http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/comment/ Latest from the online edition en-gb Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:20:44 +0000 Copyright (C) 2010 Clyde and Forth Press Ltd http://www.clydeandforthmedia.co.uk/feeds/ 75 http://www.clydeandforthmedia.co.uk/furniture/mc_logo_500x75.png http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/comment/ The erosion of surgical services at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan has continued to accelerate over the past number of months. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/09/01/3999696-what-future-now-for-navan-hospital/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/09/01/3999696-what-future-now-for-navan-hospital/ Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:00:35 +0100 Opinion One of life's greatest vexations is the fact that the most apt words one can think of to vent one's anger are considered taboo. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/09/01/3999698-thankfully-somebody-cherishes-our-children/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/09/01/3999698-thankfully-somebody-cherishes-our-children/ Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:59:17 +0100 Opinion Last week, in this newspaper, as we looked ahead at the release of this year's Leaving Certificate Examination results, we quoted the principal of Rath Chairn's Colaiste Pobail, Macdara O Duillearga, who simply said that "there is life after the Leaving Cert". http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/25/3999555-life-after-the-leaving-cert/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/25/3999555-life-after-the-leaving-cert/ Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:00:12 +0100 Opinion On 10th August, the HSE ordered the cessation of all laparoscopic surgery in Our Lady's Hospital in the interests of "patient safety". Within a week, 47 local general practitioners (GPs) had signed a letter of protest at this appalling decision. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/25/3999556-time-to-fight-back-for-hospital/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/25/3999556-time-to-fight-back-for-hospital/ Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:59:07 +0100 Opinion Once again this weekend the headlines have been dominated by death by gun as another victim of so-called gangland shootings met his end. Daniel Gaynor became the 18th person to die in gun attacks so far in 2010. No doubt, there will be many more. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/18/3999374-death-by-gun-all-too-common/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/18/3999374-death-by-gun-all-too-common/ Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:00:21 +0100 Opinion Once upon a time in a truly blessed land, money flowed like a stream of honey from the heavens. For this was a very special land - far more sacred and exalted than any other. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/18/3999377-once-upon-a-time/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/18/3999377-once-upon-a-time/ Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:59:47 +0100 Opinion Ireland is inexorably moving towards the point where half a million people could be unemployed. Seasonally adjusted, the live register figure now stands at 452,500, some 8,000 more than last month, and bringing the rate of joblessness to 13.7 per cent. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/11/3999214-a-case-of-nero-fiddling-while-rome-burns/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/11/3999214-a-case-of-nero-fiddling-while-rome-burns/ Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:00:51 +0100 Opinion Okay. You are up to you neck in debt. Your house is worth half the value of your mortgage, which is in arrears and you have not one penny in savings. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/11/3999215-it-wasnt-just-the-banks--we-did-this-to-ourselves/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/11/3999215-it-wasnt-just-the-banks--we-did-this-to-ourselves/ Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:59:50 +0100 Opinion The success of the so-called Garda 'cold case' team in securing a conviction last week in the Vera McGrath murder case has given new hope to the relatives of murder victims whose cases have never been solved. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/04/3999074-cold-case-hopes-for-victims-families/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/08/04/3999074-cold-case-hopes-for-victims-families/ Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:00:53 +0100 Opinion Hopes that Navan would have its commuter rail line to Dublin in five years' time, initially dashed in media reports on Monday morning, now appear to be back on track with the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey going on the offensive yesterday (Tuesday) and insisting that the project would be going ahead as planned, despite being left out of the Government's capital spending review document launched this week. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/07/28/3998867-minister-stakes-political-reputation-on-delivering-rail-project/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/07/28/3998867-minister-stakes-political-reputation-on-delivering-rail-project/ Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:00:24 +0100 Opinion The news that McElhinney's of Athboy is to reopen next week after its shock closure announcement last month will be warmly welcomed at a time when jobs continue to be lost and the number on the live register in Meath climbs inexorably towards 12,000. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/07/21/3998678-a-rare-piece-of-good-news-amidst-the-gloom/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/07/21/3998678-a-rare-piece-of-good-news-amidst-the-gloom/ Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:00:55 +0100 Opinion A little bit of perspective needs to be brought to the furore surrounding Sunday's Leinster Final result. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/07/14/3998607-perspective-needed-on-match-result/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/07/14/3998607-perspective-needed-on-match-result/ Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:00:27 +0100 Opinion Reports this week of funding cutbacks affecting disability services in the west of Ireland will be greeted with concern in this region and other areas where the HSE may soon be looking at cost containment proposals as it attempts to stay within budget this year. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/07/07/3998455-latest-hse-cuts-hitting-societys-most-vulnerable-/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/07/07/3998455-latest-hse-cuts-hitting-societys-most-vulnerable-/ Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:00:31 +0100 Opinion The legacy of bad planning is evident everywhere in Ireland from the boom years of the early noughties. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/30/3998228-planning-review-must-answer-many-questions/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/30/3998228-planning-review-must-answer-many-questions/ Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:00:01 +0100 Opinion With the Labour Party surging ahead in opinion polls and unprecedented discontent reportedly rife among TDs within both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, there is no doubt that the past 18 months have seen the beginnings of what could yet become a seismic shift in Ireland's political landscape. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/23/3998070-strong-desire-for-new-political-direction/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/23/3998070-strong-desire-for-new-political-direction/ Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:00:24 +0100 Opinion It is now clear there is considerable opposition in the wider Tara-Skryne area to the proposal by Meath County Council to impose new restrictions through a landscape conservation plan there, with implications that could see planning permission for buildings and structures curtailed within a five-kilometre buffer zone. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/16/3997883-buffer-zone-gets-cool-reception/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/16/3997883-buffer-zone-gets-cool-reception/ Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:00:21 +0100 Opinion The shock closure of one of County Meath's most iconic stores, McElhinney Fashions of Athboy, brings home in a very real way just how difficult the economic climate remains for local businesspeople, despite the upbeat forecasts this week from business organisation IBEC which has said that the recession tide is turning and Ireland looks like it heading back on a path to economic growth. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/09/3997647-greater-focus-needed-on-youth-unemployment/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/09/3997647-greater-focus-needed-on-youth-unemployment/ Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:00:14 +0100 Opinion This Friday, 4th June, will mark the unveiling of one of the most important economic developments ever in County Meath as the M3 motorway finally opens to traffic. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/02/3997539-historic-week-as-m3-finally-opens/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/06/02/3997539-historic-week-as-m3-finally-opens/ Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:00:03 +0100 Opinion In a week when President Mary McAleese reminded everyone that we were "mad as hell" with those who had aggravated the recession through reckless banking practices in particular, there was one small measure of comfort in the news last Friday that the Government is to fast-track legislation to give blanket legal protection to whistleblowers who report corruption to the appropriate authorities. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/05/26/3997311-whistleblowers-charter-an-important-first-step/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/05/26/3997311-whistleblowers-charter-an-important-first-step/ Wed, 26 May 2010 17:00:31 +0100 Opinion Meath County Council is now facing the prospect having to dezone hundreds of acres of land following the collective rezoning mania that gripped the county during the boom years. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/05/19/3997149-losing-the-run-of-ourselves-on-rezoning/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/05/19/3997149-losing-the-run-of-ourselves-on-rezoning/ Wed, 19 May 2010 17:00:14 +0100 Opinion It has been two-and-a-half years since that first extraordinarily large meeting of objectors came together in Trim to kick-start the campaign of opposition to the plan by EirGrid to construct a high voltage electricity line from Batterstown to Kingscourt. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/05/12/3996990-pylon-opponents-get-chance-to-have-voices-heard/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/05/12/3996990-pylon-opponents-get-chance-to-have-voices-heard/ Wed, 12 May 2010 17:00:14 +0100 Opinion Over half of the jobs at Quinn Insurance in Navan are to be lost as the company's administrators attempt to bring its cost base into line with its considerably reduced revenues. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/05/05/3996831-disproportional-hit-in-navan-as-quinn-jobs-axed/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/05/05/3996831-disproportional-hit-in-navan-as-quinn-jobs-axed/ Wed, 05 May 2010 17:00:09 +0100 Opinion A western European country has not defaulted on its debt since the Second World War, so the implications of any such eventuality would be momentous. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/04/28/3996693-keeping-greece-afloat-a-major-test-for-euro/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/04/28/3996693-keeping-greece-afloat-a-major-test-for-euro/ Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:00:09 +0100 Opinion When mother nature roars, she has a way of getting our attention. The awesome power of nature in all its raw glory witnessed in the past week is a reminder that we are mere tenants on this planet and that humankind cannot ever hope to control the forces that have shaped the world in which we live. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/04/21/3996486-safety-concerns-must-remain-paramount-in-air-travel-crisis/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/04/21/3996486-safety-concerns-must-remain-paramount-in-air-travel-crisis/ Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:00:04 +0100 Opinion The 200 staff members at Quinn Direct in Navan must wait another week to learn the fate of their employer. Another six days of uncertainty coming on the back of an already traumatic week which has seen their hopes ebb and flow with the dawning of each new day. http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/04/14/3996355-stakes-could-not-be-higher-in-quinn-drama/ http://www.meathchronicle.ie/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/04/14/3996355-stakes-could-not-be-higher-in-quinn-drama/ Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:00:31 +0100 Opinion