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ACROSS THE BOARD: Are rural grants being distributed equally under the LEADER scheme?
Ireland
Since 2014, €220 million worth of rural projects have been funded through the LEADER programme which are administered by Local Action Groups (LAGs).
5 Backers raised €143 of €3120
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Open
SYSTEM OVERLOAD: The public health system was creaking before the pandemic - has Covid-19 broken it?
Ireland
At the start of 2021, Ireland had a backlog of thousands of positive Covid-19 tests awaiting validation.
27 Backers raised €1023 of €1840
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Open
FOUL PLAY: Why does dog faeces continue to litter our streets and parks?
Ireland
The problem of dog fouling in Dublin grew so bad that local authorities launched a hotline in 2013 to report cases in a bid to get people to clean up after their animals.
1 Backer raised €10 of €1510
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Open
IN A FIX - Why are people still being exposed to mould, sewage and pests in local authority housing?
Ireland
Social housing in Ireland was found in violation of human rights in 2017 by the European Committee of Social Rights due to the presence of sewage, contaminated water, dampness and persistent mould.
1 Backer raised €50 of €2390
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Open
IN LIMBO: Why are people left in hospitals and nursing homes instead of rehab?
Ireland
Though the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) recently moved into a new building, spinal cord and brain injury survivors remain on long waiting lists for specialist rehabilitation.
4 Backers raised €60 of €1730
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Open
LAST PLACE: Why doesn't every child in Ireland have a place in secondary school?
Ireland
Lack of secondary school places has led to groups around the country campaigning for new schools over the past number of years.
1 Backer raised €20 of €1440
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Open
REVOLVING DOOR: What influence do former politicians have in Leinster House?
National
The announcement in 2020 that former Taoiseach Enda Kenny would front an RTÉ series about old railway routes gained a light-hearted reaction, with many jokes, caricatures and memes.
30 Backers raised €720 of €2960
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Open
HOLY LAND: How much money are religious orders pocketing from lucrative property sales?
Ireland
Properties valued at almost €250 million in 2009 - and offered by religious congregations for redress in institutional child abuse cases - have yet to be handed over to fulfil that promise.
12 Backers raised €390 of €1640
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Open
SILENT TREATMENT: Are people with eating disorders being failed by the public health system?
Ireland
The HSE is currently implementing a national clinical programme for eating disorders but there have been significant issues with its roll-out, with just over 3% of money allocated to improve supports and treatment actually spent on this since 2018.
21 Backers raised €770 of €1840
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Open
BIRTH PLACE: Why does the Irish health service offer so little choice for expectant mothers?
Ireland
In 2015, the National Maternity Strategy said “there is a lack of choice for expectant mothers” by international standards. It proposed a model of care that “represents a fundamental overhaul of services” which are currently “largely consultant-led and hospital-based”.
20 Backers raised €685 of €2030
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Open
FOUR IN THE BED: How much are the Big Four consultancy firms profiting from public money?
Ireland
Concerns have been raised on numerous occasions about the vast amount of public money spent on consultancy firms in Ireland, with over €13 million allocated to ‘consultancy services, value for money and policy reviews’ across departments in Budget 2020.
14 Backers raised €270 of €2605
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Open
FUELLING RETIREMENT: Are Irish pensions contributing to the climate crisis?
Ireland
In 2019, Ireland became one of the first countries in the world to remove companies which obtain more than a fifth of their revenues from fossil fuels from the State’s investment fund.
14 Backers raised €487 of €1240
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Open
OUT TO TENDER: How are State contracts for major infrastructural projects awarded?
Ireland
Public infrastructure is crucial for our quality of life, but are we getting the basics right? Is Ireland’s tendering process fit for purpose?
4 Backers raised €80 of €2240
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Open
LAST RESORT: Why can't Irish hospitals get the most dangerous superbug under control?
Ireland
A public health emergency was declared by the Health Minister Simon Harris over years ago to control the spread of a superbug, CPE, resistant to the most powerful last-resort antibiotics. In spite of this, the number of patients with the bug has continuously increased.
0 Backers raised €0 of €1050
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Open
PRIVATE SUBSIDIES: Why is the taxpayer helping to fund the private school system?
Ireland
The list of advantages from private schooling is extensive: smaller class sizes, better facilities, and access to a social network that can bring lifelong benefits.
17 Backers raised €255 of €1800
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Open
POSTCODE LOTTERY: Does where you live in Ireland determine what kind of healthcare you receive?
Ireland
Access to healthcare in Ireland can vary depending on where in the country you live. Local HSE and hospital budgets often determine whether people have access to medical treatment, equipment and other specialist services.
1 Backer raised €100 of €1900
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Open
FUNDING FERTILITY: Has the delay in publicly funding IVF destroyed people’s chance to have children?
Ireland
Around one in six couples in Ireland experience difficulty when trying to have children and will face thousands of euro in costs if they seek fertility treatment.
20 Backers raised €522 of €950
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Completed
ACADEMIC UNCERTAINTY: How are universities and institutes of technology allowed to employ so many researchers and lecturers on precarious contracts?
Ireland
In Ireland, we hold academics in high esteem but are they being treated properly by their employers and the Government?
44 Backers raised €1300 of €1300
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Completed
WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE: How much did a controversial road scheme in Kilkenny City actually cost and has it delivered what it was supposed to?
Kilkenny
It was one of the most controversial road developments of recent years in Ireland, a plan to build a new bridge across the River Nore in Kilkenny.
46 Backers raised €1371 of €1350
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Open
THE CONSTRUCTION NETWORK: Connecting the dots between the government and lobbyists for developers and the construction industry
Ireland
There are nearly 1,900 lobbyists registered in Ireland, all seeking to influence government policy in one way or another.
65 Backers raised €1270 of €3200
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Open
THIS HOSTEL LIFE: How much are local authorities around the country paying for hostels, B&Bs, and hotels for the homeless?
Ireland
In March 2020, Dublin recorded the lowest number of families in emergency accommodation in three years. Yet, the numbers are still staggering with over 1,100 parents and children in B&Bs, hubs, and hotels.
12 Backers raised €200 of €1000
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Completed
LYING IDLE: How many state properties are lying vacant around the country.
Ireland
The Office of Public Works manages over 2,500 properties around Ireland on behalf of the state.
9 Backers raised €360 of €350
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Completed
CUT DOWN TO SIZE: Why are Ireland's local authorities so keen to chop down trees?
Ireland
Across Ireland, locals have been dismayed to see trees and bushes chopped down by public bodies.
47 Backers raised €1100 of €1100
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Completed
POLITICAL PENSIONS: How much is paid out each year in political and ministerial pensions?
National
Until last year, the Department of Finance published details of how much it paid in pensions to former ministers, taoisigh, presidents, judges, and other ex-officeholders.
2 Backers raised €110 of €100
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Completed
COMPO CLAIMS: Does Ireland really have a ‘compensation culture’?
National
The government minister responsible for the insurance industry has said there are 'clusters' for compensation claims in Ireland.
8 Backers raised €1260 of €1250
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