Climate Crisis
EU Green Deal? – Ireland: A million trees, including 400,000 oaks, to be destroyed this week
Already five million trees have been shredded in the past three years by the State’s largest supplier of sapling trees. Read here
The Irish Times
EU politics
Irish Times: We are about to build the wrong homes in the wrong places at the wrong price
“Do we really want our cities, towns and villages designed by developer-led planning and determined by unelected officials? That is what is happening now.” Developer-led plans for Dublin housing density far exceed 19th-century tenements Read […]
Corruption
The Irish Times – EU: Banking regulator scores another own goal
Once again the dominance of lobbyists and corruption in the EU is made clear. Let us see how the plenary session votes. Read here
EU politics
Irish Times: Europe’s conscience drowned in the Mediterranean Sea
Not the EU! They stand for everything good and wholesome. Let us listen to the Ode to Joy again and then move on to more important matters, like an EU trade deal that will destroy […]
Corruption
The Irish Times: Europe criticised for not pressing Malta over journalist’s killing
Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family say governments refuse to support call for public inquiry Read here
EU politics
The Irish Times: Google ramps up the ‘double Irish’ before closing time
‘Google and the other large companies that form part of the global tech vanguard are squeezing every last drop out of the “double Irish, Dutch sandwich” tax-avoidance trick before the loophole is finally closed by […]
Austerity
The Irish Times: French police clash with protesters as ‘yellow vests’ return to the streets
Apparetnly the Yellow Vests are not disappearing. The question is who goes first: them or Macron? Read here
EU politics
The Irish Times: Spain’s judges back in spotlight after ‘lack of impartiality’ verdict
A good summary of why Spanish courts of law have fallen into disrepute. For further reading see Georgina Blakeley – Catalonia: a year on, political prisoners go unnoticed by the rest of the world here […]
Environment
The Irish Times: EU critical of ‘severe’ weaknesses in Ireland’s fisheries controls
This is the lovely thing about the EU. So many beautiful laws concerning car emissions, taxes, workers’ rights, financial regulation, etc., but so full of loopholes (especially when it is about profits) that no one […]
EU politics
The Irish Times: ‘Enough excuses!’ – France’s Le Maire grows impatient over digital tax
Irish Republic and Luxembourg strongly against levy on online services. Germany supporting them. Read here