‘If Ed Walsh phones, Donald Trump answers': Will the US president's golf buddy be his Irish enforcer as ambassador?
The new US ambassador to Ireland, Edward Walsh, has arrived in his palatial residence in the Phoenix Park with a welcome from the powers-that-be. But it is a reception tinged with awkwardness, and in certain quarters, the policies of his government will be met with downright hostility.
Lurking in the background is an ill-disguised Irish loathing of much of what is going on in Donald Trump's White House – the war in Gaza, the bombing of Iran and the precarious nature of current trade talks which could be devastating for the Irish economy should they go wrong. What happens if the president of the United States throws an unpredictable hissy fit?
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Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Musk announces forming of ‘America Party' in further break from Trump
The dispute between US president Donald Trump and his main campaign financier Elon Musk took another fractious turn on Saturday when the space and automotive billionaire announced the formation of a new political party, saying Mr Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax bill would bankrupt the US. A day after asking his followers on his X platform whether a new US political party should be created, Mr Musk said in a post on Saturday that 'Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.' 'By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!' he wrote. The announcement from Mr Musk comes after Mr Trump signed his self-styled 'big, beautiful' tax-cut and spending bill into law on Friday , which Musk fiercely opposed. READ MORE [ Musk fumes as Trump tax bill cuts electric vehicle credits Opens in new window ] Mr Musk, who became the word's richest man thanks to his Tesla car company and his SpaceX satellite firm, spent hundreds of millions on Trump's re-election and led the Department of Government Efficiency from the start of the president's second term, aimed at slashing government spending. The first sign of investor dissatisfaction with Mr Musk's announcement followed later in the day. Investment firm Azoria Partners will postpone the listing of a Tesla exchange-traded fund, Azoria chief executive James Fishback said in a post on X. Mr Fishback is asking Tesla's board to clarify Mr Musk's political ambitions and said the new party undermines the confidence shareholders had that he would be focusing more on the company after leaving government service in May. Mr Musk said previously that he would start a new political party and spend money to unseat lawmakers who supported the bill. Mr Trump earlier this week threatened to cut off the billions of dollars in subsidies that Mr Musk's companies receive from the federal government. Republicans have expressed concern that Mr Musk's on-again, off-again feud with r MTrump could hurt their chances to protect their majority in the 2026 midterm congressional elections. Asked on X what was the one thing that made him go from loving Mr Trump to attacking him, Mr Musk said: 'Increasing the deficit from an already insane $2T [trillion] under Biden to $2.5T. This will bankrupt the country.' There was no immediate comment from Mr Trump or the White House on Musk's announcement. The feud with Mr Trump, often described as one between the world's richest man and the world's most powerful, has led to several precipitous falls in Tesla's share price. The stock soared after Mr Trump's November reelection and hit a high of more than $488 in December, before losing more than half of its value in April and closing last week out at $315.35. Despite Mr Musk's deep pockets, breaking the Republican-Democratic duopoly will be a tall order, given that it has dominated American political life for more than 160 years, while Mr Trump's approval ratings in polls in his second term have generally held firm above 40 per cent, despite often divisive policies. - Reuters
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
‘We will beat British Government for second time in court' – Kneecap at largest ever gig
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The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Stealth hike in Irish personal injury insurance payouts will hit us all in the pocket – Govt's timing couldn't be worse
INSURANCE premiums are another rising cost in Ireland's affordability crisis, with prices outpacing those in many other European countries. The average cost of 3 The rises can cause real world problems for many people Credit: Getty Images - Getty 3 Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan Credit: Alamy 3 Brian Hanley said prices outpace those in many other European countries Credit: social media collect - IVAN COOPER That's almost double the price of the average And there are fears they could shoot up even more, as the proposed personal injury award guidelines are to be increased by almost 17 per cent. These rises can cause real world problems for many people. It could mean driving less or taking Small READ MORE IN OPINION Justice Minister Brian Hanley of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, says the timing of an increase in personal injury awards couldn't be worse for policyholders. IF you are a motorist, small business owner, The Most read in The Irish Sun Now, in the middle of this affordability crisis, the Government is preparing to quietly make things even worse. A proposal is set to be brought to Cabinet to increase personal injury awards by nearly 17 per cent, reversing much of the progress made over the past three years to bring a degree of balance and consistency to injury compensation in Ireland. HIGHER THAN ENGLAND Nobody disputes that people who suffer injuries deserve fair compensation, but Irish awards are already among the highest in Europe. A 2019 analysis by the Personal Injuries Commission showed personal injury awards here were 440 per cent higher than those in That kind of disparity isn't fair — it's unsustainable. The move comes as the latest Central More claims and rising repair costs — driven by inflation — have already pushed up the cost of cover. The one factor helping to contain those costs was a reduction in injury awards. Now, that progress risks being undone. This is especially concerning for Tracy Sheridan, who runs Kidspace play centres in Rathfarnham and Rathcoole and is a board member of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, sees the effect first-hand. HARDER TO KEEP GOING She says: 'Every month we're hearing about premiums going up. The only bright spot had been that awards had come down. If Government raises them now, there'll be no brake on rising insurance costs. It's just not sustainable.' And it's not just businesses feeling the strain. Across the country, voluntary groups, sports clubs and community organisations — many operating on a shoestring — are finding it harder and harder to keep going. They're doing everything right: improving safety, reducing risk, keeping clean records. Yet when the insurance renewal comes around, the premium has risen again. Here's the kicker: for liability insurance, which covers injuries that happen in places like community centres or sports pitches, the cost of claims has actually gone down — by ten per cent in the same six-month period. In a properly functioning market, that should lead to lower premiums, but that hasn't happened. What's worrying is how little public discussion there's been about this planned increase. The Government has been virtually silent for six months, even though this change affects every single policyholder in the country. There's been no proper scrutiny from the In 2021, new Personal Injuries Guidelines were introduced to bring more consistency and fairness. They helped align Irish awards more closely with international norms. FOOT THE BILL Those reforms were a step in the right direction — but they are now at risk of being reversed before they've had a chance to deliver lasting impact. The Central Bank's report makes another key point: legal costs blow up when claims are settled through litigation instead of the Injuries Resolution Board. For liability claims under €100,000 — which account for 94 per cent of all personal injury cases — legal fees go from just €597 at the Injuries Board to over €24,000 for claims settled in litigation. The average award for claimants is actually the same, so you're left asking who really benefits from almost 70 per cent of cases going into litigation? Not claimants and certainly not policyholders. It's the public — motorists, business owners, The Government must now pause this proposal and refer it to the relevant Oireachtas committee. We need transparency, data, and evidence — not quiet decisions made behind closed doors. Let's debate the facts, consult the experts and hear from the people who are paying the premiums. Because if insurance keeps going the way it is going, the damage won't just be financial — it will be social and structural. Ireland needs a personal injury system that is fair for claimants, and affordable for everyone else.
