“Whether through the centenarian ambassadors, this exhibition, the book and all the other elements of our extensive public programme, throughout this project we have aimed to ensure the stories, information and human connections revealed by the Census reach as many people as possible, in Ireland and around the world.” Source link
The minesweeping plan was first reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung. Merz reiterated his government’s position after meeting Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Berlin on Thursday. He stressed that Germany is “fundamentally ready” to help secure shipping routes, but only under strict conditions. Those include a stable ceasefire, a mandate within a system of collective security — “preferably” from the United Nations — and formal approval by both the federal government and the Bundestag. Merz underlined that Berlin remains “far away” from such a decision. The signal comes as a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran is in effect but has yet to fully stabilize the situation in the strait, where Iran blocked traffic and the U.S. responded by blocking Iranian vessels. U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed NATO allies to move quickly, demanding commitments “within days” following his meeting with alliance Secretary-General Mark Rutte in early April. However, allies have been leery of getting involved in any combat action in the war started by Trump without consulting them. Source link
Rising to his feet from the government benches, Healy-Rae said he’d spent Monday night talking to aggrieved voters in the Plough Bar in his County Kerry constituency — and had come away persuaded he should stop supporting Martin. “I met tractor men, lorry men, farmers, telling me how unhappy they were. The leader of the country should have listened,” Healy-Rae told a hushed chamber. “Because I believe this government have let the people of Ireland down, I will be voting no confidence in the leader of the country, and I will be tendering my resignation as a minister of state from now,” he said. Healy-Rae accused the government of lacking sympathy for farmers and truckers struggling to pay runaway diesel prices. “People cried at the protests — and they were workers! They were respectable people!” he shouted. He then exited the Leinster House parliamentary building to cheers from the hundreds of fuel-price protesters, mostly middle-aged men, who had gathered outside behind security barriers. Healy-Rae — who invariably dons an Irish flat cap — is the …
“It’s beyond comprehension that we were on the precipice of losing oil refining capacity in the country in the middle of an unprecedented global supply shortage of energy,” Martin said. “It makes absolutely no sense what was going on.” But the premier conceded that the package might not end the protests, which have been organized largely on social media apps and platforms. Several scattered road blockades, largely targeting rural motorways, continued Sunday. “We haven’t any guarantees of what protesters may or may not do,” Martin said. The government’s advisory National Emergency Coordination Group warned Sunday that much of the economy and public services, including health care, would face heightened disruption this week even if the protesters end all road obstructions now. Sunday’s package will be subject to the passage of emergency legislation Tuesday — the same day the main opposition Sinn Féin party will bring a motion of no confidence in the government over its handling of fuel taxes and the past week’s street standoffs. The new government plans further excise tax cuts of 10 …
Garda have been attempting to restore access to the Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork for fuel trucks amid the days-long blockade. Source link
However, speaking on RTE Radio’s Morning Ireland show, one of them, John Dallon said he does not speak for the protesters blocking fuel depots: “I’m here on the streets of Dublin, I have no voice as regards what’s happening down the country as regards blocking up ports.” Source link
Valérie Hayer, president of Renew Europe, said: “Deterrence is no longer only military — it is economic. In times of geopolitical tension, we will push for a new alliance format when meeting the leaders ahead of the EU summit: this new format sends a clear signal, united in shared leverage, shared interests, and shared consequences, coercion against one will trigger a response from all.” Hayer described the plan as “the foundation of a new democratic geopolitical power.” Renew Europe is home to French President Emmanuel Macron as well as the leaders of Estonia, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands. The idea is the liberal group’s response to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call for what he called “middle powers” to come together to “build something bigger, better, stronger, more just” during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “This is the task of the middle powers, the countries that have the most to lose from a world of fortresses and most to gain from genuine cooperation,” Carney said. Thursday’s summit was meant to discuss …
Micheal Martin viewed the Irish Memorial in Philadelphia dedicated to those who died or emigrated to the United States. Source link
Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran risk another Iraq-style quagmire, but said Berlin won’t lecture Washington as it seeks U.S. help to end the war in Ukraine. The German leader is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Merz also stressed that despite U.S. efforts, Iran hasn’t agreed to a nuclear deal or committed to reducing its missile program. Merz’s warnings against protracted conflict were later echoed by British PM Keir Starmer during a video address. Starmer gave more detail on the extent to which the British government is willing to help the U.S. and Israel in the conflict, albeit in a defined and limited manner, than the initial E3 statement cowritten with Germany and France. Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed the safety of Greeks in the region and the need for effective control of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, according to local media. Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary is raising its counterterrorism level and used the strikes on Iran as a chance to talk about the …
Irish premier Micheal Martin has said he is ‘deeply concerned’ about the risk of wider conflict in the area Source link
