The Ombudsman for Children, Niall Muldoon, has called on the government to “honour its commitment” it made seven years ago to reduce scoliosis surgery waiting times for children to no longer than four months.
The parents of 8-year old Harvey Sherratt have said their son will die without surgery.

https://gript.ie/promise-repeatedly-broken-childrens-ombudsman-calls-on-govt-to-honour-commitment-to-scoliosis-patients/

ON THIS DAY: 10 FEBRUARY 1917: Explosion at Naas Carpet Factory

https://gript.ie/on-this-day-10-february-1917-explosion-at-naas-carpet-factory-4/

KEVIN MYERS on Ireland's immigration mess: "We’ve learnt from nothing from other European societies, instead depending on the childish abracadabra of "we’re Irish". The outcome? Same as everywhere else." #Premium

https://gript.ie/kevin-myers-immigration-and-the-tyranny-of-the-human-rights-lawyers/

As a younger generation begins to discover the Irish writer and philosopher Desmond Fennell for the first time, WILLIAM STEPHENS looks at his rich body of work and wonders if a Fennell revival might be happening.

https://gript.ie/desmond-fennells-guide-to-almost-everything/

With immigration now a top issue for voters, speakers at Monday's march said government policy was failing communities.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhfLHwimv7k

WATCH: Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has said that thirty years ago, “before climate change kicked in,” a Dubliner who cycled to work each day would only arrive wet from the rain 8 times a year.

https://gript.ie/ryan-in-the-90s-dubliners-only-got-wet-8-times-a-year-cycling-to-work/

Whether in Gaoth Dobhair or otherwise, with millions in revenue available for asylum accommodation, Vesada and others have little incentive to open hotels for tourism that would actually benefit local communities, writes MATT TREACY 

https://gript.ie/donegal-gaeltacht-hotels-put-on-longer-finger-by-vesada-private/

PODCAST: TRSI 383 – A CERTIFIED HOOD CLASSIC

The semi-state formerly known as the NWCI; and we finally have detailed polling on immigration – turns out people have some concerns.


https://gript.ie/podcasts/trsi_383/

Michael Fitzmaurice, TD for the Roscommon–Galway constituency, has joined fledgling party Independent Ireland. The party, set up by Deputy Michael Collins and TD Richard O'Donoghue in late 2023, promises a "common sense" approach to politics.

https://gript.ie/michael-fitzmaurice-td-joins-independent-ireland/

JOHN MCGUIRK: Perhaps the key bit of data in weekend polling on immigration was what it revealed about wealth and privilege - the less privileged you are, the more you're feeling the effects of the crisis.

https://gript.ie/check-your-privilege-the-social-class-and-wealth-gap-on-immigration/

Funeral arrangements have been announced for the 6-year-old boy who was found dead inside a car in Waterford last week.


​​https://gript.ie/funeral-arrangements-for-6-year-old-matthew-purcell-healy-found-dead-in-waterford/

Donald Trump's remarks about NATO and Vladimir Putin are being badly misrepresented by the media - but with Biden's stumbles, even a united media may now find it hard to prevent his return to the White House.

https://gript.ie/the-medias-misrepresentation-of-trump-over-nato-and-putin/

BEN SCALLAN: In 2020, Leo Varadkar said that “If you are white, male, or even worse middle-class, Sinn Féin doesn’t want you.”

Now his own MEPs are complaining about European politics being too "male, pale and stale":

https://gript.ie/fine-gael-mep-european-politics-is-too-male-pale-and-stale/

“Ireland needs you to come home,” says Minister Simon Harris as €750,000 to be spent in efforts to bring Irish construction workers back from overseas.

https://gript.ie/gov-pledges-e750000-to-bring-irish-construction-workers-back-home-amid-shortages/

“The unprecedented drops in mathematics and reading point to the shock effect of COVID-19 on most countries,” PISA noted, while the OECD said the chances of increasing global economic growth could be set back by up to 40 years.

https://gript.ie/covid-lockdowns-global-growth-could-be-set-back-40-years-by-impact-on-childrens-education/

Senator Michael McDowell has accused Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s department of ‘perverting the democratic process’ after it refused to publish minutes of meetings where the consequences of constitutional amendments were discussed.


https://gript.ie/michael-mcdowell-roderic-ogorman-cover-up-after-decision-not-to-publish-minutes-of-meeting/

The number of patients who have died before an ambulance could reach their home has increased by 70% in the past 8 years, new HSE figures have revealed.

https://gript.ie/deaths-while-waiting-for-ambulance-are-up-70-in-past-8-years/

A new study has shown that the greening of the earth is “an indisputable fact”, and is driven mainly by an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. Will this inconvenient truth lead to an honest revaluation of the claim that CO2 is a pollutant, asks THADE ANDY?

https://gript.ie/is-co2-really-a-pollutant-a-new-study-says-the-earth-is-actually-greening/

"We came out of the inquest genuinely believing that babies' lives would be saved because of sharing our story.

"But the Coroner said that there would be no guarantee the recommendations made during the inquest would actually be implemented by the HSE."

https://gript.ie/national-inquiry-needed-says-mother-of-baby-who-died-during-labour-at-portlaoise-hospital/

Leitrim County Council has issued High Court enforcement proceedings to prevent a Dromahair hotel from being used to house 150 asylum claimants because, it says, planning permission was granted for commercial tourism use, not asylum accommodation.

https://gript.ie/leitrim-county-council-issues-high-court-proceedings-to-stop-asylum-housing-in-hotel/