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Conversation, politics and stray insights
Site URL: sluggerotoole.com
Feed URL: sluggerotoole.com/feed
Posts: 18
Followers: 18
Should MLAs be paid more?
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/06/should-mlas-be-paid-more/
Published: February 6, 2025 08:41
From the BBC: For five years, the Independent Financial Review Panel (IFRP) set wages and expenses for politicians in the assembly. But the terms of the three panel members ended in 2016 and they were never replaced. The Assembly Members (Remuneration…
London daddy says no more money. Sort yourselves out…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/05/london-daddy-says-no-more-money-sort-yourselves-out/
Published: February 5, 2025 12:16
Grand Poobah Hilary Benn has hurt the feelings of some of our local politicians by pointing out that it’s up to them to make some, what do you call them? I think decisions?? From the BBC: In a speech in Belfast, marking one year since power-sharing was…
Stormont could do worse than develop a Sláintecare approach to health service reforms.
Published: February 5, 2025 12:16
I was on Nolan this morning discussing how the Secretary of State Hilary Benn had hit a few nerves yesterday on the first anniversary of the restart of Stormont when he laid out the abysmal Health record in Northern Ireland… 53% of people waiting for a…
Belfast City Council declines to adopt Armed Forces Covenant
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/05/belfast-city-council-declines-to-adopt-armed-forces-covenant/
Published: February 5, 2025 08:00
An acrimonious debate at Belfast City Council which has been running for several weeks finally climaxed on Monday night as the Council rejected adopting the Armed Forces Covenant. The DUP brought a motion several weeks ago before the full council asking…
Road deaths – An acceptable levels of violence?
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/04/road-deaths-an-acceptable-levels-of-violence/
Published: February 4, 2025 09:15
Between 1969 and 2001 3,532 people died during the troubles. During the same period 7291 died on the roads. The Troubles are a constant reminder of the suffering caused by violence and a context for understanding the tragic consequences of road death.…
Conor Murphy elected to Seanad
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/04/conor-murphy-elected-to-seanad/
Published: February 4, 2025 08:00
Conor Murphy resigned as Economy Minister and from Stormont yesterday following his election to Seanad Éireann. As the BBC reports… “He secured one of the 60 seats available with the support of Sinn Féin TDs (members of the Irish parliament) and…
The Belfast Private Hospital Approval Raises Big Questions About Public Sector Failures…
Published: February 3, 2025 12:00
News that Belfast City Council has approved a planning application for a private hospital comes at a time when delays continue to plague two critical public health projects: the Belfast Maternity Hospital and the Children’s Hospital. This stark…
Micheál Martin’s hard track through the harsh and unforgiving Alps of Irish politics…
Published: February 3, 2025 11:57
So last Thursday Micheál Martin (a day later than scheduled because of some stormy weather in the Dáil) the man who many pundits once predicted would be the first Fianna Fáil leader never to become Taoiseach became Taoiseach for a second time. Indeed…
Open Sunday – discuss what you like…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/02/open-sunday-discuss-what-you-like-149/
Published: February 2, 2025 07:05
The idea for Open Sunday is to let you discuss what you like. Just two rules. Keep it civil and no man/woman playing. Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday.
Open sunday – politics free zone…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/02/open-sunday-politics-free-zone-119/
Published: February 2, 2025 07:00
In addition to our normal open Sunday, we have a politics-free post to give you all a break. So discuss what you like here, but no politics. Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday.
Weekly Bulletin. What you need to know this week.
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/01/weekly-bulletin-what-you-need-to-know-this-week-9/
Published: February 1, 2025 12:00
Executive Ministers brief Assembly on response to Storm Éowyn On Monday (27 January) the First Minister and deputy First Ministers made a lengthy statement in the Assembly regarding the Executive’s response to Storm Éowyn. First Minister Michelle O’Neil…
Latest controversy for Education Minister as school receives ÂŁ710,000 in funding despite not applying for it
Published: February 1, 2025 08:00
Once again it seems we are facing a new controversy in the Education sector. The Belfast Telegraph reports that… “The Department of Education is facing calls for full transparency after £710,000 was awarded to a school in Londonderry following a private…
The DUP can solve the Housebuilding Crisis by supporting Water Charges…
Published: January 31, 2025 11:33
This week’s Infrastructure debate in the Assembly was described to me as truly depressing. It was yet another lost opportunity to try and solve the growing wastewater crisis which is engulfing both the housebuilding and the construction sectors. The…
Israel – a Modern-Day Sparta?
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/01/31/israel-a-modern-day-sparta/
Published: January 31, 2025 07:00
Were you taught about the Spartans in school history? Sparta was a small Greek state in 500BCE, situated in the south of Greece, roughly 130 miles west of Athens. The Spartans valued the security of the state and military strength above all else and taught…
Musings on the blandness of modern politicans…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/01/30/musings-on-the-blandness-of-modern-politicans/
Published: January 30, 2025 15:43
I confess to no longer following UK politics or, frankly, the news in general. For the past year or two, I have been on a mission to quiet the 10,000 monkies in my head. I am concluding that most of the modern world’s ills are down to too much information…
Six nations 2025
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/01/30/six-nations-2025/
Published: January 30, 2025 15:07
Six nations 2025 In the 142 year history of the Home Nations, 5 Nations and 6 Nations since 1883, no country has won the competition outright three years in a row. Granted, there were rare occasions when the Championship was at least shared three times in…
Northern Ireland’s population to peak in 2033
https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/01/30/northern-irelands-population-to-peak-in-2033/
Published: January 30, 2025 08:00
According to this article from the BBC… “Northern Ireland’s population is projected to peak at 1.95m in 2033 before starting to decline, a report by the official statistics agency suggests. The projection from the NI Statistics and Research Agency says the…
Public must bear some responsibility for the lack of delivery at Stormont…
Published: January 29, 2025 15:42
The Role of the Electorate in Political Accountability: A Reflection on Nicola Mallon’s Comments In a recent episode of The View, with interviewer Mark Carruthers, Ms Nicola Mallon, former Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive, made a provocative…