Arthur Beesley

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Arthur Beesley

New information has come to light on disputed building forecasts in files showing housing officials believed the target of 40,000 new homes would not be met until 2025, a year later than Government claims in the general election. Following the poll on November 29th, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael returned to power with Independents after campaigning on the basis that housing output was on track to rise to 40,000 new homes in 2024.

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Arthur Beesley

After a week of heavy losses, global markets are surging. What happened? The rebound comes the morning after an abrupt U-turn by Donald Trump over the “Liberation Day” plan for tariffs on global trade that he set out one week ago. The reciprocal tariffs were additional levies above the 10 per cent baseline tariff that Trump proposed by way of penalties with scores of international trading partners he said were treating the US unfairly.

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Arthur Beesley

Minister for Equality Norma Foley has urged the Catholic church and the Church of Ireland to “do the right thing” on mother and baby home redress after years of talks with eight church bodies ended without a financial contribution in most cases. “There is an opportunity as I’ve said for the orders to rethink their position,” Ms Foley told reporters at Government Buildings. “Just to say this reference is not just to the Catholic hierarchy, we’re also talking about the Church of Ireland.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Arthur Beesley

A local authority in Dublin has made a public application to its own planners seeking exemptions for council-owned land, after the properties were deemed liable for tax on maps made by the body itself. The submission from South Dublin County Council means its own officials must decide whether the local authority should receive a tax pass on housing land it owns in Tallaght, Clondalkin and Knocklyon.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Arthur Beesley

Government efforts to persuade religious groups to pay money for mother-and-baby home redress have run aground, after prolonged talks finished with only one “serious offer” of cash from an order of nuns. Four years after talks began, a report delivered to Minister for Equality Norma Foley suggests the end point is rather like the 2021 starting point. The Bon Secours sisters committed again to paying, but there was little or nothing by way of cash offers from any other order.