Boris Johnson says Joe Bidenโs โnot really Irishโ
The claims keep coming from the former prime minister’s memoir.
Ireland
Pyrrhic victory for the Greek government: the CJEU rules on Turkey as a โsafe third countryโ
Professor Steve Peers, Royal Holloway University of London
Photo credit: Mstyslav Chernov, via Wikimedia
Commons
Hamster idiom credit: Adam Sharp
(Thanks to Zoe Gardner for discussion of the case;
the following analysis is my own)
Introduc…
Ireland is awash with cash but needs an infrastructure vision
Country struggling to catch up on needs of its expanding population amid near full employment
Europeโs privacy patrol is spoiling Big Techโs AI party
New leadership in Dublin has put the EUโs privacy regulators on a collision course with Big Tech.
Ireland is a โplaygroundโ for Russian intelligence, says former army chief
Comment follows claim Kremlin recruited member of parliament to damage UK-Irish relations during Brexit talksIreland is a โplaygroundโ for Russian intelligence, a former deputy chief of an Irish army unit has said following claims that a member of parl…
Ireland struggles to consolidate role as data centre hub
Dublin goes from โleader to floundererโ as planning and energy supply problems lead tech groups to invest elsewhere
Emmanuel Macronโs last stand
The French leader was able to stall a Latin American trade deal in January. With negotiators again closing in on an agreement, he will struggle to repeat that feat.
Russia recruited an Irish agent to exploit Brexit tensions. Heโs still sitting in Irelandโs parliament.
Officials tell POLITICO Russia used a honeytrap to persuade the unidentified opposition lawmaker to push anti-NATO messages, and liaise with extremists in Northern Ireland.
Ireland slams Israelโs โoutrageousโ demands to its peacekeepers
Irish president rejects Israeli calls for UN battalion to withdraw from southern Lebanon
Commission needs strong accountability mechanism, EU Ombudswoman Emily O’Reilly says
Ireland’s Emily O’Reilly will soon leave her role as EU Ombudswoman after more than a decade in the job. Under her watch governance of the bloc has become more transparent and accountable, but she feels more work needs to be done.
British parliament to get historic vote on assisted dying
PM Keir Starmer previously said he was โpersonally committedโ to changing the law.
Has Sinn Fรฉin missed its chance to govern Ireland?
After watching its support slip dramatically, the pro-unity party has its work cut out to stage a comeback in a looming election
Brexit opponents used IRA fears to โtrap UK in EUโ, Boris Johnson book claims
New memoir Unleashed admits Vote Leave ยฃ350m figure was wrong and criticises David Cameronโs โflounceramaโUK politics live โ latest updatesThe risk to peace in Northern Ireland from Brexit was exaggerated and was used by opponents โto trap the UK in th…
Europeโs exhausted oyster reefs โonce covered area size of Northern Irelandโ
Study uncovers vivid and poignant accounts of reefs as high as houses off countries including UK, France and IrelandOnly a handful of natural oyster reefs measuring at most a few square metres cling on precariously along European coasts after being wip…
Attitude to migrants will determine Irelandโs future | Letters
Jack Byrne and Jim Cosgrove respond to a piece by Maurice J Casey about Irish identity and immigrationMaurice J Caseyโs article on immigration in Ireland recounts his experience of multiracial Ireland as well as examples of people of colour โ Paul Robe…
Was tired Boris Yeltsin asleep or was he legless in Limerick? โ archive, 1994
1 October 1994: The president of the Russian Federation fails to emerge from his plane at Shannon airport, IrelandTired certainly, but an emotional Russian president? Boris Yeltsin sparked a diplomatic incident yesterday when he was too โindisposedโ to…
British government split over new-look Brexit deal
Keir Starmer travels to Brussels with the prospect of a new youth mobility scheme high on the agenda.
Irish finance minister calls โฌ14bn tax windfall from Apple โtransformationalโ
Jack Chambers says money will be used on infrastructure, not giveaways, as he reveals government budgetThe Irish finance minister has hailed the โฌ14bn tax windfall from Apple as โtransformationalโ just weeks after the government lost a case in the Euro…
Ireland promises cost-of-living help and tax cuts as election looms
Government is flush with cash from windfall corporation tax receipts and is expected to go to the polls in weeks
Irish government splashes the cash to keep out Sinn Fรฉin
A bumper โฌ2.2 billion will go into votersโ pockets, with Appleโs bonus โฌ14 billion put aside as a nest egg for future projects.
Ireland to unveil bumper pre-election budget, Apple windfall plans
Ireland will hand voters billions of euros of tax cuts and spending increases and outline plans to use a whopping Apple back tax windfall to improve the country’s creaking infrastructure in Tuesday’s (1 October) bumper pre-election budget.
Biden needs to be the last Irish-American US president
In desperately seeking to maintain its privileged position in Washington, successive Irish governments have unintentionally sabotaged their credibility within the EU.
UK scraps Brexitโs โNot for EUโ food labels โ for now
The eleventh-hour policy reversal follows a huge backlash from businesses.
Macron tried to punish me for Brexit, Boris Johnson complains
Former British prime minister says Macron “would notย hesitate to put his Cuban-heeled bootee into Brexit Britain.”
Does Chinese investment benefit or damage Ireland?
Ireland is home to 40 Chinese firms, which some critics say harms the country’s reputation.
Does Chinese investment benefit or damage Ireland?
Ireland is home to 40 Chinese firms, which some critics say harms the country’s reputation.
Postcard from Ireland: Why fans of Antarctic adventure beat a path to a pub in County Kerry
The South Pole Inn, in the rural village of Annascaul, is a place to raise a glass to the โHeroic Ageโ
LโIrlande a un problรจme que tout le monde aimerait avoir : comment dรฉpenser les 14,1 milliards dโeuros dโApple ?
Dublin va rรฉcupรฉrer des milliards quโApple a รฉtรฉ condamnรฉe ร payer, alors que ses recettes dโimpรดt sur les bรฉnรฉfices atteignent dรฉjร des records.
Summer 2024 was Europeโs warmest on record, scientists say
Southeastern Europe dealt with strong heat stress for most of the season, scientists said.
Trade policy: 20 people to meet at Tory conference
POLITICO curates a lineup of the top players influencing the Conservativesโ Brexit and trade policies.
Apple mega-bucks give Ireland a โฌ14 billion dilemma
More billions are on the way from the tech giant as the Irish hoover up multinational taxes at a breakneck pace โ but struggle to build what this booming nation needs.
Who are โthe Irishโ? History shows weโve been a mixed bunch for centuries | Maurice J Casey
The far right demands a pure โIrishnessโ. But our island story has long been interwoven with other ethnicities and diasporasWhen lecturing on Irish immigration history, I usually start by asking: in which decade was the first footage of people of colou…
Financial services role goes to Albuquerque โ but she brings baggage
Former Portuguese finance minister is known for introducing harsh economic austerity.
Swiss police make arrests over suspected death in โsuicide capsuleโ
Criminal case opened after Sarco capsule โ which releases nitrogen gas at the touch of a button โ used in MerishausenSwiss police have said they have opened a criminal investigation and arrested several people after the suspected death of a woman in a …
The centre holds in Ireland
Tensions are rising over immigration ahead of the general election
Undercover as a home care worker in France: โI have to cope alone and I receive no trainingโ | Saลกa Uhlovรก
In Marseille, I find agency bosses desperate to fill shifts, families desperate to secure care for loved ones and a system that places no value on the workWho keeps Europeโs wealthy west going? Underpaid, invisible migrants from its east โ and I went u…
Irish pharma seeks election commitments on innovation investment, clinical trials [Advocacy Lab Content]
Despite Irelandโs stellar biopharmaceutical success, the new president of the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association says industry and government must avoid complacency. With a general election in sight, investment in innovation and clinical trial…
Undercover as a hotel cleaner in Ireland: โLifting the heavy mattress, I cry tears of rage and exhaustionโ | Saลกa Uhlovรก
We struggle to secure payslips or a schedule โ and in an 11-hour shift I barely have time for a bathroom breakWho keeps Europeโs wealthy west going? Underpaid, invisible migrants from its east โ and I went undercover to find themThere is no one at rece…
Tech policy: 20 people to meet at Labour conference
We break down the 20 figures inside and outside government shaping Labourโs tech policy.
Cops infiltrate โGhostโ encryption app used by drug lords, mafia
International bust is the latest win for law enforcement over criminals seeking to hide their tracks.
โSuccess breeds successโ: why Irelandโs cricket lovers are bullish about the future
A historic T20 win over England and multimillion-pound stadium deal have helped Ireland embrace a sport once demonised as a foreign importIn cricket a century is a score of 100 or more runs by a batter in a single innings. In Irish cricket a century ma…
UKโs โnot for EUโ meat and dairy labelling plan postponed indefinitely
Policy devised under Conservatives will be reviewed after warnings of chaos for producers and suppliersGovernment plans to force food manufacturers to put โnot for EUโ labels on all meat and dairy products sold across Britain next month have been indef…
The winners and losers of the new European Commission
What the portfolios tell us about the EUโs power dynamics.
Meet the commissioners: Class of 2024
Everything you need to know about Ursula von der Leyen’s team for her second term.
Ursula von der Leyenโs new European Commission
Commission president hands out the top jobs in her new team.
Notes from Sheepland review โ lovely portrait of artist-farmer who only has eyes for sheep
Orla Barry clearly has a true vocation for her flock, both handling real livestock and weaving them into her art and this documentary has poetic beautyNear the beginning of this beautiful, brooding film, Orla Barry (its subject/writer/narrator) remembe…
Spare a thought for poor Ireland โ forced to collect โฌ13bn from Apple against its will | Jack Sheehan
For decades, US corporations have been enticed to funnel profits through the country โ will this court decision disrupt our cosy little setup?For those who may have missed it: last week, the European court of justice ruled that the Irish government wil…
Switzerlandโs unusual form of democracy takes aim at Eurovision
The famous singing competition is highlighting a striking aspect of Switzerlandโs form of government.
How the EUโs landmark Apple tax ruling gave Ireland โฌ13bn it didnโt want
After losing a court case, Ireland stands to gain a huge amount of money it fought not to gain and is unsure how to spendWhen the EUโs top court gave its landmark ruling this week on a โsweetheartโ tax arrangement with the worldโs biggest company, the …
Ireland may no longer be able to ride two horses
How should a government with too much money handle a surprise โฌ13bn rebate?
UK government scraps funding for stadium upgrade in Northern Ireland
Hilary Benn blames move on ballooning cost of rebuilding Belfastโs Casement Park for Euro 2028
How Ireland got too much money
Dublin is running a huge budget surplus. What should the government do with it?
Grenfell survivors urge golfer Leona Maguire to axe Kingspan sponsorship
Irish building materials firm was identified by Grenfell inquiry as behaving with โpersistent dishonestyโA second professional golfer, Leona Maguire, is under pressure to end her sponsorship deal with the Irish company Kingspan after the public inquiry…
Vestagerโs victories see her quit on a high
Court wins against Apple and Google seal the EU antitrust chief’s legacy as a forceful foe of Big Tech.
Unresolved questions over Xโs deal with Ireland to halt AI data processing
Despite the conclusion of the Irish Data Protection Commission’s (DPC) court proceedings against social media platform X, questions about its Artificial Intelligence (AI) data practices and compliance with EU data protection laws remain.
Ireland wonders how to spend Appleโ back tax bonanza
An EU court order that Apple pay Ireland 13 billion euros in back taxes triggered mixed feelings in Dublin as the government assessed possible reputational damage and rebuffed opposition calls for the cash to be spent quickly.
Apple must pay โฌ13 billion in back taxes, or EU’s victory over tax optimization by multinationals
After years of litigation, the European Court of Justice finally ruled in favor of the European Commission on Tuesday. Apple did benefit from illegal aid by transferring its profits back to Ireland, where they were barely taxed.
Irelandโs โฌ13bn Apple windfall leaves cash-rich country with spending dilemma
Dublin spent โฌ10mn on legal fees defending tax deal that European court says contravened EU rules
Former Northern Ireland unionist leader pleads not guilty to sex offence charges
Jeffrey Donaldson, a former UK MP, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of rape and other sexual offences that date back nearly four decades. The trial is slated for March 2025.
Apple told to pay Ireland โฌ13bn in tax by EU
The European Court of Justice upheld a 2016 decision that said Apple received unlawful aid from Ireland.
โฌ13B legal win over Apple made me cry, says shocked EU competition chief
Margrethe Vestager said sheโd been told to brace for defeat on Appleโs challenge against tax state aid finding.
Apple loses EU court battle over โฌ13bn tax bill in Ireland
Ruling is a fillip for European Commission efforts to clamp down on โsweetheartโ tax dealsBusiness live โ latest updatesApple has lost a high-profile, โฌ13bn (ยฃ11bn) Irish tax battle with Brussels in a decision that will bolster the European Commissionโ…
EU court rules Google, Apple must pay billions of euros in antitrust, tax cases
A top European Union court on Tuesday told Google it would have to pay aย โฌ2.4 billion fine brought forth by the bloc’s antitrust regulators seven years ago, just as the court rejected Apple’s final legal challenge against an order from the European Co…
Apple told to pay back โฌ13bn in tax by EU
The European Court of Justice upheld a 2016 decision that said Apple received unlawful aid from Ireland.
Top EU court orders Apple to pay โฌ13 billion tax bill
Apple must pay a โฌ13 billion tax bill as per a ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which experts deem gives weight to Ireland being dubbed, by some, a ‘tax-safe haven’.
EU court orders Apple to pay Ireland โฌ13 billion in back taxes
The case about Apple not paying sufficient taxes in Ireland, where it has its European headquarters, drew outrage from Apple when it opened in 2016 , with CEO Tim Cook dismissing it as ‘total political crap.’
Top EU court rules Apple must pay โฌ13bn in back taxes
European Court of Justice confirms Ireland provided โunlawful aidโ via tax deal and overturns lower court decision
Apple, Ireland lose โฌ13bn sweetheart tax deal case in victory for EU’s ‘tax lady’
EU judges definitively ruled in favour of the European Commission’s finding that low tax bills paid by the tech giant were an unlawful subsidy.
European Commission scores stunning court win in โฌ13B Apple tax row
Competition czar Margrethe Vestagerโs surprise victory against Apple vindicates her finding that the tech giantโs Irish tax deals were illegal aid.
Margrethe Vestagerโs legacy faces day of reckoning in Apple and Google rulings
The EUโs top court rules on final appeals of Appleโs state aid payback and Googleโs first big antitrust fine.
Starmerโs warmth is welcome โ but Irelandโs appetite for shifting to British whims has waned | Diarmaid Ferriter
Brexit poisoned the well of UK-Ireland relations. But the Irish consciousness is not as consumed by Britain as it once wasSipping pints of Guinness, swapping football shirts and purring about respect and new dawns, the British and Irish prime ministers…
The great Commission puzzle: Who we think will get each portfolio
Ursula von der Leyen is about to hand out key jobs in her team. Hereโs POLITICOโs version of the next Commission.
Ireland and UK to โresetโ relations as Starmer visits Dublin
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday (7 September) made the first visit by a British leader to Ireland in five years, vowing to “reset” damaged post-Brexit relations between the neighbouring nations.
British PM Keir Starmer meets Ireland’s Taoiseach as part of ‘wider EU reset’
Relations between the two countries have been strained since the UK voted to leave the European Union, complicating some political structures of Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK.
Starmer visit ‘moment for reset’ of UK-Ireland relations
Labour leader is the first British prime minister to visit the Republic of Ireland in five years.
โNobody in Politics Is Able to Say Itโ: The Truth About Latino Voters
A top political strategist explains how the Latino vote is shifting.
Starmer says time for ‘deep reset’ with Ireland in Dublin visit โ video
The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said it was time for a ‘deep reset’ in relations with Ireland during his first official visit to Dublin, where he met his counterpart, the taoiseach, Simon Harris on Saturday. At a press conference alongside Ha…
Keir Starmer optimistic for โdeepโ reset of relations with Ireland
Starmer to hold talks with Irish counterpart on first official visit of a British PM to country for five yearsKeir Starmer has said he believes there can be a โdeepโ reset of relations with Ireland after arriving in Dublin for his first official visit,…
Starmer visit ‘moment for reset’ of UK-Ireland relations
Labour leader is the first British prime minister to visit the Republic of Ireland in five years.
โA la carteโ new Brexit deal with EU not on table, Micheรกl Martin warns
Irelandโs deputy prime minister welcomes warmer relations but cautions UK cannot โcherrypickโ issuesThe UK cannot have an โa la carteโ reset of the Brexit agreement, Irelandโs deputy prime minister has said just hours before Keir Starmer heads to Dubli…
The enigmatic Irishman hoping to appeal to von der Leyenโs quiet side
Michael McGrath, Ireland’s pick for the European Commission, refuses to play politics. Could it be his undoing?
The Brief โ EUโs three biggest islands
The EUโs biggest islands, according to geography, are Ireland, with 84 thousand square kilometres, Sicily (25,000 sq. km), and Sardinia (24,000 sq. km). But it can be argued that the EUโs biggest islands are three other, much bigger territories.
Ireland to set up inquiry into sexual abuse at religious schools following ‘harrowing’ report
The government’s scoping inquiry found almost 2,400 allegations of historical sexual abuse by hundreds of schools run by religious orders across Ireland.
‘Shocking’ abuse in Ireland’s religious schools
The Irish government orders an inquiry after an initial report uncovers almost 2,400 allegations.
‘Shocking’ abuse in Ireland’s religious schools
The Irish government orders an inquiry after an initial report uncovers almost 2,400 allegations.
Ireland to set up inquiry into sexual abuse at schools run by religious orders
Inquiry to follow preliminary investigation unearthing 2,400 allegations of historic abuseThe Irish government is to set up a statutory commission of inquiry into sexual abuse at schools run by Catholic religious orders after a preliminary investigatio…
Irish PM says โฌ336,000 cost for parliament bike shelter is โinexcusableโ
Minister requests review of building project for bike shelter at Leinster House in DublinIrelandโs prime minister, Simon Harris, has said he is โangry and annoyedโ at the โinexcusableโ โฌ336,000 cost for a bike shelter at Leinster House in Dublin, the s…
Donโt Forget to Remember review โ art, identity and the slow disintegration of dementia
This elegiac Irish film documents the relationship between street artist Asbestos and his mother, and the public art project he makes to help process his griefA strange but reassuring ouroboros effect is in place in Ross Killeenโs documentary about dem…
Irelandโs luxury problem: what to do with its โฌ8.6bn surplus
Some economists see a โonce-in-a-generationโ chance for public investment, but Dublin says it must save for the future
Schoolโs out for smartphones
Governments across Europe are imposing smartphone bans in schools in an attempt to tackle screen addiction and cyberbullying.
New pharmacy prescribing roles in Ireland could alleviate overstretched doctors [Advocacy Lab Content]
Irish pharmacists are set to gain new prescribing roles following an expert report recommending they should prescribe for a range of common conditions. Irelandโs leading pharmacy union is supportive, conditional on the resolution of a pay dispute.
Ireland preparing tough new tobacco and nicotine regulations following public consultation [Advocacy Lab Content]
Irelandโs Minister for Health has published a public consultation to evaluate a push for new, tougher tobacco and vaping regulations. Ireland is one of 12 EU countries advocating for stricter vaping rules.
Northern Irelandโs once-dominant parties fight to win back voters
Selection of new leaders for UUP and SDLP sparks debate over future direction of groupings
UKโs Starmer urges European left to confront far-right โsnake oilโ
British PM tells European progressives to focus on โdelivery and honestyโ or risk defeat by the far right.
Young Irish people: have you worked seasonal jobs in Europe in recent summers?
We would like to hear from young Irish people under 25 about what the opportunities for working in mainland Europeโs tourism and hospitality industries are like Whether itโs a summer pulling pints in a pub or as a holiday rep on a resort near the Medit…
Portugal nominates ex-Finance Minister Albuquerque for European Commission
She faces tough competition for an economics job in the new Commission.
Wednesday briefing: Why Emmanuel Macron doesnโt want Lucie Castets as Franceโs prime minister
In todayโs newsletter: The embattled president rejected the leftwing candidate for the role โ so what happens now?โข Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Almost two months after a parliamentary election that left no one bloc…
Keir Starmer learns how not to lead from Olaf Scholz
On a visit to Berlin, the new U.K. prime minister may look at his German counterpart as a cautionary tale.
Oasis to make a comeback with UK, Ireland tour after years-long split
Ending 15 years of separation, brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher who form the band Oasis on Tuesday announced they would reunite for a 2025 tour, with dates announced across the UK and Ireland. The two split in 2009 when Noel quit the band just before …
The US is a lucky charm โ and reliable partner โ for Irish businesses
With just 5 million people, Ireland ranks sixth globally for foreign direct investment in US, above Italy and MexicoMore than 80 years since helping develop the nuclear bomb, Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the mountains of eastern Tennessee remains a…