Noteworthy

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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.

0 Backers raised €0 of €1800

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

Open

FUNDING FERTILITY: Why are people still paying for fertility treatment despite the promise of state support?

Ireland

Around one in four couples in Ireland experience difficulty when trying to have children and will face thousands of euro in costs if they seek fertility treatment.

3 Backers raised €155 of €950

Open

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?

14 Backers raised €525 of €1300

Open

A BITTER PILL: Why are medicines so expensive in Ireland and how much are we paying for them compared to our EU neighbours?

Ireland

The Government spends almost €3 billion on medicines every year which makes up 13% of the entire health budget.

2 Backers raised €40 of €1350

Funded

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

Open

TAKING A SLICE: How fair is the government’s system for allocating grants and are ministers still favouring their own constituencies?

National

It is one of the oldest political tricks in the book … a TD appointed as a minister and immediately using grants to take care of their own constituency.

4 Backers raised €43 of €1800

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.

8 Backers raised €115 of €3200

Open

THIS HOSTEL LIFE: How much are local authorities around the country paying for hostels, B&Bs, and hotels for the homeless?

Ireland

In Dublin, more than €60 million was spent last year providing emergency accommodation for homeless people at hotels, B&Bs,and guesthouses.

1 Backer raised €20 of €1000

Open

LYING IDLE - PART TWO: A deeper dive into how many state properties around the country are lying vacant.

National

In Part One of this series, we looked at the near one hundred properties owned by the Office of Public Works that are currently lying idle around the country.

0 Backers raised €0 of €1200

Open

NO EXPENSES SPARED: Digging into the many ways that TDs and Senators can claim expenses from the taxpayer.

Ireland

“Policy formulation” expenses that are made up of sizable bills from some of the best restaurants in Ireland, a special secretarial allowance that allowed a government minister quietly hire the most famous PR consultant in Ireland, overnight expenses for politicians who live in the commuter suburbs of Kildare, Wicklow, and Meath.

9 Backers raised €145 of €1500

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

Open

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.

34 Backers raised €815 of €1100

Open

OFF OUR TROLLEYS: Why does Ireland seem to get such poor value for the money it spends on healthcare?

National

Ireland’s hospitals and health system are plagued by long waiting lists and poor patient outcomes, even though we are told we spend more for healthcare per person than the vast majority of countries.

9 Backers raised €151 of €1750

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

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