Political Éire

Political Éire Independent Journalism, Showing you what the news does, and does not. The voice of Ireland is here.

EU Pressures Ireland to Pass Hate Speech LegislationMay 20, 2025 – The European Commission has issued a formal warning t...
20/05/2025

EU Pressures Ireland to Pass Hate Speech Legislation

May 20, 2025 – The European Commission has issued a formal warning to Ireland, urging swift implementation of hate speech laws in line with the EU’s 2008 Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia. The Commission, frustrated by Ireland’s outdated 1989 Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act, demands compliance within two months or risks legal action at the European Court of Justice.

Ireland’s Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022, intended to modernize hate crime laws, faced fierce domestic opposition over its vague hate speech provisions. Critics, including senators and free speech advocates, warned of overreach, prompting Justice Minister Helen McEntee to drop the controversial clauses in 2024. The revised Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act, passed in October 2024, focuses solely on hate crimes, leaving the EU’s demands unmet.

International Context: Ireland faces economic and ideological tensions as U.S. policy under President Trump could impact...
20/05/2025

International Context: Ireland faces economic and ideological tensions as U.S. policy under President Trump could impact its economy, particularly due to tax arrangements with U.S. companies.

Education and Society: Justice Minister Helen McEntee is planning a major national conversation on education, drawing on...
20/05/2025

Education and Society: Justice Minister Helen McEntee is planning a major national conversation on education, drawing on lessons from 1990s reforms.

A UN report highlighted that Irish teenagers rank among the least happy in high-income countries, despite strong academi...
20/05/2025

A UN report highlighted that Irish teenagers rank among the least happy in high-income countries, despite strong academic performance.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined TikTok €530 million (£452 million) on May 2, 2025, for failing to ensur...
03/05/2025

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined TikTok €530 million (£452 million) on May 2, 2025, for failing to ensure European user data sent to China was protected from Chinese government access.

The DPC, which regulates TikTok across the EU, found breaches of GDPR and criticized the company for submitting “erroneous information” during the investigation (covering September 2021 to May 2023).

TikTok plans to appeal, citing its Project Clover data security measures.

Conor McGregor’s legal team has launched an appeal against a November 2024 civil jury verdict that found the former UFC ...
03/05/2025

Conor McGregor’s legal team has launched an appeal against a November 2024 civil jury verdict that found the former UFC champion liable for ra**ng Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. The appeal, set for a three-day hearing starting July 1, 2025, hinges on new testimony from neighbors claiming they saw Hand assaulted by her then-partner, Stephen Redmond, hours after the alleged incident with McGregor.

The neighbors, a couple residing opposite Hand’s home, allege they witnessed Redmond punching and possibly kicking Hand, suggesting her documented bruising may not have resulted from McGregor’s actions. Hand has vehemently denied these claims, accusing the witnesses of fabricating their story. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr. Justice Noonan, will evaluate the credibility of this delayed testimony.

Hand, who was awarded nearly €250,000 in damages in the original ruling, has faced intense public scrutiny. The case continues to fuel debates over victim credibility and the handling of sexual assault allegations. McGregor, maintaining his innocence, was recently barred from sharing CCTV footage he claimed would support his defense.

The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the horrific t...
25/04/2025

The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the horrific terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, left at least 26 tourists dead and over 20 injured, marking the deadliest assault in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks., targeting male Hindu tourists in an apparent bid to resist demographic changes in Kashmir.

The attack involved militants using brutal tactics, including forcing victims to recite Islamic verses and checking for circumcision before executing them at close range.

The attack has sparked outrage across India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing to punish those responsible “to the ends of the Earth.” Protests erupted in Kashmir, and global leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the violence, expressing solidarity with India.

Fears of escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors are mounting, with analysts warning of a potential military confrontation. Locals in both India and Pakistan-administered Kashmir are bracing for further conflict, with bunkers being prepared amid heightened tensions.

USA and Israeli fighter jets have been sent to India, in what can be seen as a preparation of war.

Trumps World: When combining goods and services, Ireland had an overall trade deficit with the U.S. of approximately €93...
13/04/2025

Trumps World: When combining goods and services, Ireland had an overall trade deficit with the U.S. of approximately €93 billion in 2024, according to Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO). This net deficit highlights how the massive services deficit overshadows the goods surplus.

Ireland’s trade surplus in goods has been a point of contention, with U.S. policymakers arguing it reflects unfair trade practices. However, Ireland’s role as a hub for U.S. multinationals complicates this narrative. These companies benefit from Ireland’s tax policies, contributing to both the goods surplus (via exports) and the services deficit (via IP payments).

Tariffs aimed at reducing the U.S. goods deficit could disrupt this ecosystem, potentially prompting firms to relocate production or adjust supply chains, though such shifts are slow and costly, especially in pharmaceuticals.

The Irish language is reportedly the UK’s second-fastest-growing language, according to a London college (City lit).
12/04/2025

The Irish language is reportedly the UK’s second-fastest-growing language, according to a London college (City lit).

In Coolock, locals celebrated a win against plans for a migrant accommodation center, reflecting ongoing tensions around...
12/04/2025

In Coolock, locals celebrated a win against plans for a migrant accommodation center, reflecting ongoing tensions around immigration.

The Coolock saga underscores Ireland’s struggle with a 300% rise in asylum seekers since 2017, exacerbated by a housing shortage (rental costs up 43% in five years). Misinformation, like “unvetted migrants” throughout the campaign has inflamed tensions, despite Gardaí asserting all applicants are fingerprinted and identified.

The government has toughened measures, with deportation orders up 156% and immediate expulsions for illegal entrants from Northern Ireland. Funding for Ukrainian refugees dropped from £910 million in 2023 to £340 million in 2025, signaling a pivot to stricter controls.

Perhaps this has proved the Coolock struggle was in fact a real struggle just done the wrong way.

The Irish government plans to reform the triple lock policy, which requires government, Dáil, and UN approval for overse...
09/04/2025

The Irish government plans to reform the triple lock policy, which requires government, Dáil, and UN approval for overseas troop deployments. They want to remove the UN mandate requirement, arguing it limits Ireland’s sovereignty and flexibility due to Security Council vetoes, while keeping government and Dáil oversight.

The deployment threshold would rise from 12 to 50 troops. Draft legislation was approved in March 2025 and is now under Oireachtas review, facing strong opposition from parties like Sinn Féin, who fear it threatens neutrality. The government insists it enhances Ireland’s peacekeeping role without joining military alliances, but debates and potential passage are ongoing.

The number of Irish people waiting for housing has remained stubbornly high amid a chronic supply shortage. In November ...
08/04/2025

The number of Irish people waiting for housing has remained stubbornly high amid a chronic supply shortage. In November 2022, 56,994 households (approximately 154,000 individuals) were on the social housing waiting list, per the Department of Housing.

This edged up to 57,842 households (about 156,000 people) by November 2023. While full 2024 data isn’t available, the figure likely hovered between 58,000–60,000 households (156,000–162,000 individuals), based on stable trends and ongoing pressure from population growth.

This excludes those in private rental queues or homelessness outside the social housing system, with additional strain from asylum seekers and refugees transitioning into the same pool. Despite targets to build 33,000 homes annually, delivery has lagged (e.g., 29,000 in 2023), keeping the housing crisis acute and painful for most.

Address

Dublin
D01

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Political Éire posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category