To understand why Russia would seek to develop intelligence in Ireland, just look at the volume of multinational data stored in Irish data centres or the huge volume of Russian funds that have flowed through the IFSC. In fact, I was once offered Russian money to buy an Irish newspaper.
Irish diplomats are not campaigners for global justice. More hard-headedness and less seeking to be the most virtuous in the room are needed in the conduct of Ireland’s statecraft.
When Twitter was launched, it published whatever its members wanted. But what was acceptable for a medium in the making no longer works for a $44 billion global business, as its owner Elon Musk has found out through the alienation of its advertisers and much of its audience.
The lesson from Haghani’s trading game and my friend’s 2016 bet is clear. Thinking of the stock market as a series of binary bets to which we can attach probabilities is unhelpful - and potentially costly. Crucially, even knowing the outcome of a given event might cost us money.
Since 2020 in particular, the government has thrown a lot more money at the problem, in particular for social housing of various hues. It has done so while also effectively ignoring the growing deficit of rental homes around the country.
The debate around employees returning full-time to their company’s offices has been intensified by Amazon’s decision to require everybody back inside. Other companies will likely follow suit but employees will also have their say.
We have navigated so many unprecedented crises in recent years that both words are losing meaning. But Budget 2025 was not set against Brexit, Covid or spiralling inflation. It was framed against an upcoming election.
The success story of the women's team offers valuable lessons for addressing the challenges in the men's game. With numerous talented players across the country, both male and female, the key lies in creating opportunities.
Mary O’Rourke, who sadly passed away this week, was the very antithesis of “cool”. But behind the folksy exterior was a deeply serious, highly educated woman who wore her erudition lightly.
Budget 2025 broadened tax incentives to get more individuals to invest in early-stage companies. Yet what the sector really needs is a reduction in complexity.
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