This generation must engage in painful scrutiny of its attitude of deference to power and privilege, writes ELAINE BYRNE in the Irish Times May 26, 2009

A PASSAGE from the Book of Proverbs reads: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”

The Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse reveals an uncomfortable history of Ireland in its five volumes. It is a history of how power was defined since the foundation of the State. The absolute authority of the Catholic Church rested on the assumption that it is was above reproach, without question and beyond criticism.

ANALYSIS: Political parties would earn moral authority if they published full financial statements, writes ELAINE BYRNE in the Irish Times May 22, 2009

IN THREE weeks the Council of Europe body, the Group of States against Corruption (Greco), will meet Irish political parties and ask them 29 questions about the transparency of their funding.

This report will then be available at www.coe.int. Reports on 13 of our European neighbours have already been completed. When I worked with the UN Anti-Corruption Unit I got to know the Greco organisation and these guys are thorough.

In advance of their visit I went through every disclosed donation made to the standards commission since it was set up. Graph 1 clearly demonstrates a pattern by political parties to disclose less. The turning point for disclosure occurred in 2001. The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001 prohibited the acceptance of foreign donations.

The tragedy, taboo and finality of death have been illuminated by the Dunne family and their trip to an undertaker, writes ELAINE BYRNE in the IRISH TIMES May 19, 2009

LILIES SMELL different in a cold room on a warm day. So too does the wax perfume from days of lingering white candles. But it was the funeral sounds that I remember most from when I worked in our family undertaking business.

While ceilings of €7,000-€15,000 now apply, issues remain with public access to such information, writes ELAINE BYRNE in the Irish Times May 12, 2009   ‘DEMOCRACY IS a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve,” George Bernard Shaw once said. With that in mind, the McCracken, Moriarty and Mahon tribunal [...]

The anger of a lost generation of young professionals will coalesce in demands for systemic change, writes ELAINE BYRNE in the IRISH TIMES May 5, 2009    BOBBY SANDS was just 27 when he died on hunger strike in the Maze Prison 28 years ago today. He is now dead longer than he lived. That Ireland [...]