Earlier this week, we revealed one example of a large childcare franchise overcharging parents - these crèches are only caught if and when parents notice and complain. Now, that's changing: first review of childcare fees to target creches overcharging parents www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...

Niche pop cultural figure, Taylor Swift

I thought this was an amazing story 🐾

The swifties on staff at the NYT not worth their salt

Days seem to be numbered for mandatory three day wait www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

The birthkeeper:

Today's front page: Consultants bring legal challenge to ban on private care in new public surgical hubs www.irishtimes.com/health/2026/...

A serious dereliction of duty by gardaí, knowledge of abuse in a Waterford political dynasty and the historical blindness of the State towards child abuse all detailed in report into the “cruel,” “exploitative” and “horrific” crimes of child abuser Bill Kenneally www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...

Meanwhile - today's front page on how the Rotunda hospital has doubled down on its defiance of a Government order to stop public-only consultants treating private patients in a challenge to public health policy. Inside read on the dispute also on page 9 www.irishtimes.com/health/2026/...

There are signed copies of Dirty Dancing in bookshops across Dublin, Limerick and Waterford this weekend 🏆 ✨

Got some exciting book post today! Dirty Dancing is out next week. We are having a launch on Friday, April 17th in the Book Centre in Waterford (Ireland's most beautiful bookshop) It kicks off at 6pm and everyone is welcome

Postponing parenthood: How Ireland’s housing crisis is forcing people to delay having children The socioeconomic barriers - in particular housing - that are forcing women to hold off on having children. www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

Pretty strong criticism from Varadkar of the policies his former colleagues are now pursuing

Statement from the ITA from late last night:

I was talking on the podcast about how it doesn't seem credible for the Govt to suggest it can't do a domestic law setting age limits for social media, that it has to be at EU level. Tanaiste now implying in his latest Substack that it could be done at national level after all:

Domestic abuse victims left waiting years for social housing after fleeing abusers www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...

Tusla is against a new law that would remove parental rights from killers because the child and family agency claims “children’s best interests” are served by them having a connection with their birth parents. Valerie's Law is a key promise made by the govt www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...

A big 😮‍💨 for EU and Nato

My understanding is that it is partly based on this presentation to a cabinet sub committee in December, but he also mentions publicly available monthly homeless stats in his Substack

Simon Harris has doubled down on comments he made to The Irish Times last month, when he said that a “significant number” of people in homeless accommodation do not have a housing right in Ireland. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...

Today's splash: my interview with Simon Harris, where he said that a number of people in homelessness don't have a housing right in Ireland. The tanaiste also claims he was shut down on the issue of immigration www.irishtimes.com/ireland/hous...

Patrick O'Donovan is very annoyed at the EU

New digital wallet to be tested within months to restrict social media access in Ireland for under-16s www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

People objecting to infrastructure projects could be offered damages to avoid delays www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Good morning ☀️ Inside Politics digest ahead of the President Zelenskiy visit should be in your inboxes now 📧

The records from mother and baby homes, where more than 100,000 Irish women and children stayed between 1922 and 1998, are being held in a database which is “not fit for purpose” and which is not designed for the long-term preservation of the important documents. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Put long-term homeless families with children at top of housing queue, councils told www.irishtimes.com/ireland/hous...

Various senior Government ministers are changing out of their hard hats and little Government high visibility vests before we begin

Here is how the Government is describing the key parts of the plan:

Good morning. We're at a development in St Theresa's Garden in Dublin 8 for the launch of the Government's latest housing plan