Elaine Loughlin
@Elaine_Loughlin
Followers
7K
Following
13K
Media
937
Statuses
10K
I’m not saying hotel quarantining is a silver bullet, but I’m baffled as to why Gov is happy to put the entire population under house arrest, keep businesses shut and children out of school for months to come but refuses ensure those entering the country self-isolate for 2 weeks.
168
1K
11K
Just paid €32.50 for a box of 5 antigen tests in a well-know chain of pharmacies, that’s €6.50 a pop. I thought the market had sorted that all out for us Stephen Donnelly?.
161
174
3K
The perceived danger of an abusive man dressing up as a woman to get a gender recognition certificate in order to gain access to single-sex spaces is absurd. Garda figures show men don’t feel the need to go to those lengths to violently or sexually assault women. My column 👇.
Elaine Loughlin: Anti-transgender narrative seeping into the mainstream
678
379
2K
With respect to the Minister, I don’t want a panic button. I just want to be able to walk down the street without being in fear, the way men can. A panic button says fear is ok, it says violence against women is to be expected. We deserve more.
Minister @josephamadigan tells @PatKennyNT things like installing panic buttons & apps for womens safety need to be looked at, as violence against women must be addressed. She says this has to be a ‘watershed moment’ & she’s going to stay running in the gym, rather than outside.
15
257
2K
Some personal news: Our little rebel Micheál arrived 8weeks early in Cork this weekend. Táimid i ngrá. A massive thanks to the doctors, nurses, midwives & staff in #CUMH. These people will be working Christmas & New Year and every other day of the year, you are all superheroes ❤️.
93
22
897
Nphet first recommended mandatory quarantining in May, long before the threat of new variants. It may not stop some people from entering via Belfast 🙄, but if it cuts down on even some non-essential travel surely it’s worth introducing to compliment other measures.
15
54
802
Welcome to Ireland where women with terminal cancer are visited in hospital by officials in a bid to have them silenced. #CervicalCheck asked widower's wife in hospital not to make case public, court told
28
267
784
Imagine getting a builder in do an extension on your home and him telling you he won't give you the price until it's done, which you will have to pay no matter what. that's what the board of the National Children's Hospital are doing at the Health Committee right now.
13
101
622
On the day we surpassed 3,000 Covid deaths these people were arriving home from Lanzarote with a fresh tan #rtept @ConorMcMorrow
86
112
587
Sinn Fein leader @MaryLouMcDonald accuses Boris Johnson of “colluding” with the DUP in preventing a NI Executive. She describes the actions as a “hostile damaging attack”.
24
115
556
Social Democrats co-leader @RoisinShortall says we have been "hugely exposed" in relation to Covid-19 and travel. She calls for hotel quarantining and a two test system for all people arriving into the country.
9
76
528
100 years ago today our quiet street in the shadow of @CrokePark would have been filled with panic, terror and grief. Remembering especially John William Scott, 14, from neighbouring Fitzroy Ave who was among those killed on Bloody Sunday.
4
15
504
Strong intervention from the President:. Encouraging fear amongst the Jewish community in Ireland is "deeply irresponsible" and is simply a "PR exercise" by an administration that is guilty of breaching international law in Gaza, he told @irishexaminer .
18
156
455
From next week pregnant women (like us all) can go to Penneys by appointment, get a hair cut and their nails done. but they still must go without the support of birthing partners in hospital. This is such an important campaign 👇.
Great to see our open letter with @UpliftIRL in the @irishexaminer today calling for the urgent lifting of maternity restrictions! #bettermaternitycare
8
90
462
Social Democrats leader @HollyCairnsTD confirms that her party will be voting no confidence in the Govt. She says not only has the Govt lost all credibility in housing, they've also lost all trust among citizens.
22
36
434
Striking admission from Prof Mary Daly, #MotherAndBabyHomes commission member: “How could we have integrated the confidential inquiry into the report?.“It would have taken 100s of hours of cross checking, re-reading against the other evidence available from registers and so on.”.
27
95
391
For anyone who wants a break from Covid-19 doom. here’s a pic of my cabbage patch kid @TheFruitPeople
22
5
354
🚨 Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has directly intervened to order the HSE to hold 'on the ground' meetings with the Disabilities Minister @AnneRabbitte amid concerns around how services for children are being delivered.
19
47
354
Back to work tomorrow after eight months . so has much happened in politics while I’ve been away?.
26
6
363
Another one of those days when I’m proud to work for @irishexaminer. Powerful front page and three pages of coverage on Gaza inside.
28
70
316
The #MotherAndBabyHomes commission put out adverts encouraging people to give testimony to the confidential committee. More than 500 people shared their story. They have now been told that this evidence was dismissed by the commission. Astonishing.
Mother & Baby Homes inquiry discounted hundreds of survivors' testimonies
7
121
305
Does anyone with children actually ever find the bottom of the laundry basket? Mine seems to be at a constant two-thirds full.
54
3
313
Great look at 9.55am on Dublin’s main *pedestrian* shopping street. Tourists weaving through a traffic jam further up. Surely deliveries should be limited to early morning?
162
18
291
Took me over 5,000 words to try capture the last 100 days and then @HBtoons goes and nails it with a few brilliant cartoons! In today's @irishexaminer
15
54
302
Mick Wallace and Clare Daly were among just 13 MEPs to reject EU parliament resolution to condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine
103
143
270
🚨 The chair of the #MotherandBabyHomes Commission has refused to come before the Oireachtas Children’s Committee, stating she is unavailable. More to follow on @irishexaminer.
21
69
276
Opposition let themselves down this week with attacks on Leo Varadkar. It was one of those times politics should have been set aside but Labour, SF, the Soc Dems,and PBP could barely articulate a proper farewell to the departing Taoiseach. My column 👇.
381
22
274
No chants, no banging of drums, just silence as a large crowd gathers for the #VigilforAshling outside Leinster House.
1
39
269
So the Government has added Israel to the hotel quarantining list. yes that’s Israel the world vaccination leader. Meanwhile no sign of the US or any EU countries on this list:
21
29
252
2
7
250
This is such an honest interview from @MichealMartinTD about unimaginable loss. A dad and husband who just happens to be Taoiseach. Sensitively written @jenhoganjourno .Micheál Martin: ‘You will always say you have the kids you lost’ via @IrishTimesLife.
6
20
241
Absolutely delighted to pick this award up for the work myself and @EoinBearla have put in on #MotherAndBabyHomes, but our work isn’t finished on this yet. It follows on from almost a decade of campaigning journalism from @ococonuts at a time when very few were asking questions.
18
30
224
Women working for men. this seems like real progress alright 🙄.
Some very influential women did attend the Covid-19 meeting in Government Buildings yesterday, they include:. The Taoiseach’s chief of staff Deirdre Gillane. Green Party joint chief of staff Anna Conlan. Department of the Taoiseach assistant secretary Liz Canavan.
10
20
211
🚨Breaking 🚨Richard Bruton on that video: “I said to my trainer, ‘put on more weights’. He said, ‘there are no more’.”.
Things I did not expect to see today - Richard Bruton’s ripped abs.
3
12
214
2
56
197
Infamous welfare cheats campaign trumpeted savings that were not real. Great piece from @ciananbrennan
8
64
197
With the exception of Micheal Healy-Rae, every man, woman, and child on this island seems to think the State should purchase the iconic Conor Pass. What a priceless political legacy that would be. Earlier than usual, my column this week 👇.
Elaine Loughlin: Why aren’t the Greens demanding we buy Conor Pass?
17
22
199
I really just can’t get enough of this.
How to sign “What traditonally happens in a nightclub will continue to happen in a nightclub” 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🤣@rtenews @MichealMartinTD @HSELive
5
19
197
Sinn Féin president @MaryLouMcDonald says it is "very very shocking" that the DUP turned the issue of public health and Covid restrictions into a "an orange versus green, them versus us issue". @irishexaminer.
6
25
192
I thought I had heard a lot in my journalism career but some of the comments made by Prof Mary Daly at this event were astounding. She admitted the #MotherandBabyHome Commission discounted the evidence of hundreds of survivors because it was given to the confidential committee.
Members may be interested in this event, tomorrow at 4pm. To request a link to the Zoom meeting, please email maura.valenti@history.ox.ac.uk.
2
90
171
As a country girl I have to say, some amount of growth on that meadow! @tcddublin fantastic wildflower display this morning.
5
11
170
Tánaiste @LeoVaradkar says an investigation into the leaking of the mother and baby home report will be discussed at Cabinet tomorrow and the person who leaked the details should be "held to account". He says: "It's a problem in Gov, it's a problem in the public service.".
111
30
170
Fantastic journalism here from @ShaneHannon01 who remained calm and respectful but refused to back out of his line of (justified) questioning. 👏.
85
6
160
Irish traditional air ‘Sí Beag, Sí Mór’ is played at the beginning of the #VigilforAshling outside Leinster House which is being attended by @MichealMartinTD @MaryLouMcDonald and thousands of members of the public.
3
35
157
Mother & baby home survivors say Commission report doesn’t accurately reflect experiences. Possible solutions:. Listen back to audio of their interviews? Recordings have been destroyed. Read the verbatim accounts of their testimony? No such notes taken.
8
53
154
Catherine Corless tells the Children’s Committee that she “naively thought” her work was done in March 2017. “To my dismay, the Tuam Home tragedy fell silent, the site was restored to its original condition, the chambers were closed in, soil was put back, grass seed sown.”
1
50
153
There is absolutely no justification for what Verona Murphy said today when she claimed asylum seekers 'have to be deprogrammed', these are extremely dangerous remarks via @RTENewsNow
17
40
146
🚨 This is a massive development: .The High Court has declared that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission treated survivors unlawfully. Statement from @clann_project below
1
53
147
Sinn Fein President @MaryLouMcDonald says the no side have had more than 30 years to put forward proposals to deal with rape, fatal fetal abnormalities and incest but have failed to do so #abortionreferendum #iestaff
6
51
131
Comment pieces should be considered, well-researched and thought-provoking. This is none of the above, instead it will cause massive offence and hurt to Vicky Phelan, a tireless campaigner who has done more for the women of Ireland than any CMO ever could.
5
21
144
It has been said so many times, but @PhelanVicky you are an inspiration. Your strength, determination and positivity is overwhelming, we don’t deserve you. Safe journey and safe return #LateLateShow.
0
7
137
Politicans don’t often get thanks for the work they do, especially from hacks, but @alankellylabour really does deserve credit for doggedly standing up and fighting for the women of Ireland on #CervicalCheck #RIPRuthMorrissey.
1
31
132
Little hope for survivors after Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD did his best today to distance himself from the destruction of #MotherandBabyHome recordings: “The commission decided to do this and I don’t know why it did so. no member of Gov was involved in the commission’s work.”.
7
27
122
This is a truly astonishing story from @aoifegracemoore, how many times must the women and families impacted by the CervicalCheck scandal have their lives trampled over? 😡.
The head of CervicalCheck said some women claiming through the tribunal on the service’s failures know “in their heart and soul that they haven’t been wronged” but are using the process as they “might get some money”
4
16
128
I’ve been startled in recent days by some who claim to be experts on #motherandbabyhomes, who have gone out of their way to ignore the voices of survivors and are insisting on continuing with the Irish tradition of accepting what authorities say as being what is right for women.
0
26
131
One year ago today @LeoVaradkar delivered a State apology to the women impacted by #CervicalCheck, now @PhelanVicky says "we have been anything but heard" in the setting up of the tribunal which she says is "not fit for purpose". #iestaff.
0
30
125
10
1
123
#CervicalCheck clinical director Dr Nóirín Russell, goes on national radio to announce that almost 200 women will need to be retested as smears weren’t fully examined, but these women haven’t been informed of this yet. She then gives the wrong number for a helpline. 🤷♀️.
7
27
109
Hitting out at the Canada-EU trade deal, @MickBarryTD says if the Green Party vote in favour of Ceta it would be the equivalent of Solidarity-PPB voting in favour of the reintroduction of water charges.
1
21
106
"If you have a negative antigen test, then you are not deemed to be positive with Covid," Stephen Donnelly tells @rtenews when asked about people who have symptoms but a negative test. "People are finding it a little hard to make sense of," @DrGavinJennings responds.
21
14
108
“Like a gnat on a windshield,” was how the Taoiseach’s White House comments were described to me. Irish views on Gaza 'don't even register' in Washington.
7
37
100
Two years before Ashling was born a Govt task force on gender-based violence stated: “An adequate network of services must be in place to meet their [victims] needs; and those who perpetrate such violence can draw no comfort or tolerance from our society.” .And yet, here we are.
.@Elaine_Loughlin: Long history of empty promises in response to violence against women
1
33
101
The first of my two-part series on maternity, paternity, parents and parental leave is online @irishexaminer , but better to #buyapaper
The supports to which new mothers - and fathers - are entitled lag far behind the realities of life in 21st century Ireland, writes @Elaine_Loughlin
8
8
105
Ireland has become the first EU country to declare Israeli settlement in Palestinian territory as de facto annexation after a Sinn Féin motion passed the Dáil. A solidarity-PBP amendment to the motion, which sought to expel the Israeli ambassador from Ireland, did not pass.
3
21
97
New year… not so new attitudes from jealous men who can’t handle a seriously successful and intelligent woman who is brilliant at her job. On top of that our Aoife has great hair!.
1
1
98
The guidelines suggest that you could have an outdoor divorce party with 200 guests, just not a wedding. Deciphering the difference between "exercise" which is permitted and "training" which is not, really has me flummoxed. My take on #MerrionGate 👇.
Elaine Loughlin: How do we navigate farcical Covid guidelines?
1
12
96
Candidate Dolores Cahill has been denied access to the RDS as she is refusing to wear a mask. She is now in a standoff with gardaí. #DublinBaySouth
30
18
92
🚨 Children’s Minister @rodericogorman tells the Seanad: “Yesterday the commission informed me that they had become aware of backup tapes held, which may - I have to stress the word may - contain the audio files,” of #MotherandBabyHomes testimony. 🚨.
13
41
98
An Bord Pleanála will tomorrow begin an oral hearing into whether part of Bessborough land should be turned into housing. How in 2021 is a plan to build on a suspected mass infant burial site even being considered? 👇.
For decades, the infants who perished in mother and baby homes were treated as lesser, now officialdom threatens to dehumanise them yet again. @Elaine_Loughlin writes
2
29
89
Former president Mary Robinson: “I can’t help feeling there is not much dignity when 550 people who had the courage to come forward and tell their very personal, very painful stories, there is no transcript and then the audio version is destroyed; it’s really a terrible loss.”.
Robinson hits out at lack of dignity shown to survivors
2
18
85
I’ve seen this week’s @irishexaminer P1 shared by everyone from social media influencers to famous comedians, politicians, fellow journalists and girls I went to school with. Finally, we are publicly acknowledging our shameful past. It follows years of reporting by @ococonuts
2
11
87
🎉🎉🎉.Honoured to be part of the @irishexaminer team recognised for our coverage of #MotherandBabyHomes. That incredible front page wouldn’t have been possible without @DavidOMahony and others on the production desk. It also follows on from over a decade of work from @ococonuts.
The award for this hotly-contested category goes to the @irishexaminer team for their extraordinary reporting on the Mother and Baby Homes Commission Report. #JMA21
6
18
86
And understatement of the year goes to Niall Collins who has just told @TodaywithClaire: . “Has the Government got it right 100% of the time? No.”.
10
14
82
Sinn Féin’s @mattcarthy says there are “striking similarities” between the event attended by Leo Varadkar in the Merrion Hotel that was hosted by Katherine Zappone and the #golfgate event.
0
11
77
The @labour party are calling for a ban on free bets, they say these are being used to target young people and to get them into gambling.
6
15
79
This has been been lost on all the Covid noise today but it’s so important that the CervicalCheck tribunal is non-adversarial, keep fighting the good fight @PhelanVicky.
CervicalCheck Tribunal: Vicky Phelan says concerns raised have been rejected by Health Minister
1
18
85
Tonight, Saturday night in Dublin Airport looks like this:
15
12
78
Is this some sort of joke? Because it’s not funny. People in their 20s could be waiting until November for vaccines
38
22
78
It cannot have been an easy decision after all the hard work they have put in, but @221plus have walked away from talks on the CervicalCheck tribunal expressing “utter frustration at the pointless waste of time that has been the past three weeks”. More on @irishexaminer.
3
23
79
In June 2021, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman announced plans to appoint an international human rights expert to re-examine the testimony given to the Mother & Baby Homes Commission. The Dept has now decided against this. Myself and @ococonuts report in today’s paper.
Government abandons independent review of Mother and Baby Home testimony
2
30
76
Just when you think you have heard enough about Ireland’s shameful (but not so distant) past . you hear more. Powerful, compelling, heartbreaking #RTEInvestigates.
3
11
77
Solidarity-PBP TD @RBoydBarrett says the Land Development Agency (LDA) Bill is a “Trojan horse” which would allow public land to be taken out of public control. He says it’s “a scandal” and “another Nama waiting to happen”.
2
21
73
Happy St Patrick’s Day from this langer! @colettekeane1 @spiderwish @DavidOMahony @StepRogers @cathshan @EoinBearla @McConnellDaniel
13
0
76
@AindriuB If you categorise people living in rural Ireland who are at least a 30 minute drive away (if they have a car) from the nearest Lidl or Aldi as prisoners, then yes.
4
0
65
Top brass in the HSE, it appears, is very much against the idea of a minister coming down from her ivory tower in Miesian Plaza to speak with staff who might have an idea of what’s going on. What exactly do they think @AnneRabbitte might hear?
3
22
74
Fine Gael has always been a conservative house, but an increasing chunk of its youth organisation is spiralling towards more right-wing, anti-abortion and anti-immigrant standpoints. My take on @yfg 👇.
"Garret would be horrified with what YFG has become," said one more liberal member. An increasing chunk of Young Fine Gael is spiralling towards more right-wing, anti-abortion and anti-immigrant standpoints, writes @Elaine_Loughlin.
9
12
68
SF's @MaryLouMcDonald wants to see the AG's advice when leaders meet to discuss Judge Seamus Woulfe, she will go into the meeting with a "ready ear and an open mind", but says the Chief Justice has lost confidence in the Judge. "How did we land in a mess like this?" she asks.
5
10
66
🚨 Dara Calleary appointed Minister of State to replace Robert Troy. More to follow on @irishexaminer.
12
20
64
To target a family home is simply wrong. Whether you agree with his politics or not, @DonnellyStephen is a husband with young children. Concerning story by @PTHosford.
Security fence set up at health minister's home as Government denies confusion over lockdown
6
8
65
After all the work put in by @PhelanVicky @LorcallWalsh @Stephenteap and @221plus, the CervicalCheck women and their families have been given a tribunal that has cost €2.5m which they don’t have enough faith in to use.
Just three women have lodged claims to the CervicalCheck Tribunal despite more than €2.5m being spent to set up and run the body. @Elaine_Loughlin reports.
3
18
62
We have now moved from almost complete dismissal of antigen tests to a full reliance on them. New guidance on Covid testing, which requires a positive antigen before seeking a PCR for some groups. 👇
8
13
60
Here are the measures other countries are taking around the world:. How are other countries stopping the spread of Covid-19?
3
11
56
Fianna Fáil's Jim O'Callaghan describes the Zappone controversy as a "Fine Gael omni-shambles", he tells @TodaywithClaire that Leo Varadkar's party showed disrespect to the office of An Taoiseach and to the Green Party.
4
16
61
@ShaneBeattyNews Even refraining from posting pic/videos of themselves out meeting groups of friends/in restaurants/bars or organising birthday parties etc would be a massive help.
1
1
60