The return of austerity would destroy the Government
What if half of the corporation tax disappears? That’s €14 billion, going on last year’s figures.
Pat Leahy
Pat Leahy columns
Speaking rights for Michael Lowry would not be on my list of issues critical to our democracy
Row is yet more evidence of politicians’ preoccupation with trivia as storm clouds gather abroad and housing crisis worsens at home
Taoiseach was cock-a-hoop after his meeting with Trump, but a quick reality check followed
I have never seen such obvious stress as I saw on the faces of Irish officials sitting on the Oval Office couch praying for the ordeal to end. I have never seen such relief afterwards
‘I think the French and Germans are right to be worried’: Former US national security expert on what’s next in war on Ukraine
Tom Wright may be the most influential Irishman you’ve never heard of. He was part of the team responsible for advising Biden on Russia and Ukraine
Trump’s supporters count themselves as conservatives, but what he’s doing is radical
Europe is now seeking to transform itself into a military power. The sooner we grasp this in Ireland, the better
Government’s speaking-rights stroke is hardly an existential threat to democracy
The world is a changed place and Ireland must figure out how to deal with those changes. Would it not be an idea to have some debate about this in the national parliament?
Micheál Martin is still the adult in the room, but now with added barbs and an air of impatience
There’s a sense that this is probably the last extended act in a long political career and that time is short
So the North still says no. But for how much longer?
The South has no hesitation saying yes to unity – as long as it doesn’t cost any money or involving changing a flag or an anthem
It normally takes a government a bit longer than this to look so out of touch
Preparing for the inevitable consequences of a heating world is an urgent task for governments everywhere. Ours hasn’t given it remotely enough attention
Angry Dáil scenes were partly the result of Sinn Féin’s determination to be a more aggressive Opposition
What we witnessed was the end of a consensus in which the big parties all agreed that parliament had to work. The feelings that erupted won’t dissipate quickly
Have our politicians forgotten what happens when you lose control of the public finances?
Things are good now, but there’s a worrying sense in our new government that the economy will look after itself
Government getting nervous about contentious Occupied Territories Bill
Government likely to pursue a middle way, promising to enact the proposed legislation but kicking it into a process to draw up amendments and consider possible costs
We need to see an explosion in house building and new ideas this year
If the next government wants to solve the housing crisis, then it will have to treat it as a crisis
These four trends reshaped Irish politics in 2024
The Dublin riots changed politics, but not in the way anyone expected
Explain Irish politics to visiting foreign relatives with Pat Leahy’s informed sceptic’s guide
Wondering about how you’ll explain Irish politics to visiting foreign relatives – or to yourself? Wonder no more
Smart people still insist the truth of a patent absurdity – that Gerry Adams was never in the IRA
The observation that ‘the past is never dead – it’s not even past’ seems especially true in Northern Ireland
Ireland’s five biggest problems: War, climate change, an EU crisis, housing and Trump
The next government faces immense challenges that require guile, nerve, judgment and luck
Someone should take Simon Harris’s phone away before he bankrupts the country
The Taoiseach isn’t the only one losing the run of himself – the election is turning into a massive auction
Here’s what we should be asking politicians in the aftermath of Trump’s victory
Political insulation from the cost-of-living crisis has been paid for by bumper corporation tax receipts – and now those receipts are under threat
Dilemma about how Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are going to manage being partners and rivals remains unresolved
A campaign dominated by Simon Harris and Micheál Martin would suit Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. I don’t think it’s going to happen
Three things the Irish election should be about - but won’t
Climate, immigration and the sustainability of our economic model are subjects no one wants to talk about but they are not going away
Sinn Féin chief Mary Lou McDonald should have a word with Bertie Ahern
Voters often ignore the conclusions of the political bubble, as the former Fianna Fáil leader demonstrated time and again
Two signposts to an early election: Sinn Féin’s troubles and a glimpse of Micheál Martin’s election posters
Mattie McGrath spoke for the whole Dáil – an unusual occurrence, this – and maybe the rest of us too when he told the Chamber on Tuesday that all the election speculation was driving everyone 'demented'
Trouble at the top? Relations between Simon Harris and Micheál Martin are frayed
Fianna Fáil and the Greens are absolutely adamant that they will not be hustled into an early election to suit Fine Gael
Whatever about the best country to be a child, it’s one of the best to be a finance minister
Budget 2025: No big new policies, no inspired plans, just more than €2 billion in a budget-day giveaway
Mary Lou McDonald’s hope of pulling off another Lazarus act is not great. Sinn Féin’s confidence is rattled
Campaigns are dynamic, unpredictable and volatile, but the party faces an uphill battle
Ireland’s wealthiest pensioners will benefit from raised tax threshold while 800,000 workers have no pension at all
The reason senior gardaí – and a small number of other senior public servants – would have faced a huge tax bill is because their pensions are huge
Apple windfall is not the EuroMillions. We need to get a grip
Apple’s billions threaten to transform our entire political debate into a massive auction, but this would be a big mistake
Schools abuse inquiry: Redress scheme could cost €5bn
We have an opportunity to learn from the very clear lessons of the past if we are to avoid a massive inquiry running for years
Budget one-offs are economically indefensible and politically smart
Everyone - within Government and without - is preparing for a November election
Three lessons in leadership from the careers of the great rivals, FitzGerald and Haughey
Haughey understood the ambiguity many felt about the Northern conflict. FitzGerald understood the yearning of middle class urbanites to be modern, European, more secular. The leaders who will prosper now are those who intuit where the country really is in 2024
Here’s my prediction for when the general election will happen
The Fine Gael feel-good factor isn’t going to last forever. Throw in the expectation in Government of a Trump victory on November 5th and the possibility of a “flight to safety” by Irish voters afterwards, and one date starts to look most likely
You could see Donohoe and looking at Chambers and thinking: this lad is going to fit in just fine
Between the once-off measures that occur every year and the rule that must be broken, the Department of Finance is like something from Flann O’Brien
Trickle of Fine Gael departures risks turning into a flood as election moves closer
Eleven FG TDs have said they will not run in next election, and the party faces a headache finding electable new candidates
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