Colm Lauder

Founding Partner at Lauder Teacher

[Dan O'Brien @danobrien20]

No irish media would give a fringe far right politician centre stage in any debate. Quite rightly. The far left fringe is routinely given that position, including in matters of national security where it does the bidding of anti democratic regimes. These are serious times. Time to cop on. Treat the extremes equally. They are minority voices.

[Daragh Cassidy @DaraghCassidy]

Another stunning public realm “improvement” project brought to you by DCC.

[Karl Brophy @KarlBrophy]

Saw this and immediately thought that 20k a month was a little on the chunky side for @kevinbakhurst given he has no real cause for long haul travel to States etc.

Turns out it’s 20k over two years - barely a dinner per month, never mind flights and hotels.

[Karl Brophy @KarlBrophy]

The biggest and most persistent lie in travel is that @British_Airways flies in and out of Terminal 2 at @DublinAirport

[Business Post @businessposthq]

Colm Lauder: If England wants institutional capital, it should study Ireland, Scotland and Spain https://t.co/JZW5CsCOZH

[Rachel Moiselle @RachelMoiselle]

This video is less than two minutes long and I implore everyone to watch it. It is indeed rather extraordinary.

As Holocaust Awareness Ireland says, Patrick Kielty exhibits utter callousness with respect to the attacks on the Jewish community, astonishingly saying ‘the backdrop of that is obviously the horrors in Gaza, this is a complex thing.’

Boy George remains calm and says ‘if you don’t know any Jewish people maybe that’s the problem.’ He then asks the audience ‘do you know any Jewish people?’

Boy George is visibly taken aback by the ensuing silence, and vocalises his shock twice, remarking that it is ‘weird’ and ‘surprising me a little bit.’ Patrick looks uncomfortable and ends puts an end to the topic with a dismissive ‘mmm’.

Extraordinary viewing. Just extraordinary.

[James O'Connor TD @JamesOConnorTD]

I am proud to announce my first bill with the ambition to legalise nuclear energy in Ireland. 101 years ago, Ireland broke ground on the Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme. In our past we had an ambition to do what was necessary. Now we must do so again.

https://t.co/jgQouzFEvw

[Dan O'Brien @danobrien20]

Cut income tax - today's @thecurrency column.

Punitive personal taxes were introduced in Ireland 18 years ago to address a fiscal crisis that is long over.

Last year the government took in almost €45 billion in personal income taxes, up from €15 billion in 2010.

How has it used that three-fold increase (yes, that's a trebling) of income tax, USC and PRSI revenues?

Annual social expenditure rose by €25 billion 2015-2025, when the economy was growing strongly.

Having kept the lid on public sector pay from 2008-2016, when it stood at around €20 billion, it has since soared by €16 billion to €36 billion last year.

What scrutiny there is of government spending is too focused on one-offs (hospitals and bike sheds). There is little examination of annual recurring spending, of almost €50 billion on social spending and the €36 billion spent on the public service pay bill. Both rise by additional billions every year, as does almost every other spending line.

Ireland badly needs a Taxpayers' Alliance, because politicians are certainly not standing up for taxpayers. Across the political spectrum, parties all want ever more spending. None is calling for fundamental reform of one of the most punitive personal tax regimes in the world (ranked second worst in the OECD by the Tax Foundation).

[Business Post @businessposthq]

Colm Lauder: One-off homes can hurt rural Ireland more than they help https://t.co/StmYaEnHCZ

[Rachel Moiselle @RachelMoiselle]

I am on a Twitter break but am compelled to return to post about a significant incident of antisemitic censorship in Ireland.

Please see former Justice Minister Alan Shatter’s statement below. The National Concert Hall, which is state funded, has cancelled a play that focuses on the expenses of survivors and responders of the October 7th massacre. Further, this was a fundraising event for Magen David Adom, which is not an Israeli government agency, but rather an independent medical emergency service whose sole mandate is to save lives.

It is hard to argue against the fact that this is antisemitic discrimination. October 7th was the most deadly single-day massacre of Jews since the Shoah and it has been acknowledged as an antisemitic massacre by world leaders, with Macron stated it was the ‘biggest antisemitic massacre of our century’. Indeed, the recorded cheers of delight of a Hamas terrorist who phoned his parents on a murdered woman’s phone to boast ‘look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews!’ can leave no doubt as to the antisemitic motivation of this massacre.

There is no other reasonable explanation for Ireland’s National Concert Hall censoring a play about an antisemitic massacre other than antisemitic censorship. It is of significance to note that this is not the first time that an Irish theatre has refused to show this play about October 7th, The Abbey Theatre - which is also in receipt of state funding- refused also.

This is just the latest addition to the brazen censorship of Jewish perspectives in cultural and educational spaces. Indeed, even non-Jewish Irish people who are sympathetic to Jews and Israelis are censored similarly, for example the Irish UNIFIL soldier who was, in effect, not allowed to speak at DCU due to the university being so obstructionist and citing security concerns.

Many people on Irish Twitter take issue with me stating that I feel profoundly ashamed of Ireland when instances such as this occur, but how else am I supposed to feel? How else am I supposed to feel when Ireland’s theatres censor the truth about an antisemitic massacre? One that brutally claimed the life of an Irish woman, Kim Damti? What else am I supposed to feel other than shame? Please do enlighten me.

[Alan Shatter @Alan__Shatter]

Statement by Alan Shatter, Chair of Magen David Adom Ireland*

“ The cancellation by the National Concert Hall of MDA Ireland’s scheduled private fund raising event can be properly described as an act of antisemitic censorship “ says Shatter

“ The National Concert Hall  disgracefully & indefensibly cancelling  a Magen David Adom Ireland private fund raising event scheduled for May 11 at which the experiences of survivors of the Hamas massacre and of responders on October 7, over two years ago were to be narrated in their own words in a staged reading is truly disgraceful and shocking.  

Engagement on the event commenced in November last, the date for the event was finalised in early February and since then the NCH have cancelled it, reinstated it and cancelled it again, each cancellation having a spurious basis. 

In the end it seems that the NCH regards  it as wrong that the stories of the survivors and responders of October 7, 2023 be told in their own words . The events cancellation by the NCH can be properly described as an act of antisemitic censorship. What behind the scene lobbying or pressure, if any, impacted the decision is unknown. 

There is an escalating global perception of Ireland as one of the most antisemitic countries in Europe. After years of denial the Taoiseach in January acknowledged the existence of a problem that uniquely impacts our Jewish community. Unfortunately , the decision of the NCH will add to that perception.

I am deeply saddened that we have arrived at the position in Ireland where it is acceptable that our publicly funded National Concert Hall and its board stop the factual, undecorated narration on one of its stages of the worst Jewish tragedy since the Holocaust that also  impacted others, a tragedy involving murders, rapes and abductions and heroism of responders and rescuers.

A private fund raising event for 
an independent humanitarian organisation dedicated to life saving & emergency medical response connected to the Jewish community should not be a cause of difficulty or controversy. I am calling on the Board of the NCH to reinstate our event and for the resignation of those who saw fit to cancel it. The lack of insight and understanding is truly shocking.”

Alan Shatter
Chair MDA Ireland
12 April 2026

* Magen David Adom Ireland is an Irish registered charity that raises funds for Magen David Adom in Israel which is Israel’s national independent emergency medical response and ambulance service. It serves and has employees,  paramedics and ambulance drivers from every community across Israel. It is also a member of the international Red Cross/Red Crescent movement

[The Irish Times @IrishTimes]

David McWilliams: Is Ireland the worst run country in Europe? How can we waste so much public money so quickly in so many ways? Has there ever been a country that has achieved so little from so much spending?

https://t.co/GFJFbbDx2s

[Brigid Laffan @BrigidLaffan]

There is no such thing as unlawful checkpoints by the Gardai.

[Dan O'Brien @danobrien20]

Ireland's personal taxation regime is the second worst among 38 peer countries according to the Tax Foundation. High marginal taxes (paid at very modest thresholds) have been in place since 2008. There has been almost no improvement over two decades despite having the resources to do so - a relentless rise in government expenditure has been prioritised year after year.

A simple example illustrates how bad it is. The average electrician or plumber working for construction company will be on the top marginal rate, whereby the state takes more of every additional euro than the person gets to keep. If he/she wants to earn self employed income, the government will take more than the worker, and a tax return will have to be filed, involving time and/or accountancy fees.

Is it any wonder finding tradespeople is hard?

[Noel Rock @NoelRock]

What a wind up. Man prosecuted for doing job.

https://t.co/3oheoIfZEl

[Business Post @businessposthq]

Colm Lauder at Mipim: Something has shifted among property investors https://t.co/1l3RPJfKHR

[Business Post @businessposthq]

Colm Lauder: Irish primary health an increasingly compelling investment https://t.co/Lu3ry8qako

[melreynolds @MaoiliosaRey]

Good read “If 36,000 new houses were built last year, why were only 58 sold to buyers in Dublin?”
https://t.co/VyyloeFrhD

[karldeeter ⭐ @karldeeter]

To all the people (media in particular) who rushed to say the US is awful, this guy did no wrong. Will you do a retraction? (of course not). 'not even a parking ticket?'... Not even a penny for his own kids. You dickheads. Kudos @garmacnamee for being an actual journalist.

[Business Post @businessposthq]

The Dublin office market is once again being framed as a story of tightening supply and renewed confidence
https://t.co/i91jiqEAfX