How ‘inertia, incapacity and appalling ineptitude' stymied attempts to redraw the Irish border

In 1925, the Boundary Commission collapsed amid rancour, spying and an absent-minded Irish representative
One hundred years ago, the Irish Boundary Commission collapsed in acrimony after the proposal by the three boundary commissioners suggesting a new border in Ireland was shelved and the border remained as it was, as it still is.
Under the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, which provided for the prospect of a boundary commission to decide the contours of the border, three commissioners were to be appointed to carry out the task. The chairman was to be appointed by the British government, with the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland governments appointing one representative each.

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Irish Daily Mirror

41 minutes ago

• Irish Daily Mirror

7,500 granted Irish citizenship as ceremonies kick off

Some 7,500 people will be celebrating with a tricolour flag over the next two days as they are granted Irish citizenship. Thousands will make a declaration of fidelity and loyalty to the State and become Irish citizens at a ceremony at the INEC Killarney. Seven ceremonies over the two days will take place, with applicants from over 143 countries and across all 32 counties being acknowledged. The Presiding Officer at the ceremonies is Judge Paddy McMahon and he will be joined by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan and junior ministers Colm Brophy and Niall Collins. Speaking ahead of the ceremonies, Minister O'Callaghan said: 'This ceremony marks an important milestone in the lives of those receiving Irish citizenship. 'For each new citizen it signifies a deep connection to Ireland, its values, and its people. Ireland welcomes our new citizens as full members of society, and their contributions will undoubtedly strengthen the fabric of our nation. 'I encourage all new citizens to continue to actively engage in their communities so that, together, we can build a thriving society'. Minister Brophy said that migration plays 'an essential role in Ireland's development'. He added: 'It strengthens our economy, enriches our cultural diversity, and deepens our sense of solidarity. We are proud to welcome each new citizen as valued members of our communities.' The number of citizenship applications processed last year is significantly higher than the previous two years. In 2024, 31,000 applications were processed, which is 11,000 more than the year before and 19,000 more than 2022. In just over two years the Citizenship Division of the Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year to processing over 20,000 applications in 2023, and nearly 31,000 in 2024. The Department of Justice said processing times are decreasing, as the length of time it takes to process an application has dropped from 15 months in 2023 to 8 months in 2024. Speaking before the ceremonies, Minister Collins said those that are becoming Irish citizens join 'a diverse and inclusive Ireland'. He added: 'Citizenship is not only a right but a symbol of shared responsibility and mutual trust. These new citizens now have a place in shaping the future of Ireland. 'I sincerely congratulate each of our new Irish citizens. This is a proud and memorable day for them, their families, and for the whole country.'

The Journal

4 hours ago

• The Journal

Political parties scramble to introduce policies around AI use after Swedish House Mafia-gate

IRISH POLITICAL PARTIES are beginning to develop policies around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) after MEP Ciaran Mullooly revealed he used it to write a letter to the President of the European Commission. In the letter, which urged the EU to deliver more aid to Gaza, the Independent Ireland MEP inadvertently quoted the house music group Swedish House Mafia and recounted a fictional story of a girl in Rafah without indicating that she was not real. Following this, The Journal contacted all political parties represented in Dáil Éireann to see if they have policies or guidelines in place around the use of AI for public representatives. No party currently does. While the Labour Party said it has been working on guidelines since earlier this year, other parties were left scrambling after Mullooly's AI-assisted letter made headlines. The Social Democrats, Fine Gael and Independent Ireland all said they are currently working on developing policies, while the Green Party is also examining the idea as part of a strategic plan. A Sinn Féin source admitted that the Mullooly story was sent around to TDs as a 'cautionary tale' but said the party does not currently have any guidelines around the use of AI. Despite the slow uptake from political HQs on the issue, many TDs were more vocal about their feelings on the use of the technology in public life. When asked if they use AI to assist their work as a TD, just four current members of the Dáil admitted that they do. Independent TD Barry Heneghan used AI to create a song as part of his election campaign and said he uses a mix of programmes now as a TD, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Co-pilot, depending on the work he wants to streamline. Fianna Fáil's Paul McAuliffe, Fine Gael's John Paul O'Shea and Labour's Conor Sheehan all said they use programmes like ChatGPT and Co-pilot on occasion to help with admin tasks, but all were of the view that it shouldn't be used for drafting speeches or public statements. Advertisement 'I think transparency is important in this job. It's still up to TDs to stand over what they say and do, and AI can make mistakes and add things in that you would never say,' Heneghan said. He added: 'If you trusted it for your whole speech, it doesn't sound human in my opinion.' Independent Ireland TD Ken O'Flynn compared AI to the printing press and said his party supports the 'responsible use' of the emerging technology. 'Whether to improve communication or streamline workflows, like the printing press or the personal computer, artificial intelligence may face scepticism in its early stages but if history has shown us anything, it is that new tools often begin with controversy and end with positive transformation.' Most other TDs we contacted said they do not use AI to assist with their work, although many parties said staff sometimes use it for research purposes or admin. When asked if politicians should have to disclose when they have used AI to draft a speech or statement, most TDs we contacted said yes. A spokesperson for Independent Ireland said it 'would not be a bad idea in the interests of transparency', while Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman went further and said it should also be disclosed when politicians use it to alter images of themselves. A number of TDs said it came down to being honest with constituents, while others, like People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, said he was against its use on environmental grounds. Labour TD Duncan Smith argued that it is lazy for TDs to use AI. The Dublin Fingal East TD said he doesn't use it because he has 'no interest in selling my constituents short'. 'When people elect you to represent them, it should actually be you and the team you put together to work with you, representing your constituents. 'I think TDs using AI are displaying laziness at best and I think it shows a lack of respect to the people who have elected you to the Dáil, who rightfully expect you to be putting in the work,' he said. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

Irish Examiner

5 hours ago

• Irish Examiner

John Whelan: Ireland behind the curve in pharma R&D amid Pfizer call

Pharma companies met with the Trump administration earlier this month to try and defer implementation of the executive order signed by President Trump on May 12, effectively forcing drug companies to commit to aligning their US prices with 'the lowest price of a set of economic peer countries''. At the meeting of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) with the Trump administration, Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla called for the US government to lead an initiative to increase overall drug spending outside the US. While the exact mechanism of implementing the Trump executive order to reduce drug prices in the US remains unclear, the Pfizer chief proposed an alternative solution, suggesting that other countries should spend a certain percentage of their GDP per capita on innovative medicines. In an attempt to lead on the recommendation, he added that Pfizer could consider not making its drugs available for government reimbursement in some countries if the US carries through on its price control and other countries don't increase their prices. Effectively, Mr Bourla, who chairs the pharma industry lobby group PhRMA, suggested the US should push for a Nato-type agreement, which commits each country to a minimum 2% of their national GDP on defence spending. And whereas there may be good logic in the Pfizer proposal, any commitment of this nature will likely create major challenges for Ireland, as OECD and World Bank figures show Ireland lagging well behind other countries in research and development expenditure. In 2022, the last year for which finalised figures have been released, US pharmaceutical companies' R&D spending amounted to 2.33% of the nation's GDP. There is no comparable figures for the Irish market, in terms of pharmaceutical industry expenditure in research and development. However, the figures available from the World Bank and the OECD for years 2022/2023 show that total R&D for all industry as a percentage of GDP, in Ireland was 0.9%. This is well below the EU average of 2.29%, and even further below countries like the US at 3.6% and Israel at 6.3% who invest more heavily in R&D than Ireland. Economists have inferred that Trump is leveraging unfavourable policies such as drastically lowering prices points of US drugs and tariffs on imports, to coerce the pharmaceutical industry to increase investments in the US. Several large pharma companies, including Eli Lilly, Merck & Co, and Bristol Myers Squibb, have unveiled major US investments planned for the next few years in attempt to curry favour with the Trump administration. But noticeably Pfizer remains an exception to that trend. However, Mr Bourla stated that Pfizer has invested in US manufacturing and will continue to do so, but risks from those Trump policies are making it difficult for the company to commit further. "I don't think it makes sense to make announcements of future investments in an environment that is very fluid,' Mr Bourla said. That suggests Pfizer, one of our largest and longest-term investors in the pharmaceuticals space, is unlikely to back off its Irish investments anytime soon. However , we need to heed the Pfizer CEO's call for more R&D support in Europe, which clearly includes Ireland. Besides Pfizer, many pharma companies are leveraging the United States' threat of tariffs on drug imports to push for policy changes in the EU. In a letter sent on April 11 to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, 32 pharma companies demanded more favourable policies in order for them to maintain operations in the EU . In the same letter they say that policy changes are needed to ensure Europe remains a location to research, develop, and manufacture medicines. The CEOs also included in their letter that European countries should rethink their drug pricing policies and enable a better commercial environment for innovative medicines. Ireland's Research and Innovation Act 2024 , replaces Science Foundation Ireland in an attempt to fast forward the provision for the funding of research and innovation, but this caters for all fields of activity and neither commits to double the level of funding to €2bn per year needed to reach EU level, nor does it commit to meet the specific requirements of the pharma industry.