Maria Maynes

1 day ago | gript.ie | Maria Maynes

The Ombudsman for Children has told an Oireachtas Committee that he cannot say whether puberty blockers should be banned for children in Ireland, with the head of the Government office being pressed this afternoon on whether children can change their sex. The exchanges happened before the Joint Committee on Children and Equality which met on Thursday to discuss his Annual Report for 2024 and priority topics and issues facing the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, and related matters.

1 day ago | gript.ie | Maria Maynes

Senator Michael McDowell has accused the Gardaí of entrapment in the case of Evan Fitzgerald, the 22-year-old who took his own life after opening fire in a Carlow shopping centre earlier this month. Speaking in the Seanad this week, the Independent Senator described both the powers conferred to An Garda Síochána and Offences Against the State Act as “far-reaching,” raising questions about the case – elements of which he said are “shocking” and need investigation.

2 days ago | gript.ie | Maria Maynes

It’s no secret that the lobby for cannabis decriminalisation has been working overtime in Ireland in recent years. In our towns and cities, weed smokers have basically taken over. The smell is everywhere. It’s just a harmless drug, we’re told. No big deal. But headlines continue to prove that decriminalising the drug would be bad for society, including a headline in the BBC today. A  ruling from a London court just today brings us back to one truly awful story from last year.

2 days ago | gript.ie | Maria Maynes

The Dáil has debated a motion put forward by the Independent Technical Group addressing a “persistent” shortfall in the delivery of housing. The Private Members motion relating to Legislative and Structural Reforms was debated by TDs on Wednesday, calling on the government to declare a National Housing and Infrastructure Emergency and introduce time-bound emergency legislation.

2 days ago | gript.ie | Maria Maynes

Sometimes it feels as though the signs that our civilization is in decline are everywhere. Thanks to the amplification of bad news every day of the week to our phone screens, the sense that the West is falling apart has taken root. The opposite of the key virtues like moderation, justice, and wisdom, are encouraged in abundance. I am adamant that the decline we are seeing is due in a large part to moral decay.