“Easter cheers to all of you, and a warm welcome to this edition of IT Sunday, our weekly selection of top quality news articles available exclusively for our readers.
Ireland’s extreme housing issues have been a frequent focus in our news pieces this week. David McWilliams, in his regular feature, brings attention to the hefty expenses associated with Nimbyism in relation to housing projects. In McWilliams’ view, amid a severe national housing crisis, this symbolises a prevalent ‘each man for himself’ attitude where a small minority of privileged individuals disregard communal wellbeing or the larger benefit of housing. He articulates the significant housing deficit in Ireland that can only be resolved through greater construction.
Contrarily, Dr Lorcan Sirr asserts in his opinion article this weekend that merely constructing more houses won’t alleviate the affordability crisis. He points to studies from central banks which suggest that inadequate supply isn’t a major factor in skyrocketing house prices. His argument is that any potentially favourable impact of new supply gets leveled by other driving factors like interest rates. In a related development, the homeless population in Dublin exceeded 10,000 last month, a first-time occurrence.
Along these lines, a report from ESRI revealed earlier this week that over two-thirds of the Republic’s population reside in homes that are larger than their requirements. This provoked a widespread discourse with Barry J Whyte shedding light on the hurdles encountered by individuals looking to scale down their homes as they age, while Jennifer O’Connell shared her personal account when her parents sold their house to her. The idea of a generational house swap seemed practical on paper, however the implementation proved more challenging.
‘Béibhinn Parsons, a versatile talent, aims for victories with Ireland and Sevens while relishing the opportunity to represent both.’
This Friday saw a noteworthy development in Northern Ireland as Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of DUP, stepped down following police charges concerning ‘historical allegations’. Northern Editor Freya McClements, analysing this unexpected political upheaval, commented, Donaldson’s reputation and political credibility have both been severely damaged and the repercussions will be extensive.”
In the political landscape south of Britain’s border, Harry McGee scrutinises Simon Harris’s track record to ascertain the likely nature of his tenure as Taoiseach. Concurrently, Pat Leahy delves into the unique challenges posed by the country’s highest office. Fintan O’Toole, in his column, suggested that the journey to the Taoiseach’s seat, often via the Health Department, indicates that progress in Irish politics isn’t necessarily born from problem-solving.
We recently conducted an exhaustive analysis of the most senior bureaucrats governing various departments. We scrutinised 18 general secretaries, who oversee departmental operations and provide guidance to their Ministers.
The Weekend Review features a comprehensive examination of the Irish academic environment by Carl O’Brien. He consulted with numerous stakeholders on the improvements necessary to ensure the schooling system’s continued relevance in the future. Meanwhile, London Correspondent Mark Paul had the unique opportunity to visit Sellafield, now transformed into a major nuclear waste site.
Earlier this week, Peter McGuire highlighted the financial hardship experienced by some PhD scholars earning €10,000 or less annually, with no guarantee of their academic endeavours leading to stable employment. A researcher shared, “As a full-time PhD student managing three part-time jobs in Dublin, I barely have any spare time for writing in my final year, suggesting a looming missed deadline.”
Finally, the hunt is still on for the new manager of the Republic of Ireland’s football team, and John O’Shea is the latest to express interest. Ciarán Murphy’s sentiment is: “In a scenario where every move is fraught with risk, why not entrust the job to the man who would cherish the opportunity?”
This afternoon, Derry return to battle Dublin in the league final, a revisiting of their division two encounter in the previous season. However, as noted by Seán Moran, significant events have transpired since that meeting, enough to completely submerge the Sahara. Béibhinn Parsons, a winger for Ireland’s women team, spoke to Gerry Thornley ahead of their Six Nations match against Italy today.
Do recall, this morning at 2am, we adjusted our clocks one hour ahead. Numerous recent editorials predict that we may soon abandon this tradition, especially given that, a few years back, most individuals indicated to the EU that they wish for it to be halted.
If you’re pondering on how to utilise the remainder of your holiday, you might want to explore our comprehensively compiled Easter guide. If you prefer basking in the comfort of your own home, test your knowledge with our 50-question Easter quiz. A successful attempt may earn you a night’s stay at the Perryville House in Co Cork.