bad ideas have a tough time dying in Ireland
06.03.2026 19:12
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bad ideas have a tough time dying in Ireland
Má fhaigheann tú amhlaidh, bheinn buíoch as freisin!
Yesterday, two Oireachtas committees discussed giving gardai the power to use AI to single us out from a crowd on CCTV based on our face, gait and body size.
ICCL’s @olgacronin.bsky.social sets out the concerns we have, the lack of detail and what “biometric analysis” means under the #AIAct.
Weird photo choice, right?
Story shows more people opting to cycle, photo shows e-scooter in flood. Positive story, negative picture.
But climate-induced heatwave? Ice-cream.
Dunno, lads.
No, staggering bin lifts. That's the ticket.
What an amazing win! Congratulations to Hannah Spencer MP and to all our friends in @greenparty.org.uk 💚🗳️
I'm writing in today's Irish Examiner on what this SNA U-turn tells us about this government coalition. Spoiler alert: it's not good. www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm... #edchatie
Does that mean we can build more data centres ❤️
Newspaper headline - Martin: Slash capital gains tax to spark investing boom.
If we make it cheaper to be rich, then rich people can get richer! Which is a good thing that we all are happy about! Let's cut one of the few wealth taxes we have - yay!
Imagine a world where free school meals were provided through state supported, locally owned social enterprises, providing good jobs, nutritious food and supporting local growers and food supply chains. A real just transition with food sovereignty at its heart.
www.thejournal.ie/hot-school-m...
Very much capturing the reality of the classroom there. So often, what's really happening is 'stop everything while I deal with this.' Which means nobody is receiving proper attention, even the kid in distress, because the teacher's attention is necessarily divided keeping a half-eye on the others.
Apparently, yesterday was St Berahert's Day (who knew?), so altogether timely to share this beautiful piece by @aislinnn.bsky.social on the holy well named after him in Co. Tipp.....
open.substack.com/pub/aislinna...
This is essential thinking for how we live better together within our planetary boundaries. We need to disentangle standard of living and quality of life, and be clear that while the latter requires a minimum level of the former, more happiness does not come from more stuff.
Excellent article.
What could possibly have changed, I wonder?
They were my Sunday newspaper until the change of editor and their new-found fixation with Dublin Airport.
Fair play to Holly Davidson, making a bit of history in the 6 Nations today #IREvITA. Richly deserved - have yet to see her have a bad game.
Zero surprise. You can expect significant erosion of our pesky and inconvenient Climate Bill from the current government configuration if left unchecked. And sadly, I don't think it will face significant backlash from opposition benches (and none at all from govt back benches).
Head 12 Exemption from the Act of 2015 Provide that: Any function or exercise undertaken under this Act shall be exempt from the provisions of section 15 of the Act of 2015. Explanatory Note This Head provides that the provisions of section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 do not apply to any functions or exercises undertaken under this Bill.
An appalling proposal is hidden at the end of the Government’s Bill on the airport cap; it would exclude decisions under the legislation from the current obligation on almost all public bodies to consider their climate impact and to be consistent with climate objectives.
To be fair to opposition, if Government are taking Committee and Remaining Stages in a time-bound session on the floor of the Dáil, then they have no intention of making any changes to the legislation before ramming it through. In that case, why would an oppo TD attempt to engage in good faith?
Aha. The old Committee and Remaining Stages trick. Worse again, because at least at Report Stage, contributions are confined to 7 mins. Not a good way to do legislation, sad to say.
Also, very often, (and getting now fully into the weeds of the legislative process), TDs grandstanding at Report Stage who didn't bother their asses participating at Committee Stage (where the real work actually happens).
I found Report Stage by far the most frustrating of the legislative stages. Mostly pointless showboating and running down the clock. Also, zero actual chance of moving the dial - I don't recall a single example of an oppo amendment being accepted.
Martyn Turner, never not at it.
I was hugely disappointed not to make it! Had been really looking forward to it. Sick kids = no fun conference for Dad!
CEOs to future generations:
Shur lookit, we can pay the fines from general taxation. The stakeholders will be fine, we'll just squeeze it out of the taxpayer, be grand!
Cool, cool. Let's just let Darragh decide whatever he likes on LNG or airport numbers with no regard to climate legislation. I can see no downsides with that (like billion euro fines or climate collapse). All good, carry on.
We Didn’t Start the Fire (But it’s all the ways the EU has ruined environmental protection in the last three years) with @greenpeace.eu #ad
