# Read Me

This year

2023

Voices

Analysis: Sinn Féin's mortgage interest relief proposal is a terrible idea

Mortgage interest relief is anti-poor, almost by definition, writes Ciarán Casey.

45.9k

Feb 12th 2023, 7:30 AM

Voices

The squeezed middle: What we should learn from the Great Recession of 2007-2013

By studying and learning from the effects of the Great Recession, policy makers can gain valuable insights into how to respond to the cost-of-living crisis.

22.5k

Jan 28th 2023, 9:00 AM

Voices

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: The law on pregnancy concealment is outdated and cruel to women

The Fianna Fáil senator says the current legal approach to these cases is entirely out of touch with trauma-sensitive approaches.

18.0k

Jan 25th 2023, 6:30 AM

Last year

2022

Voices

Opinion: We are all climate reporters now

The public is telling the media what it wants, writes Dr David Robbins, and that is trustworthy, engaging climate coverage.

5.4k

Jun 15th 2022, 9:30 AM

Voices

Opinion: EU moves to tackle food insecurity cannot be at the expense of others

Ukraine conflict has exacerbated Covid disruptions and rising costs of energy and fertilisers – and not just in the EU.

9.0k

Jun 11th 2022, 9:30 AM

Voices

Opinion: We need to match talk of 'patient revolution' with Chief Patient Officer role

Patients have been kept on the outside of their healthcare experience; they should be promoted to educators and decision-makers.

7.7k

Jun 1st 2022, 7:00 PM

Voices

Jan O'Sullivan: Decisions in the Dáil affect us all, which is why it needs more women

Quotas alone will not bring about equality of representation writes former Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan.

10.9k

Jan 29th 2022, 7:00 PM

Voices

Clodagh Finn: Let's look at what women did in history, not what they weren't allowed to do

Author Clodagh Finn on the women who are too often relegated to the footnotes of history.

15.6k

Jan 23rd 2022, 9:30 AM

All time

Voices

Opinion: 'We can't export our way out of our fast fashion addiction'

Caitriona Rogerson highlights the social and environmental cost of the second-hand clothing trade on African countries.

12.4k

Nov 10th 2021, 8:00 PM

Voices

Saoi O’Connor: COP26 won't give us what we’re fighting for - only the people can do that

The Irish climate campaigner says framing COP26 as the focal point of global climate action is robbing us of our own collective power.

7.9k

Oct 30th 2021, 7:45 AM

Voices

Opinion: The climate crisis will cost us money, but way more money if we wait any longer

Budget 2021 won’t bring long-term equality and fairness with the spectre of climate change, writes Dr Shana Cohen.

7.6k

Oct 23rd 2021, 7:00 AM

Voices

Opinion: Asylum seekers with disabilities are largely invisible in an already difficult system

Asylum seekers with disabilities in Direct Provision must be afforded equal rights when compared to people with disabilities outside Direct Provision, Keelin Barry writes.

9.8k

Oct 3rd 2021, 1:00 PM

Voices

Opinion: To boldly go - how science fiction inspires space exploration

More mythical material gives us more stars to aim at, writes Jack Fennell.

9.9k

Updated

Sep 7th 2021, 9:00 AM

Voices

Ireland's ancient astronomers and the alignment of our prehistoric monuments

Anthony Murphy outlines how the ancient dwellers built clever structures to work in harmony with the cosmos.

24.9k

Sep 4th 2021, 6:30 AM

Voices

Opinion: What is ISIS-K? Two terrorism experts on the group behind the Kabul attack

ISIS-K, an affiliate of the Islamic State group, claimed responsibility for the Kabul terrorist attack.

21.7k

Aug 27th 2021, 9:34 AM

Voices

Opinion: We need public transport that feels safe for women

Perceptions of safety are a significant factor in women’s travel choices, so we need to create a better environment, writes Rachel Cahill.

12.6k

Aug 7th 2021, 7:00 AM

Voices

Opinion: 'Formal childcare for small babies in Dublin is a fiction. It effectively does not exist'

‘Ask your Ma for help’ is not a good public policy for childcare in Ireland, writes Liz Carolan.

33.8k

Aug 5th 2021, 1:47 PM

Voices

Opinion: Freedom to practice religion must be respected - including communions and confirmation

There’s a clear economic interest in the State allowing the resumption of economically productive indoor activities, writes Dr Donal Coffey.

20.6k

Aug 3rd 2021, 8:00 PM

Voices

Opinion: 'The shift coming in Irish agriculture must be transformational - but it will be positive too'

Minister of State for Agriculture Pippa Hackett writes that the future for farming in Ireland should see increased incomes and decreased emissions.

13.8k

Aug 3rd 2021, 12:37 PM

Voices

Pearse Doherty: Davy's top brass can’t lose when there's no accountability

Legislation to underpin individual accountability in the financial sector must be published without delay, writes the Sinn Féin TD.

24.1k

Jul 25th 2021, 8:30 AM

Voices

Opinion: As we gradually return to normal, we need to stop the creeping Amazon-ification of our economy

Everyone should have the right to a living wage, job security and decent work conditions, writes Victor Duggan.

19.4k

Jul 20th 2021, 2:13 PM

Voices

Opinion: Why are home make-over tv shows so popular in Ireland?

Property programmes thrive in societies where home ownership is the most valued and celebrated housing ideology, writes Emmett Scanlon.

16.5k

Jul 4th 2021, 7:00 AM

Voices

Opinion: Ireland is yearning for strong defences against landlord despotism

Building social housing means building homes, writes Dean Van Nguyen.

18.4k

Jul 3rd 2021, 7:00 PM

Voices

Opinion: Bogus clothes collecting denying legitimate charities access to much needed funds

Double check if in doubt when approached for clothing donations to ensure those in need benefit.

28.1k

Jun 19th 2021, 6:30 PM

Voices

Mark O'Halloran: 'My career might be judged a success - but when it comes to the property market, I'm a complete failure'

“Our political class have forgotten that housing is a right and not simply an opportunity to redistribute money upwards to the wealthy,” writes Mark O’Halloran.

35.7k

Jun 13th 2021, 7:00 AM

Voices

Column: The history, politics and identity of Chinese martial arts

Maynooth University lecturer Dr Lu Zhouxiang explains how martial arts have been a bridge from China to other countries around the world.

10.6k

Jun 5th 2021, 11:00 AM

Voices

Opinion: Without a public childcare model there can be no equality for women

The National Women’s Council says inadequate State investment in childcare has led to an unsustainable system in crisis.

15.9k

May 29th 2021, 7:01 PM

Voices

Opinion: Low ambition and poor policy keeping people with disabilities out of workplace

Joan O’Donnell writes that it’s time to ditch failing strategies and embrace an inclusive future of work.

11.0k

May 8th 2021, 8:01 PM

Voices

Opinion: The future of work after Covid has to be better than what we currently have

The great political challenge of the pandemic is fixing workplaces to be better than they are, writes Michael Taft.

11.3k

May 5th 2021, 7:00 AM

Voices

Poor interpreting having impact on patients, victims of crime and those seeking asylum

Mary Phelan writes that lack of accredited training and poor service are having huge consequences and must be addressed by the State.

13.5k

Apr 24th 2021, 7:01 PM

Voices

Opinion: Migrants are forced to do the worst work without access to rights

Youth Against Racism and Inequality (YARI) activist writes that immigrants and people of colour are leading the force for change internationally.

21.7k

Apr 7th 2021, 7:01 PM

Voices

If we want to protect urban horses, we need to work with their owners

DSPCA education and community outreach projects are trying to address welfare issues facing loose horses in the greater Dublin area.

23.1k

Mar 27th 2021, 8:01 PM

Voices

'Between vaccines and restrictions, we need to look at how pregnant people are being treated'

This country has a long history of treating pregnant women and girls appallingly; the pandemic should not be an excuse to continue to do the same, writes Seána Glennon.

29.5k

Mar 5th 2021, 6:00 PM

Voices

Column: 'Pontins only achieved such rapid notoriety because it targeted common Irish surnames'

Two decades on from a landmark case in Britain, discrimination is still an everyday experience for Travellers, writes legal affairs journalist CJ McKinney.

39.4k

Mar 2nd 2021, 9:00 PM

Voices

Opinion: That dodgy Covid story you saw on Facebook here in Ireland? It probably came from abroad first

Misinformation is now local, global and transnational all at the same time, writes Shane Creevy.

53.6k

Feb 26th 2021, 7:00 AM

Voices

The deeper lesson from GameStop: Let's look at taxing the speculators who gamble for financial gain

Rather than looking for swingeing spending cuts or increased taxes on work, how about we start at the top, writes Victor Duggan.

32.1k

Feb 7th 2021, 7:30 AM

Voices

Opinion: 'All couples should have the right to become parents when faced with infertility'

The Government needs to take action and implement the model of care for infertility, writes Emma Mc Dade.

25.1k

Jan 23rd 2021, 7:01 PM

Voices

Opinion: 'Once a bike is stolen it's unlikely you’ll get it back'

The serial number is reported to Gardaí for only one in 16 stolen bikes, writes Dublin Cycling Campaign’s David Timoney.

33.1k

Jan 16th 2021, 7:01 PM

Voices

Emergency departments ‘ground zero’ for a stretched mental health system

Psychiatrist Anne Doherty on how increased demand during Covid-19 has left already stretched services ‘drowning under the additional pressure’.

30.9k

Jan 9th 2021, 8:00 PM

Voices

Opinion: We are drawn to negative emotions like fear - and the infodemic exploits that

Dr Jane Suiter explores how one of the biggest challenges to public health in 2021 will be conspiracy theories around vaccines.

14.8k

Jan 4th 2021, 7:00 AM