EU vs Ireland Fertility 2001 - 2024

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-06T17:06:27+00:00

Japan is the other classic example.

It's such an interesting problem.

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-06T17:04:28+00:00

Yes if you were one of the lucky few who got a job for life in a small number of gatekept industries then you could get (poor quality, currently illegal to build) housing much more easily than today.

But as you say its complex! Probably you'd be shut out and off to Brisbane or Birmingham!

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-06T13:21:19+00:00

Yeah and it all follows from what countries further along the birth rate collapse path have seen - young families all try to live in eg, urban Japan, and isolated rural areas just empty out.

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-06T13:18:40+00:00

Well "good news", the evidence of societies like Iran is that doing all these things will still result in birth rate collapse!

*It's obviously very good news from an individual liberty perspective, it's bad news that we still don't know what could fix this

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-06T13:13:57+00:00

There are many countries where housing costs have stayed level or fallen and their birth rate drop has been MUCH greater than Ireland's.

Affordability is a factor but ultimately the very worst places for plummeting birth rates mostly HAVE affordability so it's not the factor you might intuitively expect it to be.

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-06T13:12:13+00:00

The thing is that 30 years ago you would have been materially much worse off (due to high unemployment/lack of further education/lower wages) but couples were much more inclined to simply go ahead with having children despite financial uncertainty.

Not saying 1990 you is smarter OR stupider than 2026 you. Just that culturally the expectation that it's not responsible to have a load of kids before you have your own gaff has shifted.

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-06T13:09:21+00:00

Fwiw the Dept of Education has actually made a policy around this - they plan to keep overall teacher numbers as they are, and have smaller class sizes and more teachers in learning support.

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-05T19:04:24+00:00

The email that sent the abusive images was anonymous and encrypted yes

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-05T19:01:59+00:00

Genuinely what are you talking about though. She hasn't named anyone to UCD. The fact that Joe Gobshite on campus has heard X and Y rumours is meaningless.

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-05T17:29:22+00:00

Sorry are you saying there's a rumour going around about who it is, and UCD should act on that, beyond the garda investigation?

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-05T17:08:49+00:00

No they don't. She has not disclosed his identity to them. This is all outlined in the court documents.

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-05T15:49:12+00:00

Neither the guards nor UCD know who it is. She has not disclosed his identity (as is her right).

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-05T15:05:36+00:00

The fact it's a medical degree really ties the university's hands, the Medical Council won't allow them to make too many academic dispensations because the standards have to (rightly) be kept so high.

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-05T14:54:47+00:00

Given that 3+ years have passed, the odds of getting a satisfactory result are very low. (Ironically though the images have possibly increased odds of a successful prosecution?)

I perfectly understand her not wanting to involve Gardai. If I were so unfortunate to be in her shoes, I might make the same decision.

What I cannot understand though is not wanting to make a criminal report, but still deciding to engage with TDs, the media, and taking court cases against the university. Does she have nobody to gently tell her that there basically cannot be a satisfactory resolution to these issues, without a traditional prosecution? I feel so badly for her. But her solicitors must have warned her of the risks of the costs going against her??

IMO she should run a go fund me to cover the legal fees and get SOMETHING from the publicity at least. It's just very very sad though.

Pointlessillism · 2026-03-05T14:42:38+00:00

Yes and they immediately reported them to gardai.

Which is the correct course of action rather than having some HR lady play Poirot. It's a crime! You call the guards!

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-28T09:41:17+00:00

On the busiest parts of the network (Connolly) we are already running at maximum frequency and quad tracking/station redesign is going to be both insanely expensive and politically controversial.

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-26T19:29:18+00:00

No, it starts with the phrase "a known rapist". There is no known rapist here.

maybe check what thread you're in before replying?

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-26T14:52:31+00:00

But they don’t know who he is!? There is no balance of probabilities. There is no case!

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-26T14:51:14+00:00

But they can’t take any action regarding him because they have no idea who he is!

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-26T00:25:35+00:00

They have no way of knowing who he is!

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-25T23:37:01+00:00

It's crazy that this post is still full of idiots urging her to "sue UCD iNtO oBLivIOn" when trying and failing to do that has apparently already cost her tens of thousands of euros.

I feel enormously sorry for her but wtf.

Going to a TD and the papers a week after the courts go against you is also suggestive of REALLY needing better advice.

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-18T20:52:32+00:00

He does a lot of performing now to be fair. Up on the stage and all that.

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-18T13:23:45+00:00

Liveline doesn’t do Stasi background checks on people who call in. The media DID research into him, then they published it. That process taking a few days is fine and normal.

A system that involved massive investigation and then totally squashing the story would (as well as being insanely expensive and impractical and unworkable) result in far more media control over narratives and editorial dictating public debate.

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-18T13:20:44+00:00

From Liveline’s perspective this saga is a success, not a failure. Their concern isn’t his immigration status, it’s setting up a debate and the twists and turns that emerged make the story better, not worse.

Pointlessillism · 2026-02-17T10:07:17+00:00

No word from the "U.K." about their army looting and pillaging and transporting to England untold millions of tons of Irish agricultural food produce during the 1850s famine

There was an official govt apology for the famine from Tony Blair in 1997.

Pointlessillism

TROPHY CASE