What we are witnessing is a form of societal resignation. We tolerate a level of road danger that curtails the freedom of children to move through their communities. This is a moral issue. When we fail to police motor offences, when we design streets around the convenience of cars rather than the safety of people, we make a clear choice: to prioritise speed and flow over life and freedom.
Introduction: Manufactured Chaos We are living through a moment of extraordinary political upheaval. From the United States to Europe, leaders who present themselves as defenders of “common sense” are reshaping societies in ways that benefit the wealthy while dismantling protections for the vulnerable. At first glance, many of these policies seem chaotic: reactive, rushed, even… Read more »
There’s a common trope that we have a name for an entity that seeks to grow without limit (as our variety of capitalism demands) and it is cancer. There’s a deeper, fundamental critique that even anticipating the wonderful gains of efficiency that can come from market competition, infinite growth with finite resources is bound to… Read more »
The new government has been formed and one of its first acts is to roll-back on one of the most successful policies of the old government. The FF/FG(Greens) coalition committed to a 2:1 ratio on transport spending in favour of public and active transport over infrastructure that served the private motorist. That radical vision took… Read more »
The year draws to a close and the Irish people anticipate that when the Dáil sits again in January, a new government will form. It will mostly be the same as the old one, albeit lacking a strong environmental concern after the electoral wipe-out suffered by the Green party. The results of the General Election… Read more »
A Long-Standing Crisis Earlier this week, RTE organised a televised debate about the different positions on housing ahead of the General Election. While we might have qualms about importing televised debates as a means to discuss such important societal factors, it is certainly the case that housing should be near the centre of our thinking… Read more »
If you trace the lines of longitude on a map of the world, you discover something counter-intuitive about Ireland. Dublin is at 53.3498° N, which means it is further north than Winnipeg. The daily mean temperature in Winnipeg in January is -16.3°C. Introducing the AMOC Every Junior Cert student in the country can explain why… Read more »
Introduction Last weekend, the Irish Catholic Bishops published their latest pastoral letter, which is entitled ‘A Hundred Thousand Welcomes?’. It seeks to explore what hospitality for migrant people means in contemporary Ireland. A “pastoral letter” is an open letter written by the bishops as a group that seeks to guide and encourage the faithful on… Read more »
Back in 2016, the EU Commission decided that Ireland had given an unfair advantage to Apple through the provision of tax loopholes. Before Irish people could plan a tunnel to Wales or a 100-metre-tall golden statue of Michael Flatley, the Irish government launched an appeal, costing millions, arguing that they should not be forced to… Read more »
It is easy to dismiss the recent furore over surge pricing of tickets for the Oasis reunion gigs. The product for sale is hardly essential, even for people like me, diehard fans from the olden days (who also support Man City). The targeted consumer is hardly oppressed – most Oasis fans are likely to be… Read more »
Working Notes is a journal published by the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice. The journal focuses on social, economic and theological analysis of Irish society. It has been produced since 1987.
