Last week saw the most concerted campaign yet by the Irish wing of the international environmental activist group, Extinction Rebellion (XR). Those who think it is a disproportionate response would be wise to think again.

While the Irish Government has paid lip service to the existence of both a housing and homelessness crisis and to a climate crisis, Budget 2020 reveals that action is reserved for the fiscal crisis that could emerge from a No Deal Brexit. 

The Irish Government's afforestation plan is to plant 22 million trees every year for the next 20 years. While this sounds ambitious it will do nothing more than reach quantitative targets as it currently lacks the substance and complexity to reduce our carbon footprint, says Ciara Murphy.

A recently published report by the European Commission echoes the view of the JCFJ that there is “statistical obfuscation, if not corruption” in the Department of Housing's monthly homelessness figures, says Keith Adams.