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Dublin: 5°C Saturday 28 May 2022

Sunday 20 February, 2022

Lynn Ruane: A mature society accepts that drug use is normal and does not punish addiction
# Irish Drug Policy
# Irish Drug Policy

Lynn Ruane: A mature society accepts that drug use is normal and does not punish addiction

Feb 20th 2022, 7:30 AM 29,838 Views 122 Comments

The independent senator says criminalising addiction is about intimidation – it’s society taking revenge and warning others of their fate.

Sunday 6 February, 2022

Lynn Ruane: Global drug laws can be traced back to a small group of conserative American men
# Just Say No More
# Just Say No More

Lynn Ruane: Global drug laws can be traced back to a small group of conserative American men

Feb 6th 2022, 7:30 AM 33,442 Views 49 Comments

The independent senator looks back at the influence of powerful US politicians with racist agendas on global drug policies.

Saturday 22 January, 2022

Lynn Ruane: Prohibition has never worked anywhere, and it never will
# The War On Drugs
# The War On Drugs

Lynn Ruane: Prohibition has never worked anywhere, and it never will

Jan 22nd 2022, 9:00 AM 23,825 Views 50 Comments

The independent senator says successive governments have failed to truly address the issue of drug use in Ireland.

Sunday 5 January, 2020

Lynn Ruane: My New Year gift to myself? Gratitude for my body
# Positivity
# Positivity

Lynn Ruane: My New Year gift to myself? Gratitude for my body

Jan 5th 2020, 5:58 PM 43,242 Views 22 Comments

Being negative about my body is exhausting, so it’s time to stop, writes Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 15 December, 2019

Lynn Ruane: Drug courts are not the solution to Ireland's drug problem
# Drug Addiction
# Drug Addiction

Lynn Ruane: Drug courts are not the solution to Ireland's drug problem

Dec 15th 2019, 8:30 PM 15,022 Views 43 Comments

We cannot have a National Drug Strategy that prefers the drug court to a health-focused approach.

Saturday 9 November, 2019

Lynn Ruane: Harm reduction should always come first with criminal drug policy
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: Harm reduction should always come first with criminal drug policy

Nov 9th 2019, 7:30 PM 14,463 Views 39 Comments

We should decriminalise possession of drugs for personal use, writes independent senator Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 20 October, 2019

Lynn Ruane: Uniting movement groups in Ireland could lead to long-term change
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: Uniting movement groups in Ireland could lead to long-term change

Oct 20th 2019, 8:30 PM 13,188 Views 29 Comments

There is common ground among different movement groups in Ireland, writes Lynn Ruane.

Monday 7 October, 2019

Lynn Ruane: 'We can't keep failing young people with inadequate sex education'
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: 'We can't keep failing young people with inadequate sex education'

Oct 7th 2019, 6:30 AM 12,781 Views 53 Comments

We are hopefully moving towards a country with a more positive attitude to sex and relationships.

Sunday 22 September, 2019

Lynn Ruane: We should all support choice in education
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: We should all support choice in education

Sep 22nd 2019, 8:30 PM 16,289 Views 63 Comments

Parents need to have a choice over where they send their children to school, writes Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 8 September, 2019

Lynn Ruane: Sport is part of the solution to address young men's mental health
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: Sport is part of the solution to address young men's mental health

Sep 8th 2019, 8:30 PM 13,162 Views 11 Comments

Services such as the Breakthrough Programme in West Dublin can be a lifesaver for young men.

Sunday 25 August, 2019

Lynn Ruane: 'You can't treat addiction like a business - and people with addiction like objects'
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: 'You can't treat addiction like a business - and people with addiction like objects'

Aug 25th 2019, 8:30 PM 50,124 Views 37 Comments

Applying neoliberal tools to community work is ultimately about cost-cutting and power, writes Senator Lynn Ruane.

Saturday 3 August, 2019

Lynn Ruane: 'Help for suicide prevention can be hard to identify - and even harder to access'
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: 'Help for suicide prevention can be hard to identify - and even harder to access'

Aug 3rd 2019, 7:30 PM 16,251 Views 27 Comments

The independent senator writes about the barriers in suicide prevention when it comes to helping people with their mental health.

Sunday 21 July, 2019

Lynn Ruane: Child maintenance reform would be good for children - and good for the country
# Opinion
# Opinion

Lynn Ruane: Child maintenance reform would be good for children - and good for the country

Jul 21st 2019, 8:30 PM 23,496 Views 52 Comments

Many one-parent families are living at risk of poverty and an overhaul of our child supports legislation is vital to protecting their future.

Sunday 7 July, 2019

Lynn Ruane: In Ireland we're forcing carers to change their children on toilet floors
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: In Ireland we're forcing carers to change their children on toilet floors

Jul 7th 2019, 8:30 PM 35,481 Views 24 Comments

The Community Participation Bill 2019 has made me think about what real access looks like, writes Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 23 June, 2019

Lynn Ruane: How this French charity shop treats the homeless should inspire us to help our own
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: How this French charity shop treats the homeless should inspire us to help our own

Jun 23rd 2019, 8:30 PM 41,879 Views 31 Comments

Communal meals, a chance to work and help to make a home – the scheme gives clients control of their lives.

Sunday 26 May, 2019

Lynn Ruane: An inspirational school project reminds us of our shared humanity
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: An inspirational school project reminds us of our shared humanity

May 26th 2019, 8:30 PM 11,543 Views 12 Comments

I find it obscene that Ireland is dragging its feet rather than creating an environment where families torn apart by war can start a new life, writes Senator Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 12 May, 2019

Lynn Ruane: I'm tabling a bill to support the voices of community and advocacy groups
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: I'm tabling a bill to support the voices of community and advocacy groups

May 12th 2019, 8:30 PM 11,587 Views 23 Comments

We need a vibrant and active civil society. Otherwise politicians and big business will call all the shots, writes Senator Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 28 April, 2019

Lynn Ruane: 'Now is not the time to stop listening to David Attenborough'
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: 'Now is not the time to stop listening to David Attenborough'

Apr 28th 2019, 8:30 PM 27,218 Views 51 Comments

We don’t have time for small measures when it comes to climate change, writes Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 14 April, 2019

Lynn Ruane: The overdose drug Naloxone can save lives so let's remove the barriers to accessing it
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: The overdose drug Naloxone can save lives so let's remove the barriers to accessing it

Apr 14th 2019, 8:30 PM 22,965 Views 44 Comments

There are more deaths in Ireland as a result of overdose than road traffic accidents and many of these deaths are preventable, writes senator Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 31 March, 2019

Lynn Ruane: This Mother's Day, let's celebrate those mothers doing a tough job in challenging circumstances
# Opinion
# Opinion

Lynn Ruane: This Mother's Day, let's celebrate those mothers doing a tough job in challenging circumstances

Mar 31st 2019, 6:00 PM 52,819 Views 14 Comments

Mothers with very little income, who manage to ensure their babies are warm, fed and in school on time – often alone or in tough or even violent situations, writes Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 24 February, 2019

Lynn Ruane: 'It should be a source of major embarrassment to Ireland that we are yet to ratify this important treaty'
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: 'It should be a source of major embarrassment to Ireland that we are yet to ratify this important treaty'

Feb 24th 2019, 8:30 PM 38,564 Views 30 Comments

Abuse within institutions and care situations isn’t just part of Ireland’s history, writes Lynn Ruane – it’s something that is still a reality for vulnerable groups today.

Sunday 10 February, 2019

Lynn Ruane: 'We need to change society radically from the ground up'
# Opinion
# Opinion

Lynn Ruane: 'We need to change society radically from the ground up'

Feb 10th 2019, 8:00 PM 33,660 Views 39 Comments

I am a product of the community development projects that have been systematically eroded writes, Senator Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 27 January, 2019

Opinion: Pat was refused mental health services because of his addiction - now he's dead
# Column
# Column

Opinion: Pat was refused mental health services because of his addiction - now he's dead

Jan 27th 2019, 8:30 PM 90,114 Views 51 Comments

Mental illness and addiction are interlinked so why are people who suffer from both routinely excluded from services, asks Senator Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 13 January, 2019

Lynn Ruane: People with a criminal record for minor offences deserve a second chance
# Opinion
# Opinion

Lynn Ruane: People with a criminal record for minor offences deserve a second chance

Jan 13th 2019, 8:50 PM 24,227 Views 55 Comments

Convictions for minor offences can hold people back from accessing employment and education long after they have completed their rehabilitation, writes Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 23 December, 2018

Lynn Ruane: In remembrance of my friend, Graham Jones
# RIP
# RIP

Lynn Ruane: In remembrance of my friend, Graham Jones

Dec 23rd 2018, 11:00 AM 30,393 Views 9 Comments

Graham Jones, who died earlier this month, lived an extraordinary life. Here, Lynn Ruane explains about the difference he made to the people around him.

Sunday 9 December, 2018

Lynn Ruane: We must pioritise people's lives over pharmaceutical companies' profits
# Column
# Column

Lynn Ruane: We must pioritise people's lives over pharmaceutical companies' profits

Dec 9th 2018, 8:00 PM 19,620 Views 50 Comments

Pharmaceutical companies make obscene profits from life-saving drugs – we need to change the system to prioritise human life over profiteering, writes Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 18 November, 2018

'Amazing footballers see their talent as a distant memory - overpowered by isolation, addiction, homelessness'
# Opinion
# Opinion

'Amazing footballers see their talent as a distant memory - overpowered by isolation, addiction, homelessness'

Nov 18th 2018, 7:30 PM 14,688 Views 2 Comments

The individual gets to meet that side of themselves again; the side of themselves that was confident, strong, talented and part of something, writes Senator Lynn Ruane about homelessness leagues.

Sunday 4 November, 2018

Lynn Ruane: Examining morality through the prism of social class
# Opinion
# Opinion

Lynn Ruane: Examining morality through the prism of social class

Nov 4th 2018, 8:30 PM 40,416 Views 84 Comments

It is easy to set high moral standards for yourself and others, if you do not know what it is like to go hungry, writes Senator Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 21 October, 2018

Lynn Ruane: 20 years on from the introduction of the methadone strategy, where are we now?
# Opioid Treatment
# Opioid Treatment

Lynn Ruane: 20 years on from the introduction of the methadone strategy, where are we now?

Oct 21st 2018, 8:30 PM 19,715 Views 26 Comments

How effective has the strategy been and what is the legacy we are left with when so many people are on the drug for so long?

Sunday 14 October, 2018

'He chose to die at home. The hostel was his home': Lynn Ruane on hidden health problems in homelessness
# Homeless Crisis
# Homeless Crisis

'He chose to die at home. The hostel was his home': Lynn Ruane on hidden health problems in homelessness

Oct 14th 2018, 8:30 PM 22,477 Views 13 Comments

The health rights of people in emergency accommodation are not a subject that comes up often enough, writes Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 7 October, 2018

Lynn Ruane on sexual assault: 'I carried a shame that wasn’t mine for years before I told anyone'
# New Savi Report
# New Savi Report

Lynn Ruane on sexual assault: 'I carried a shame that wasn’t mine for years before I told anyone'

Oct 7th 2018, 8:00 PM 32,845 Views 11 Comments

It’s been 16 years since the Savi – Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland – report, and it’s high time Ireland has another one, writes Lynn Ruane.

Sunday 12 August, 2018

'The devastating impact of social class is not an abstract concept to hundreds of thousands on this island'
# Opinion
# Opinion

'The devastating impact of social class is not an abstract concept to hundreds of thousands on this island'

Aug 12th 2018, 7:30 PM 60,378 Views 198 Comments

Working class communities are punished for a system they had little real control over, writes Lynn Ruane.

Thursday 15 June, 2017

Lynn Ruane: 'She was pure goodness and spent her life sharing that goodness'
# RIP
# RIP

Lynn Ruane: 'She was pure goodness and spent her life sharing that goodness'

Jun 15th 2017, 6:00 PM 1,274 Views 6 Comments

What will never be lost is the incredible positive change that Ann-Louise left with us, writes Senator Lynn Ruane.

∞

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