Noteworthy

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FUELLING RETIREMENT: Are Irish pensions contributing to the climate crisis?

Ireland

Ireland last year 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.

1 Backer raised €5 of €1240

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?

1 Backer raised €20 of €2240

Open

HIRE POWER: Has the required recruitment process been ignored within a high-profile State agency?

Ireland

State agencies employ over 12,000 people in Ireland. These employees are not part of the civil service but there is a well-defined recruitment process which candidates must satisfy to secure a job with a State body.

0 Backers raised €0 of €1350

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

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.

1 Backer raised €10 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: Has the delay in publicly funding IVF destroyed people’s chance to have children?

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.

5 Backers raised €200 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?

24 Backers raised €810 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

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

Open

TAKING A SLICE: Are ministers favouring their own constituencies when awarding grants?

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.

9 Backers raised €135 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 in 2018 providing emergency accommodation for homeless people at hotels, B&Bs,and guesthouses.

2 Backers raised €40 of €1000

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.

10 Backers raised €155 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

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

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.

11 Backers raised €191 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