# Transparency
This year
2023
RTÉ Current Affairs staff feel women have less access to opportunities than men, report finds
Staff told a review that ‘role changes and key decisions are made behind the scenes with a lack of transparency’.
Last year
2022
Calls to end ‘blanket ban’ on publishing Attorney General’s advice
A constitutional expert has said there is no legal reason why the advice should not be published.
Charities Regulator identifies several financial oversight failings at Birdwatch Ireland
The regulator was informed of concerns at the charity in 2019.
Did the country's top civil servant accept an €81K pay rise? Varadkar says it's not for him to say
‘Transparency is always useful in these matters,’ a spokesperson for the Taoiseach has said.
Nursing group invited to meet with Minister following its removal from national drug committee
Drugs minister Frank Feighan has invited the IntNSA to meet with him
All time
Future special envoys should be appointed through open competition, says Taoiseach
The Department of Foreign Affairs is expected to publish documents today relating to Katherine Zappone’s role.
Freedom of Information Act to be reviewed by government
The Act will be reviewed for the first time since being updated in 2014.
Closed Doors: Lack of transparency and the push to overfish in Ireland’s fishing sector
Noteworthy examines the powers at play in the sector and how the Irish system may be disadvantaging small-scale fisheries.
Our investigative platform, Noteworthy, takes an in-depth look at the fishing sector in this three-part series.
Opinion: Ireland has dropped rank on the global corruption index - we can and should do better
DCU’s John Devitt and Robert Gillanders say the country must control corruption if it is to protect more than just its international reputation.
Dáil passes the Government's Mother and Baby Homes Bill
Opposition TDs had drafted amendments based on the requests of survivors and human rights experts.
Dr Maeve O'Rourke: Here's a full analysis of the problems with the Government's Mother and Baby Homes Bill
Lecturer Maeve O’Rourke analyses the government’s nine main arguments in relation to the Bill.
'Who took this decision?': Top civil servant queried decision not to publish pensions paid to former Taoisigh
DPER Secretary General Robert Watt told an official: “I don’t understand why we should not release the information.”
Questions remain over NI-ROI 'secret' emails and a non-existent PPE order for Northern Ireland
The DUP’s Paul Frew has asked that two email threads are released to see why a promise for PPE was made, but was never delivered.
The public will no longer get to know how much former Taoisigh and ex-ministers are paid
Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty has said that it’s important for transparency on the issue and added: “At the end of the day, it’s public money.”
Public health team's notes and letters on recommended restrictions will be published, says minister
Questions have been raised this week about how decisions are being made as Ireland responds to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Who's calling the shots? - The role of Ireland's public health emergency team and its key players
The team was convened at the end of January this year to coordinate the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
'Who is NPHET ultimately accountable to?': Taoiseach questioned on governance of decision-making
‘Elected office cannot be subservient even in this crisis,’ said Labour leader Alan Kelly.
Names of towns and regions where Covid-19 clusters are should be released, says Martin
Martin said it might change public behaviour if people know their areas have been affected.
The two 'most transparent' councils in Ireland are in Dublin
Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council have topped a new index of the country’s 31 local authorities.
New legislation will regulate political advertising on social media
The move comes amid an international debate about how social media platforms handle political ads.
Olympic boxing trials new judging system to 'regain trust'
Judges will press a button when they mark blows and their decisions will be immediately shown on a screen.
Civil servants were told to look at replacing the Medical Card with the Public Services Card
As recently as June this year, the government was exploring this as a possibility.
'What price democracy?': Why most county councils keep their meetings offline
Just four of 31 local authorities offer webcasting of their proceedings.
Oireachtas Committee writes to FAI to ask for reversal of media ban at crucial EGM
It was also revealed that the FAI rang the Committee Chair on Sunday, offering a private briefing.
Kilkenny County Council votes to keep public and media out of policy meetings
The decision to hold these meetings in private is at the discretion of each local authority.
New code of conduct for lobbyists comes into effect today
The goal is for lobbying to be carried out in an ethical and transparent manner.
Five officials sought 'cooling-off period' waivers before taking up lobbying jobs
The purpose of a ‘cooling-off’ period is to prevent the use of insider information.
New rules for banks will make it easier to save thousands on mortgage repayments
From next year banks will have to give notice of the end of fixed rate terms and let variable rate customers know if they can move to a cheaper rate.
This is why you're still seeing referendum ads online
Google said that it was blocking ads – but Google isn’t the only way for campaigns to place ads online.
Facebook banned 583 million fake accounts in the first three months of the year
Facebook said those closures came on top of blocking millions of attempts to create fake accounts every day.
How many foreign groups are buying Facebook ads as part of the abortion referendum debate?
We look at how Facebook adverts are targeting Irish people ahead of the referendum.
Ex-Sky coach urges Wiggins to explain use of medication
Shane Sutton described as “laughable” claims he had bullied Richard Freeman over the use of TUEs.
'Londoners can feel reassured': Police officers begin wearing body cameras
There have been calls to issue gardaí with the same technology here.
Column: 'Women in full time employment work for free for one month every year'
In Ireland, women currently earn around 13.9 per cent less than men, writes Ivana Bacik.
Opinion: 'Lack of transparency makes it difficult to know who controls the Irish media'
Ensuring we have a free and pluralistic media is key to a healthy democracy, writes Anne-Marie McNally.
Charities Regulator to animal charity - 'sort out your books or else'
Last night’s Claire Byrne Live investigation alleged charity Animal Heaven Animal Rescue had deficiencies in its bookkeeping, fundraising and financial transparency.
German workers will be able to see how much their co-workers' earn in bid to close gender pay gap
Women’s Affairs Minister Manuela Schwesig hailed the law on salary transparency as “a real breakthrough”.
Car insurance gone up? Insurers will soon have to tell you why
New laws will be in place by the end of the year to ensure that insurance companies tell customers why they are paying more.
Polling firm to pick 'diverse' group of 99 people to sit on Citizens' Assembly on Eighth Amendment
The Department of An Taoiseach issued a tender for a polling company yesterday.
