Matt Shanahan - Social Advocate

31/10/2026

Halloween night, I’ve been in 4 separate parts of where air quality on par with Beijing coal burning smog.

I suggest parents out with kids on trick or treat take photos of the street lamps in their areas if they wish to complain of heavy smoke accumulation and send the photos to Waterford Council next Monday.

In this becalmed weather heavy coal smoke can clearly be seen exiting chimneys and subsequently gathering and polluting air quality in the whole neighbourhood. Two of the estates tonight would not be seen as disadvantaged, and yet clearly ‘smoky coal’ is being burned. If you don’t think it’s a problem visit your GP next week and ask them have they seen a spike in chest and asthma presentations since the weekend. If it’s your own child have a think about what’s more important to you, your children and your elderly relatives health or your neighbours house temperature?

This is not a victimless activity and if left unchecked can have a very significant health impact to both young and old when weather is calm as it has been. It is time we recognise the damage being caused pressure authorities to implement the law to deal with it.

27/10/2026

The student beds scenario can be summed up as follows - the market can't deliver new purpose built accommodation at the ask 3rd level students can afford to pay and Government cannot support the difference to instigate new supply.

A 'chicken and egg' scenario that means 3rd level education for many students is not economically viable at their intended college or Uni, or maybe not at any college or Uni.

There is lots of vacant property in University and College towns in Ireland that needs renovation but can't support the redevelopment costs to begin student letting given the regulated building standard we now require.

This raises a question to my mind - Is there some compromise possible between what vacant property can be converted to and what the student market can afford in Ireland? In European cities there are many examples of student accommodation that Irelands regulators would consider 'non compliant'. Yet they provide very adequate accommodation, affordably, safely, every year for thousands of students on the continent.

In Ireland we promote the idea of built accommodation that regulators will approve but most student families can't afford. At the same time we continue to reduce benefits and increase costs to private landlords to supply to purpose, leaving many legally adrift and out of pocket when renters decide to avoid payment or cause damage or leave unexpectedly.

Where is the joined up thinking as to what our 3rd level educational sector should be? We profess wishing to offer comprehensive education across the country, yet starve new Technological Universities ability to expand course curricula, thus driving higher level students to metropolitan areas where only the most affluent families can afford to pay for 'appropriate' accommodation.

As the same time as vilifying the private landlord for the quality of accommodation, the state is unable to encourage vulture fund and large scale investors to invest, without the offer of significant long term tax breaks and capital deferrals - all the while understanding their final product is only possible for 10-20% of student families.

We are in essence beggaring Irish families to pay exorbitantly for internationally owned education accommodation that the state is solely and exclusively complicit, in soliciting!

Never a shortage in Ireland of perverse logic or non genuine understanding when it comes to identifying a structural economic problem - No sense either of political will to develop fiscal stimulus that could deliver a home grown solution.

In my opinion this is largely because some in the political system in Ireland along with many left leaning voices in media and civil service have led the narrative, that the only thing voters in Ireland should abhor more than an international landlord, is a domestic one!

And when you understand that Irish truism you will understand our continuing the wealth shifting from those who have precious little to those internationally whose cups overflow.

With Euro bond yields and interest rates rising, it is hard to see how we can undo this problem without major major political and fiscal interventions as well as some liberalising of regulatory constraints. We also need common sense in discussion of what could and can be provided to account for adequate student accommodation.

Student accommodation remains a major challenge for universities, despite a new Government strategy aimed at increasing supply.

22/10/2026

You’d have to wonder where future Ireland is being taken - no doubt who is paying for it though!

According to reports funding of the government appointed agency peddling this sludge went from 58.6 million in 2024 to 84.4 million in 2027 allocation.

Who wouldn’t want to kiss their granny if they were coming with their pockets overflowing with largesse like this?

They should have called the campaign ‘póg mo thóin’ in honour of all the taxpayers puckering up to advance this message of the dangers of family elders alighting the doorstep!

The Dublin R**e Crisis Centre has taken down three online video advertisements related to its 'We Consent' campaign, following criticism of one advert in particular.

19/10/2026

One of the darkest days ever in Waterford's history, despite the unbelievable outpouring of community support, since this terrible tragedy unfolded. The idea that four family members should lose their lives and two others suffer horrific injury because of some supposed financial debt of another family member is unspeakable and impossible to process.

What took place in Birchwood last week was not the sending of a criminal message just to a family, it was the sending of an evil message to Irish society also. It attempted to say we who operate in the drug trade rule this place, and you will do our bidding. It is ironic to think with the influx of Gardai doing trojan investigative work to bring those accountable to justice since the murders unfolded, that our statute books were useless to the English family for the past two years and remain absolutely useless to any other family suffering an ongoing campaign of intimidation to extort money for any proxies debt.

How can the justice system believe that people will highlight such intimidation when they know all too well that the powers of Gardai are beyond limited to address the issue and that their family members remain 'gettable' in every sense of the word into the future should they speak to authorities. The fact of the matter is that the English family have been badly let down by the state and by the state's justice system, which offered them no respite in life to an ongoing campaign of intimidation, whatever it may deliver now as a result of their violent passing.

The first thing that lawmakers in this state must recognize is there is no such concept as ‘drug debt’ - there is only criminal intent to intimidate, to extort, and to victimize. The idea that one person's supposed debt can be attached to another, a family member or acquaintance simply because they may have ability to pay, has no basis in logic, let alone legally. Yet Ireland has allowed this status quo not just to persist but to explode, and it is rife across the country, affecting many households and many hard-pressed families.

When Veronica Guerin was murdered in 1996 the cabinet held an emergency meeting the following day to consider new draconian powers to tackle organised crime. Legislation followed within weeks regarding the Criminal Assets Freezing Bill and subsequently the Proceeds of Crime Act, along with the setting up of the Criminal Assets Bureau.

One could be forgiven for thinking given the recent calamity of Waterford, that the senior leadership of government, the Taoiseach perhaps, or the Tánaiste or the Justice Minister, or even a group of ministers, would have visited Waterford, would have assembled in Birchwood and declared loudly to all assembled in one voice - This Stops Here - This Stops Now!

There is no evidence of that type of resolve building in Leinster House but that must now be the call that now goes out from Waterford and from around the country. Be in no doubt, we have ‘barbarians at the gates’ in terms of civil society and the future protection of our children and our citizens. The Irish state and the government must implement the mandate it was given - that is to lead the country without fear or favour.

And ‘leading’ in this case means taking on all aspects of the drugs supply trade and all of its enforcers, and demonstrating state resolve through the use of emergency powers, new legislation and the use of the Central Criminal Courts.

Everyone is well aware the presidency of the EU Commission and public sector pay bargaining are important activities taking national bylines at present, but we should not need another national tragedy to summon the resolve required to do what needs to be done. It is long past time that justice was seen to be delivered, was seen to be done. Tragically, in the case of the English family, whatever justice may deliver, it will come too late now and ring too hollow.

The family, friends and community suffering the loss of these innocent lives and knowing the hurt of survivors have a right to see radical national legislative change resulting from this tragedy - whether such rights will transform into meaningful lasting action is a test for Government, and those who lead it.

17/10/2026

Spare a thought for Minister O’ Donovan today - recovering from a recent medical episode while some of his party colleagues try to manoeuvre him out of cabinet - presumably to make an opening for their personal ambition.

If you didn’t know the level of chicanery possible in party politics this should inform. Likely too the pressure is Dublin centric - regional ministers not inside enough or attuned to the leafy ambience that surrounds national policy setting.

Patrick O’Donovan characterises anonymous Fine Gael party briefings on health as ‘sad day for Irish politics’

08/10/2026

2027 Budget announced and surprise surprise, our 4 TDs, 2 Gov and 2 SF, tripping over themselves to point to abundance or lack of it in announcements!

They shouldn't bother - the budget headline says it all -
€20.3 billion national capital investment programme announced for 2027 - For Waterford - Nothing!!

SETU just launched a strategy document emphasising stronger regional partnerships possibilities, while at the same time, a long-term Waterford regional development vision was published and launched days before budget 2027 - it seems the carrier pigeons didn't make it through!

A message for Waterford TDs - We don't need further vision statements nor political posturing - we could pave the M9 with the amount of policy papers written by this and previous governments about Waterford potential and the endless political polemics pushed from opposition TDs. They, do, not, work!

What is needed is political vision and political hard graft that breaks through national party decision making - That's the budget line that's missing.

2 years in now, its obvious that ship of fortune has long since sailed away!

07/10/2026

Debating with AI today this is where we finished -

‘How much irreversible authority should humans delegate to systems before we understand how well these systems behave at capabilities beyond our own’?

I don’t have an answer - maybe need a MAGA spokesperson to show how to run the math!

03/10/2026

A collection for every young player to aspire to. Leading the way and showing what a sleeping giant is. .

02/10/2026

World Voyager leaving estuary with pilot boat in tow - hope to see her return soon - so much for her passengers to enjoy here.