The key question will be to what extent European countries will be willing to fill the vacuum left in the wake of US withdrawal

Proposed new bylaws presuppose that there are adequate, regulated indoor services for the people that need them - and currently there are not

The risk to the next coalition, if it does not pursue a prudent policy, is that it ends up having to cut spending and hike taxes in the second half of its term

Dublin’s north inner city was the only area to be branded “seriously littered” by the survey which found that the situation there had deteriorated

The new programme for government must be not just be a series of bland commitments

The biggest beneficiary of the changes so far have been the bus passenger, with travel times down by 30 per cent

The legal framework of the planning system may have been improved but unless there is sufficient investment in the planning and court structures the system will not work effectively

Keir Starmer faces questions about his overall strategy and the political capacity to make it work

The latest release of files show that John Major and John Bruton deserve considerable credit for their efforts on Northern Ireland

The extent and persistence of the upward pressure on prices is concerning

The general election took place inside a bubble, when a calamity with fundamental implications for society and the economy was relegated to a side issue by the three largest parties

With significant uncertainties ahead, it is important that a new government is in place as soon as possible

Dublin City Council is correct to widen the use of cameras to detect motorists going through red lights

A former president who embodied the old school virtues of integrity and public service has died as a new divisive politics holds sway

The cross-fertilisation between Ireland’s literary culture and its other artforms was particularly significant

The service is chronically understaffed and underfunded and too many archive services are undermined by the restrictions under which they operate

Even the best coaches and the most talented sportsmen and women will only thrive if they have the crucial ingredient of adequate resources

The image which Ireland presented to the world at the end of 2024 was one of unusual stability

The road ahead is clear enough – use the funds coming from strong corporate and income taxes to invest in housing and infrastructure - but delivery remains the key issue

A year of terrible wars and the re-invigoration of populist politics which has all underlined deeply worrying trends in international relations