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# opinion and insight

All time
Voices
Column: Will Kenny finish the job he started as a 'reforming' leader in Brussels?
If Enda Kenny seeks the position of either President of the European Council or head of the European Commission, he could achieve great things for Ireland and Europe, writes David Moloney.
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Feb 11th 2014, 1:05 PM
Voices
Column: Living with someone who's depressed is hard – partners need support too
The biggest learning curve my husband and I have taken from my mental health problems is that without communication, depression will win, writes Fiona Kennedy.
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Feb 10th 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: Ireland's residential rental market needs a massive shake-up
Pension funds investing in residential property could make a significant contribution to supplying a constrained market with much needed accommodation, write Lorcan Sirr and Tom Dunne.
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Feb 9th 2014, 12:00 PM
Voices
Column: We should be concerned about how complacent our artists have become
There is the lack of any serious radical political or cultural response to the current crisis in Ireland, writes Ciaran McCullagh.
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Feb 8th 2014, 7:00 PM
Voices
Column: Think playdates are all fun and games? Think again.
Playdates are basically the office parties of kid-land: the stakes are higher than they seem and opting out is harder than you think, writes Emily Hourican.
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Feb 8th 2014, 12:00 PM
Voices
Aaron McKenna: Without proper investment in defences, we might as well abandon flood zones
There’s money for capital spending to defend our most vulnerable cities from flooding – the trouble is the government wants to toss it down the drain to keep a few seats in Leinster House.
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Feb 8th 2014, 8:00 AM
Voices
Column: Social media and the Streisand Effect – who dictates popular discourse today?
Guess what? Traditional media no longer gets to dictate we can (or should) care about – as Panti Bliss, Pussy Riot and a host of other activists and individuals have proved, writes Lisa McInerney.
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Feb 6th 2014, 12:45 PM
Voices
Column: 'It was done one day without warning' – a terrifying story of genital mutilation
Female Genital Mutilation involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia with the aim of reducing a women’s enjoyment of sex. This abominable practise must be stopped, writes David Dalton.
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Feb 6th 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: When does spring really start? Let's clear this is up once and for all.
Is spring the start of February… or the start of March? If you ask me, there’s only one proper answer, and it involves astronomy. But there are a couple of reasons behind different dates, writes Conor Farrell.
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Feb 5th 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: I am gay. I have always been gay. I’ve never not been gay.
I’m happy with who I am and I love this country – but I am not happy with how I get treated for how I live my life, writes Christopher Chong.
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Feb 4th 2014, 7:30 PM
Voices
Column: Should I intervene if a child is having a tantrum?
Tantrums are hard. They’re hard on the child and on the parents – but what should you do if you see a stranger’s child having a tantrum? Sinéad Fox gives some tips.
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Feb 2nd 2014, 7:30 PM
Voices
Column: Ireland is reviewing its foreign policy – but it's asking the wrong questions
Taking the example of Ireland’s evolving relationship with Africa, it becomes clear that the DFA’s review of external relations might not be on the right track, writes Andy Storey.
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Feb 2nd 2014, 12:00 PM
Voices
Column: How to care for your relationship once you have a baby
No matter how much preparation you do, the reality of caring for your new baby can overwhelm you. Follow these tips to keep your relationship on track once your bundle of joy arrives, writes Martina Newe.
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Feb 1st 2014, 7:00 PM
Voices
Column: The Government stalls while people with mobility difficulties fall deeper into isolation
The Government had a knee-jerk reaction last year and cut Mobility Allowance to new applicants. Nearly 12 months later, those in need are still in limbo, writes Anne-Maree Quinn.
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Jan 30th 2014, 7:30 PM
Voices
Column: Panti Bliss controversy raises major questions about RTE's role in public discourse
Some privately-owned news media can be described as having a particular editorial slant – but the state broadcaster has a duty to be balanced and challenge opinions that promote inequality, writes Catherine Murphy TD.
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Jan 30th 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Open Letter to RTE: Explain why you censored gay rights advocate Rory O'Neill
The term ‘homophobia’ refers to an irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against gay people… So why it is not permissible to state that a group that actively campaigns against same-sex marriage is homophobic?
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Jan 29th 2014, 12:00 PM
Voices
Column: We need to start talking about sexual dysfunction in an open way
It’s almost impossible to bring up the subject of premature ejaculation without provoking a cringe or a giggle, but it’s no joke for the one in five men (of all ages) who suffer from this common dysfunction, writes Trish Murphy.
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Jan 29th 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: If the State had done the right thing, Louise O'Keeffe would never have been abused
In a landmark ruling today, the European Court of Human Rights said the Irish State is liable for the sexual abuse of children in schools where it had failed to put effective child protection measures in place.
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Jan 28th 2014, 7:00 PM
Voices
Open Letter: Dear Union of Students in Ireland, please stop belittling our profession
The USI’s proposal for the Irish Water logo shows how it values the design profession in Ireland – and represents a race to the bottom philosophy that undercuts true worth of creative work, write students Emma Grattan and Derek Doyle.
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Jan 28th 2014, 4:23 PM
Voices
Column: Shatter's focus is on whistleblowers themselves, rather than their allegations
The investigation into the penalty point controversy is minimising the independence of the Garda Ombudsman: the body won’t have autonomous access to the PULSE system or any remit to examine the Commissioner’s role, writes Mick Wallace TD.
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Jan 28th 2014, 12:29 PM
Voices
Column: Peacemakers like Margaretta D’Arcy uphold the greater moral law
Margaretta, in her peaceful act of civil disobedience, was seeking to highlight our own government’s failure to uphold both Irish and international law. We should applaud her courage, writes Joe Murray.
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Jan 28th 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: Sorry politicians, you can’t avoid social media – people no longer accept being ‘talked at’
The political class have realised the importance of a digital economy – but, they also need to realise the importance of building a digital democracy, writes Niall Devitt.
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Jan 27th 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: A year ago, I walked out of work on the brink of the worst depression of my life
I work full time, I have young kids, and I also have a mental illness. Living with depression is never going to be easy but I’m getting better – and that’s because I’m being open and unashamed about it, writes Fiona Kennedy.
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Jan 25th 2014, 7:00 PM
Voices
Column: ‘Mindfulness’ sounds like a lovely concept… so how the hell do you do it?
Haven’t you heard? 2014 will be “the year of mindful living”. But, asks Molly Garboden, how does one achieve this peaceful outlook, swanning through sunlit rooms furnished in white wicker and mauve?
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Jan 25th 2014, 12:00 PM
Voices
Reform Alliance: 'For far too long politics has been seen as a closed shop'
Today’s Reform Conference will open discussion on key areas of reform, writes Terence Flanagan.
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Jan 25th 2014, 9:00 AM
Voices
Column: Ignorance, avoidance, distortion – media coverage of the Corrib gas project has failed
The Irish media has failed to properly report on the local community’s resistance to Shell in Mayo. The reason? Journalism has fewer and fewer resources to filter the truth from the propaganda, Harry Browne writes.
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Jan 24th 2014, 3:18 PM
Voices
Column: Yes, Justin Bieber is a brat... but maybe it's time to feel a wee bit sorry for him?
Justin Bieber is a singularly unpleasant young chap who terrorises his neighbours, drag races ‘under the influence’, and abandons Capuchin monkeys… but what chance did he have? Lisa McInerney takes a look at the volatile lives of child stars.
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Jan 24th 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: Building a bigger Cork prison with doubled-up cells is completely senseless
The new prison in Cork is being built to hold more prisoners, even though our crime rate is decreasing, and cells are being planned for doubled-occupancy. This goes against internationally-supported standards, writes Fiona Ní Chinneide.
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Jan 23rd 2014, 7:30 PM
Voices
Column: Want to win the lotto? Here's how to do it...
Six people won the Irish lotto last Saturday, and with the jackpot at €3.5 million, it wasn’t a bad day’s work. Here’s a few tips on how to play, writes Eamonn Toland.
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Jan 23rd 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: Lowering the legal age for gender recognition is vital
Reducing the gender recognition age requirement from 18 to 16 will improve the lives of many young trans and intersex people across Ireland, writes Louise Hannon.
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Jan 22nd 2014, 7:30 PM
Voices
Column: Irish art and culture is being failed by lazy, inept leadership
Our Arts minister is unable to represent his department with any real knowledge, and is therefore failing to exploit what could be a multi-billion euro industry, writes Eoin Lynch.
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Jan 22nd 2014, 1:29 PM
Voices
Column: The abuse a US President – and the world – chooses to ignore
In January 2009, Barack Obama signed an executive order to close the notorious detention centre at Guantánamo Bay. Five years on, detainees remain uncharged and subjected to waterboarding, prolonged isolation and force feeding.
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Jan 22nd 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: Can new peace negotiations end Syria's three-year nightmare?
For the first time, tomorrow representatives of Bashar Al Assad will meet with the western-backed opposition for talks. This presents an historic opportunity to end a war that threatens to engulf the wider Middle East in conflict, writes Maurice McQuillan.
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Jan 21st 2014, 7:30 PM
Voices
Column: The introduction of a living wage would benefit ALL of Irish society
We shouldn’t view a living wage for employees as a burden, but as an investment: it would be one of the most effective ways to stimulate the economy, writes Ciaran Garrett.
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Jan 21st 2014, 12:54 PM
Voices
Column: Five things I swore I'd never do if I had kids...
(… and guess how that worked out)
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Jan 21st 2014, 7:00 AM
Voices
Column: We ignore the environment at our peril
In this century, climate change and the quality of our environment will be the central issue demanding a global response, writes Tom Healy.
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Jan 20th 2014, 7:30 PM
Voices
Video column: Is there a viable solution to ivory poaching?
There were approximately 10 million elephants in Africa at the turn of the 20th century. Today, thanks to widespread poaching, that number has dropped to 500,000.
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Jan 20th 2014, 12:45 PM
Voices
Column: Got the January blues? Don’t let them drag you down
January can indeed feel miserable, empty and cold after all the warmth and merrymaking that is Christmas – but don’t entertain those negative thoughts that creep in this time of year, writes Bernadette Ryan.
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Jan 19th 2014, 7:30 PM
Voices
Column: John Mitchel was hailed as a totem for Irish liberty... but he was a white supremacist.
John Mitchel was a leading member of nationalist groups that demanded freedom for the Irish. But his sympathies didn’t stretch beyond his own countrymen: he was also vocal and passionate supporter of slavery.
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Jan 19th 2014, 12:00 PM
Voices
Column: 8 Financial Rules of Thumb
No two people are the same, so what’s right for one person may not be for you. However, there are some financial rules of thumb that can help to steer you in the right direction, writes Liam Croke.
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Jan 18th 2014, 7:00 PM
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