Clik here to view.
A modest proposal to avoid short-term thinking in politics
Posted by Eoin O’Malley (7th January, 2013) One of the most common complaints about democracy is that it shortens our rulers’ time horizons to an extent that damages our interests. If you are a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Let’s think about the type of inquiry that will work before we set one up
The current calls for some form of inquiry into the economic collapse and the government’s response to it are understandable in the light of the Anglo tapes. While they probably didn’t reveal much...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ministerial responsibility, policy design and implementation
At a conference in the IPA recently there was some talk about changes in how ministers and civil servants are held accountable, and for what they are held accountable. The traditional doctrine of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Democracy in the planning process
Dr. Deiric Ó Broin, NorDubCo I present the third opinion piece in context of the debate on Local Government Reform, organised by the Regional Studies Association – Irish Branch. The package of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Political parties, like other public bodies, need to have their accounts...
The ongoing standoff between the Minister for the Environment and the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) is yet another signal of just how much this government has backtracked on its supposed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Politicians ignore citizens at their peril
I’m currently reading José Saramago’s Seeing (a gift from a former student), which tells the story of how panic sets in among a city’s political classes after the vast bulk of the citizens cast a blank...
View ArticleClik here to view.
At last, some real Dáil reform!
Last week the Dáil passed a government motion to make three important changes to Standing Orders (in typical Dáil fashion with little debate). In summary, the changes that will be in operation from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why wasn’t corruption an election issue when it costs us so much?
John Devitt, 24 February 2016 The RTÉ Investigations Unit story on corruption in local government shocked the nation when it was broadcast way back in December 2015. It led Stephen Collins, political...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Political reform proposals in the Partnership Government programme – UPDATED
A (still very preliminary) reaction to the Programme for Government proposal that was launched this afternoon (available here). There is a lot of food for thought here. A lot of interesting proposals...
View ArticlePSAI 2017: ‘Using accounting numbers in political debate: The Irish Water case’
Guest post by Desmond Gibney, lecturer in accounting at National College of Ireland. This post is based on his paper to PSAI Annual Conference 2017, titled ‘Using account numbers in political debate:...
View Article
