Rent reform: is immediate pain worth uncertain gains?
Rent reform: the announcement of Minister for Housing James Browne's plans to change the rules around rent pressure zones dominated the week. Will the Government's gamble on investment pay off? And why was the rollout so haphazard?
Adjustments to residential property tax received less attention but the changes also carry political risk.
Israel's attacks on Iran add further uncertainty to a fraught geopolitical moment.
Anti-immigrant riots in Northern Ireland: was the violence exacerbated by political interventions?
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including
a reflection on 1980s Ireland's strange treatment of women
,
a critique of Irish media's coverage of a controversial issue
and
how social media firms used the 'like' button to turbocharge their business models
.
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Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Irish house prices continue to rise and pharma's tariff options
Irish house prices continue rise despite the negative sentiment about Donald Trump's tariffs and what impact it might have on the Irish economy. owned by The Irish Times, said asking prices nationally rose by more than 7 per cent annually in the second quarter while the Dublin increase was above 5 per cent. Barry O'Halloran reports. Barry also has the details of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission's letter to the motor industry, warning it intends to crack down on attempts to stop drivers from using independent garages for repairs. Dealers could face fines of up to €50 million for breaches of competition law. It has long been conventional wisdom that a boss who is prepared to reveal fear, uncertainty or some other form of uselessness is in luck, writes Pilita Clark. It's thought they will be more trusted and respected, especially by younger staff who are said to yearn for 'authenticity', and are therefore more valuable to an organisation. There is a strong logic for US pharma companies to continue making drugs in Ireland for non-US markets, writes our columnist John FitzGerald, as he explores the potential impact of Donald Trump's threatened tariffs on the sector here. READ MORE In our Q&A, a reader wonders if Prize Bonds are a good investment. Dominic Coyle offers a view. If you'd like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money , the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers. In Me & My Money, author Eimear McBride explains how her 'pension plan is to die before I'm no longer able to earn'. She spoke with Tony Clayton-Lea. The Changing Times Brewery, which was founded by the families behind some of Dublin's best-known pubs , is expanding the number of premises serving its beers and moving outside the capital for the first time. Colin Gleeson has the details. In a wide-ranging interview, EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou talks to Mark Hennessy about his new North-South awards aimed at fostering cross-Border entrepreneurship, his Irish family members, and his relationship with Ryanair's Michael O'Leary. Tesco plans to add 400 new jobs here as part of a €40 million investment to expand its operations with the opening of 10 new stores over the next 12 months. Barry O'Halloran has the details. In our Opinion piece, Bank of Ireland executive Susan Russell says the EU could crack down on fake digital ads by forcing online platforms to ensure they are dealing with a reputable entity, especially as they earn income from these scam ads. BP's woes persist in spite of talk of a takeover by Shell , which the company has denied. Stocktake offers a view.
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
The next president should be selected by lottery. It could be you
New names are emerging each week as possible candidates for the race for the Áras. Plenty of retired politicians and members of the RTÉ 'talent' pool have been mentioned. But do you know who could make a great president of Ireland? You. A party nomination is out of reach for the average citizen. But what if, instead of our restrictive electoral system, we adopted a practice that was once seen as integral to democracy – that is, allocating high office by lottery? The Ancient Athenians recognised 2,000 years ago how public ballots could be unfairly gamed by elites. While the Greeks of antiquity used voting for many forms of decision-making, they sought to guard against excessive influence by political cliques. So they selected the majority of governing 'magistrates' randomly from the populace. READ MORE Sortition – or selection of leaders by drawing lots – may sound radical, but 'to my mind is not really radical at all', says former US congressman Jim Bacchus who makes the case for its greater use in a new book, Democracy for a Sustainable World. 'It's about believing what we say when we say that people are capable of governing themselves.' Sortition can be a much fairer way of allocating limited goods than competition. It can also create a more even distribution of representation than hand-picking office-holders. We use lotteries to select juries in the criminal courts, for example. Most importantly, however, sortition widens public participation in politics. It gives people who might be excluded from public service an opportunity to feel part of something bigger. It is this latter feature which makes sortition so essential for politics today, says Bacchus, a US army veteran who served in the US House of Representatives and held a senior role in the World Trade Organisation . Democratic countries are riven by tribal politics, low electoral turnouts and above all distrust in political and scientific institutions. 'What is missing that would help provide trust? What is missing is participation,' Bacchus says. The Athenians were far from perfect – they held slaves and denied women citizenship – but they took the idea of self-governance seriously, he says. Ireland's recent experiments in participative democracy have drawn praise internationally. The 2013 Convention on the Constitution considered a number of matters, including legalising same-sex marriage. Its recommendation paved the way for the historic public vote for marriage equality in 2015 . The Citizens' Assembly on abortion in 2016-2017 helped to generate a consensus on legislative proposals before the Repeal the Eighth referendum, resulting in a more rational debate for the poll than there would otherwise have been. Members of the 2023 Citizens' Assembly consider legislative changes on drug use and treatment. Photograph: Alan Betson Working at its best, participative democracy allows for people with radically different viewpoints to negotiate necessary compromise – informed by scientific evidence and removed from party political mudslinging. So it's sad to see the Government has now scrapped the experiment, little over a decade on from its first trial. The programme for government contains no plan for a citizens' assembly in the next five years. A promised assembly on education that would examine issues such as patronage reform and modernising the Leaving Certificate has been ditched in favour of a possible 'convention' of 'stakeholders' – in other words, the usual shouting match between vested interests. Returning to the presidency, think of the message Ireland would send the world by allocating the most prestigious office in the land to an everyman or everywoman? In an era in which crooks and despots cling on to power at all costs, Ireland could model a different type of democracy where every citizen has an equal entitlement to participation in the administration of the State at the highest level. Michael D Higgins is flanked by his predecessors, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, in 2011 at his inauguration. Photograph: Maxwells The president has important powers – it's not just a symbolic role – so safeguards would have to be put in place. But a rotating office would be manageable. Jury members in the courts are instructed on their duties when empanelled and can face penalties if they abuse their position or if they breach court rules. The initiative could even save money. There would be no need for spending on presidential elections. And instead of paying the office holder the current rate of €250,000-plus, citizens who volunteer for the role could get the average industrial wage for each stint. A three-month term sounds reasonable. So over the next seven years we could have 28 presidents drawn from the populace: a nurse, a teacher, a carer, a farmer, a banker, all of Ireland in its glory. Each incumbent could potentially bring their own focus to issues, viewpoints and experiences that otherwise fall outside the public eye. Moreover, it would avoid the risk of the presidency being captured by a single ideological incumbent. Not everyone was happy with Michael D Higgins's forays into domestic and international affairs. What if the next president is more strident on a single issue, such as 'driving the Brits out of Northern Ireland', potentially alienating large sections of the island's population? Should the presidency really be a winner-takes-all office? Or can we do something more inventive – and politically inclusive – with the job itself? Yes, it's radical. But I for one have confidence in you. Just as I have confidence in the decency and ability of the average Irish citizen. All we need now is to get things in motion: a citizens' assembly on the matter would be a good first step.
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Russia could block UN missions involving Irish personnel in Bosnia and Mediterranean, Harris warns
The future of UN-backed missions involving a small number of Irish troops in Bosnia and the Mediterranean could be at risk as a result of Russian opposition, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has warned. In a formal report to the Oireachtas last week on the deployment of Irish military personnel on UN service overseas, Mr Harris pointed to the EU operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina – known as Operation Althea – and Operation Irini, a UN-mandated EU Naval mission in the eastern Mediterranean which seeks to implement the UN arms embargo on Libya. He indicated that Russia could oppose the reauthorisation of these missions at the UN Security Council. The number of Irish Defence Forces personnel involved in both missions is small, and below the level requiring UN approval. READ MORE The warning from Mr Harris about potential Russian objections, however, comes at a time when the Government is seeking to end the 'triple lock'. This is the requirement that missions abroad involving Irish personnel must be backed by the Government, the Oireachtas and the UN Security Council. Opposition parties and some campaign groups contend that the triple lock arrangement is a core part of Irish neutrality Mr Harris has argued previously that, under the triple lock system, 'countries like Russia (as a member of the UN Security Council) have the power to veto Ireland's participation in missions'. Opposition parties and some campaign groups contend that the triple lock arrangement is a core part of Irish neutrality. Mr Harris said, in his report to the Oireachtas, the primary focus of Operation Althea was the maintenance and stability of a safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the war in the 1990s. He said the mandate for this mission had been renewed annually by the UN Security Council and currently runs until November 2025. 'It should be noted that we have seen Russia become increasingly critical of this mission since 2022 and renewal of the UN mandate for Operation Althea in the future may face challenges due to the potential threat of a Russian veto at the Security Council.' There are five Irish military personnel involved in Operation Althea, based at the mission's headquarters in Sarajevo. Mr Harris said Operation Irini had secondary tasks including monitoring of oil and human smuggling from Libya. 'The current mandate of Operation Irini expires in March 2027. 'In 2024, Ireland had three members of the Defence Forces deployed to the operational headquarters in Rome in staff officer posts and a further officer was assigned to the floating headquarters.' 'Operation Irini may face a similar challenge as Operation Althea with its mandate renewal also potentially at risk due to the failure to reach consensus at the UN Security Council', the Tánaiste said. Mr Harris said in his report that the EU operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Operation Althea – was established in December 2004, under the authority of UN Security Council Resolution 1575, to replace the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He said the mandate had been renewed annually by the UN Security Council. The number of Irish Defence Forces personnel involved in both missions is small, and below the level requiring UN approval He also said Ireland had participated since December 2004, having previously been a participant in SFOR since 1997. Privately, the Government is also concerned about the future of the Unifil peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon. With around 340 troops, it is by far Ireland's largest overseas troop commitment. The mission's mandate is due for renewal by the Security Council in August. There are mounting concerns within Government that the United States will withdraw support for Unifil, effectively ending its mandate. The mission has been strongly criticised by Israel and members of the Trump administration for allegedly not doing enough to curtail Hizbullah. Mr Harris has been engaged in extensive behind-the-scenes lobbying among EU and US politicians to ensure that Unifil is renewed.
