🗣️ “I think it’s telling Mary Lou [McDonald] went back to 2013, while Micheál [Martin] wanted to go back several decades,” @mattcarthy on heated Dáil exchanges over the triple lock, after the Taoiseach said he wouldn’t take “lectures” from a party that “once supported Nazism”.

Care Champions Statement “The Ring of Steel Was a Myth”: Care Champions Ireland Stands in Solidarity with UK Bereaved Families & also Demands an Immediate, Statutory COVID-19 Inquiry Care Champions extends its deepest solidarity to our fellow campaigners at Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK. Today’s damning conclusions from Module 6 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, led by Chair Baroness Heather Hallett, confirm what grieving families on both sides of the Irish Sea have known for years: the vulnerable were abandoned. The UK Inquiry has shattered the state narrative. The promised "protective ring" around care homes was a lethal myth. Across adult social care, vulnerable residents were treated as an afterthought—patients were discharged untested into care facilities, and frontline staff were left begging for basic protective equipment, forced to wear bin bags and rain ponchos. The catastrophic loss of over 43,000 care home residents in the UK was not an unavoidable tragedy; it was the direct consequence of political failure, state neglect & structural collapse. We salute the courage of the UK families whose relentless pursuit of truth forced these findings into the light. Your fight is our fight. Your courage inspires us. A Severe Warning to Ireland: “No-Blame” Evaluation is Political Cover The revelations from London stand as a direct indictment of the Irish Govt's ongoing inaction. In Ireland, thousands of nursing home residents and hospital patients died alone, behind locked doors—stripped of human connection, advocacy & fundamental rights. Families were forced to watch through windowpanes as their loved ones deteriorated without comfort. Yet, while the UK holds decision-makers accountable under oath, Ireland remains stalled under a toothless, "no-blame" evaluation framework. Care Champions demands an immediate shift to a fully empowered, Statutory COVID-19 Public Inquiry. Care Champions Ireland outlines four non-negotiable reasons why Ireland must act now: 1) A “No-Blame” Model Betrays the Bereaved: A non-statutory evaluation cannot compel key decision-makers to testify under oath, nor can it force the disclosure of critical internal documents. An inquiry without legal teeth is not a search for truth—it is political cover. Irish families deserve the exact same transparency granted to UK citizens. 2) The Social Care Sector Remains in Peril: The UK report exposes how an underfunded, overlooked social care sector collapsed. In Ireland, our heavy reliance on private equity, severe staffing shortages, weak oversight, & the complete absence of adult safeguarding legislation mean our social care system remains critically vulnerable today. We cannot repair a broken system without exposing where it failed. 3) Human Rights Violations Must Be Investigated: Blanket visitor bans, systemic isolation, & the controversial use of Do Not Attempt CPR (DNACPR) orders caused immense, lasting trauma. Ireland must legally examine whether human rights were violated under the guise of emergency measures. 4) No Readiness Without Accountability: As Baroness Hallett emphasized, state recommendations must be enacted before the next pandemic strikes. Ireland cannot prepare for future health emergencies by sweeping past mistakes under the carpet. "Our loved ones did not just die from a virus; many died from neglect, enforced isolation & systemic failure. The UK Inquiry proves that official narratives can be dismantled through rigorous public scrutiny. Irish families deserve nothing less than the raw, unvarnished truth. A statutory, transparent Covid Inquiry is not optional—it is a moral imperative. We cannot protect our future until we confront our past." Care Champions Ireland calls on all Government and Opposition TDs to immediately reject the proposed "no-blame" evaluation model and commit to a fully empowered Statutory Inquiry with judge-led powers of summons. Our loved ones deserved better in life, & they deserve justice now

I really resent the cynicism of his faux argument Ireland doesn’t need to abandon its neutrality to spite Russia Neutrality isn’t his to trade for the sake of some geopolitical statement, he thinks will curry favour with his European betters

Serving soldiers helped set up bogus military checkpoint to murder two Catholic friends, court told belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/…

🇮🇪 “How dare you lecture me about Irish neutrality?” An Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD Russia “should not have a veto on Irish participation in peacekeeping.” #LeadersQuestions

The vast majority of people want Ireland to maintain our proud tradition of peacekeeping. Reforming the triple lock ensures our decisions on participation in peacekeeping missions are not dictated by a veto from Russia, China, or the United States.

The vast majority of people want Ireland to maintain our proud tradition of peacekeeping. Reforming the triple lock ensures our decisions on participation in peacekeeping missions are not dictated by a veto from Russia, China, or the United States.

The vast majority of people want Ireland to maintain our proud tradition of peacekeeping. Reforming the triple lock ensures our decisions on participation in peacekeeping missions are not dictated by a veto from Russia, China, or the United States.

The Triple Lock is outdated and no longer fit for purpose when it comes to peacekeeping The legislation underpinning it was introduced in 1960, before the EU and OSCE even existed. In @businessposthq, I shared my thoughts on the need for reform. businesspost.ie/politics/tho…