness to adopt a pro-Remain agenda. read full story / add a comment

The Annual Assembly of Claiming Our Future organisation takes place this Sat 23rd Jan in the Teachers Club in Parnell Square from 11am to 2pm.

The agendas that concern us are changing and proliferating in every direction. To name a few...

At a global level there are: Climate Change and COP 21; permanent war zones; refugee and migrant flows and the failure to respond to these; UN Sustainable Development Goals; the need to reclaim EU values and solidarity to agree on strategies for the refugees and threats of EU downsizing or breakup

At a national level there are: growing homelessness; inadequate health care; an uneven economy; privilege for the 1%;; the constant stop/go of the Good Friday Agreement; political corruption and political disaffection.

How does civil society respond? Do we work harder in our own areas or improve interconnection with other movements? Do we concentrate on lobbying the state, especially in election periods, or give up on t failing states and advocate community solutions? read full story / add a comment

In the IT security world this might be known as ‘Phishing’ – you get directed to an authentic looking payment/banking site (for example), where you enter your login details and account information. However, you are unknowingly on a fake website cleverly designed to imitate the original and fool you into believing that what you see is the real thing. read full story / add a comment

Has an NGO campaign to abolish prostitution without mandate or consultation with those it claims to "save" reached the point of standing above the law? read full story / add a comment

It was bad enough in 1966. I'm glad I'll be at a safe distance when The Circus comes to town next year. read full story / add a comment

Conservative party clutching at straws in their desperation to avoid a hung parliament in May read full story / add a comment

The conference in Cloughjordan Ecovillage Tipperary on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th Sept has a number of talks & discussions throughout which are either free or a donation is requested. The Friday talk is: The Commons And Community

A talk and public interview with Michel Bauwens, Belgian integral philosopher and Peer-to-Peer theorist, moderated by Professor Peadar Kirby, resident of Cloughjordan Ecovillage.

€5 suggested donation (pay on the door) read full story / add a comment

As part of the week of convergence on Open Everything and A Collaborative Economy brought to you by the P2P Foundation, WeCreate and Cultivate there are a series of talks and these are taking place in Dublin, Limerick and in Cloughjordan ecovillage in Co. Tipperary

How can a commons-based collaborate economy strengthen the resilience of our communities?

An exploration of commons based peer production and design with Michel Bauwens, founder of the P2P Foundation. Participants will gain practical experience of open hardware projects including Wiki House. read full story / add a comment

As part of the week of convergence on Open Everything and A Collaborative Economy brought to you by the P2P Foundation, WeCreate and Cultivate there are a series of talks and these are taking place in Dublin, Limerick and in Cloughjordan ecovillage in Co. Tipperary

How can a commons-based collaborate economy strengthen the resilience of our communities?

Building on the FLOK Experience

A team of global peer researchers, lead by Michel Bauwens, founder and director of the P2P Foundation gathered in Ecuador this year to develop a societal transition model from patent and IP process toward a society based on the Open Source model of Free/Libre Open Knowledge (free as in freedom, not as in ‘beer’).

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The average Iris person is presumed to create 17 tonnes of carbon a year. This is called our carbon footprint. Since the ratification of the Kyoto agreement by Ireland 2002 which seen quotas on carbon been produced,the value of the carbon credit has realised real wealth.

The average carbon credit in "laymans terms" trades on the open market for E20 per tonne. Companies with a big carbon production rate say 40,000 tonnes and a quota for only 10,000tonnes ,must purchase the deficit of carbon credits (30,000 tonnes) on the open market or invest in new carbon reducing machinery. read full story / add a comment

Progressive Film Club festival Slices of Life in the face of Life read full story / add a comment

The Progressive is holding a weekend film festival Titled Slices of Life in the Face of Life at the Pearse centre From 4th to 6th of April read full story / add a comment

Ireland's failure to protect Louisa O'Keefe & countless others is not about "human nature":
The institutionalized abuse of children is a social ill, the holdover of a long dark age, from which society is only just awakening. read full story / add a comment

As someone who grew up in the culture of child abuse in east Galway, which now seems to be leading the country's policy on abortion or more accurately the lack thereof, I have always wanted to ask two principal questions, primarily to the enablers of systemic child abuse in Ireland.

Currently despite all the publicity about the culture of child rape in Ireland, the priority is the protection of the unborn to the detriment of the already born. I ask any decent person, if there still exists such a specimen on our island, with an ounce of nature left in them, to think about what I have written and have the courage to make a reply, that makes sense without getting personal. read full story / add a comment

Republican Network for Unity met at the ‘Croisbhealaí’ collective rooms in central Belfast on Tuesday March 19th , for the official public release of their latest publication ‘Revolutionary Republicanism’.
The publication sets out in concrete terms, our alternative proposals to the failed ways of constitutional Nationalism and suggests a clear and viable way forward for those who still propose National Liberation & Socialism as the real cure for Ireland’s ills.
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‘The Coming Home Weekend’ is designed for people who have returned home from development work or volunteering overseas. The two days provide a fantastic opportunity to meet with other returned development workers and volunteers, hear each other's experiences, share tips for settling back, plan how to put to good use in Ireland the experiences gained overseas and have some fun! read full story / add a comment

Unions, which organized the rallies, claimed more than 100,000 people attended, with 60,000 marching in Dublin. Demonstrators also protested in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo and Waterford.

"It would be fatal for people to believe this issue is now resolved and we can all move on," David Begg a supposed Union leader said. "At the onset of the crisis Ireland had one of the lowest debt to GDP ratios in Europe. The difference between then and now is due entirely to Ireland socializing bank debt at the behest of the ECB, to save the European banking system."

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Published below is the RNU Position paper Standing Outside the 'Peace Process' read full story / add a comment