Elaine Byrne | Business Post

Elaine Byrne

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Northern Ireland

Elaine Byrne: The EU’s role in the Good Friday Agreement has been written out of history

Membership of the EU enabled the thawing of relations between Ireland and Britain, yet the bloc’s role in the quest for peace on this island has been overlooked

Elaine Byrne: Biodiversity loss can be stemmed if we return to the beauty of our wild past

We have distanced ourselves from our native flora, with a consequent decline in indigenous plants and subsequent loss of wildlife, but we can all take practical steps to help restore it

Elaine Byrne: For political inspiration, Holly Cairns should look to Dick Spring

The new leader of the Social Democrats can be a credible voice for her generation, but not if she adopts a policy of perpetual opposition

Elaine Byrne: Putin’s reframing of the war as a moral crusade is finding an audience beyond Russia

The Russian president has repositioned himself as a defender of traditional Christian values to gather sympathy from other conservative nations and groupings

Elaine Byrne: Why the notion of ‘Chinese surveillance’ is not so incredible after all

Its embassy may make light of it, but China has past form when it comes to the monitoring of people, governments and its own nationals abroad

Elaine Byrne: Will we see real reform of our ethics laws? To quote a famous answer, will we f**k

Publishing well-intentioned reports is one thing; getting their recommendations past vested interests is quite another

Northern Ireland

Elaine Byrne: The sad truth is, many Southerners care as little about the North as the British

Post-Brexit, it’s easy to point fingers at the apathy and neglect of Britain towards Northern Ireland. But many in the South are similarly disinterested

Elaine Byrne: Do Enoch Burke’s rights trump all other rights? The answer is evidently and undeniably no

The controversy around the evangelical Christian highlights the need to address in law and the constitution the ‘conscience clauses’ and exceptions sought by those holding various beliefs

Elaine Byrne: The ‘rainy day’ Fine Gael is saving for is here – it’s called the housing crisis

Housing has already cost the government two ministers, and there is every chance that it will cause further instability in the months ahead

Elaine Byrne: Culture of medical emigration bleeds us of funds and consultants

Irish taxpayers spend €90 million every year to educate doctors – many of whom emigrate and never return

Elaine Byrne: The facts don’t lie when it comes to weekend discharges in our hospitals

Consultants say they are on call 24/7, yet we continue to see patients unnecessarily occupying beds because nobody is around to discharge them

Elaine Byrne: A changed Ireland regards decade of commemorations without fanfare

We may have come a long way in 100 years since the foundation of the Irish state, but it is important not to forget those who suffered on the journey

Elaine Byrne: Powerful private armies are pushing Putin to an ever more brutal stance

The Russian president has little control over Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, who criticise inept military leadership without censure and promote extreme measures in Ukraine

Elaine Byrne: Qatar corruption scandal puts credibility of EU in danger

The discovery that several sitting and former MEPs have taken bribes to boost Qatar’s influence with the EU has cast a bad light on the EU’s ethics system and increased calls for it to be overhauled

Elaine Byrne: State apology for Civil War executions could help us finally confront our painful past

As Kildare prepares to host a memorial for seven Republicans executed in 1922 following secret trials, the opportunity for the next Taoiseach to make a public apology should not be squandered

Elaine Byrne: Micheál Martin was a good Taoiseach, but not a great Taoiseach

The outgoing Taoiseach kept a historic coalition together and oversaw one of the best vaccine rollouts in the world, but the pandemic stalled his focus on the major priority policy areas

Elaine Byrne: A reimagined Seanad may be the most judicious route to a shared island

In the steps towards greater union on the island of Ireland, we would do well to remember the remarkable democratic accomplishment of the first senate in 1922

Elaine Byrne: We need to talk about cannabis, and about legalising it in Ireland

Gino Kenny’s bill to legalise cannabis for personal use presents a timely opportunity to discuss the realities around cannabis and its use today

Elaine Byrne: Leo Varadkar may regret playing it safe with his cabinet reshuffle

FF, FG and the Greens’ reshuffle is a purposely conservative one, but the same old faces may not inspire an electorate with a growing appetite for change

Elaine Byrne: Does the truth matter to Musk – or is it up to Europe’s watchman now?

In a world where facts are increasingly seen as irrelevant and lies usurp reality, the Data Protection Commission must step up to the plate