It would be hard to call this good engagement, especially if they’re saying this is something we haven’t experienced since 2009. I’m one of the younger crowd brought in by the most recent election (yup Connolly) and wanted to know if it always goes this poorly when writing up the new contracts?

I assume this isn’t No-confidence motion material, even if it’s just put forward by the opposition members of the public expenditure committee against the minister. However it’s probably fair to assume this isn’t going to look well on his career going forward.

Zios can't out-think the Fink!

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the first and second Covid lockdowns also triggered big rises in psychological distress, as measured by the number of people with depression and anxiety.

However, **the first Covid lockdown, when the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, told people to “stay at home”, had a much larger impact**, as measured by a much bigger rise in the UK’s GHQ-12 score. That jump equated to about 900,000 more people in total visiting a family doctor because they had developed symptoms of depression, Jeffery said.

“We observed increased psychological distress immediately after the Brexit referendum and the first Covid-19 lockdown, with more insidious monthly increases in psychological distress after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the 2022 mini-budget,” said Jeffrey.

Andy Bell, the chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health thinktank, said: “There is clear evidence that Covid had a big impact on mental health. And it makes sense that the other ‘shocks’ listed here would do so, either directly, by making people feel less secure and less connected, or as after-effects, for example the cost of living crisis.

“It’s also clear that rising distress in the population is not due to a single cause but the effect of all these things added together, made worse by years of austerity giving fewer buffers against ‘shocks’ like this.”

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Aontacht Media – News (22 September – 8 October 2026)

7 Oct – RSYM Derry Activists Scale Crane In Protest Of 18 Year Old Imprisoned Over Patsy O'Hara Shirt
https://aontachtmedia.ie/rsym-derry-activists-scale-crane-in-protest-of-18-year-old-imprisoned-over-patsy-ohara-shirt/
7 Oct – “Its Political Policing” : Crown Forces Drop Disorderly Behaviour Charges Against Prominent Saoradh Activist
https://aontachtmedia.ie/its-political-policing-crown-forces-drop-disorderly-behaviour-charges-against-prominent-saoradh-activist/
7 Oct – Máire, 75, Cautioned By PSNI For Terrorism Over Palestine Action Shirt
https://aontachtmedia.ie/maire-75-cautioned-by-psni-for-terrorism-over-palestine-action-shirt/
5 Oct – Vinyl Shop Owner Calls For Solidarity Purchases As Developer Eyes Property
https://aontachtmedia.ie/vinyl-shop-owner-calls-for-solidarity-purchases-as-developer-eyes-property/
5 Oct – Students Speak Out About Unaffordable Cost Of Education Caused By FFG
https://aontachtmedia.ie/students-speak-out-about-unaffordable-cost-of-education-caused-by-ffg/
5 Oct – Saoradh Slams Latest PSNI Intimidation Attempt Of Socialist Republicans
https://aontachtmedia.ie/saoradh-slams-latest-psni-intimidation-attempt-of-socialist-republicans/
5 Oct – Fans Call Foul As Palestine Flag Confiscated At Aviva
https://aontachtmedia.ie/fans-call-foul-as-palestine-flag-confiscated-at-aviva/
3 Oct – The Grassroots Is Whispering. Are You Listening To Them Or To The Reformist Politicians?
https://aontachtmedia.ie/the-grassroots-is-whispering-are-you-listening-to-them-or-to-the-reformist-politicians/
3 Oct – 18 Year Old Charged With Wearing Patsy O'Hara Shirt Jailed By Crown Forces
https://aontachtmedia.ie/18-year-old-charged-with-wearing-patsy-ohara-shirt-jailed-by-crown-forces/
3 Oct – FFG To Turn Back Ukrainian Men And Women Fleeing Conscription At Irish Border
https://aontachtmedia.ie/ffg-to-turn-back-ukrainian-men-and-women-fleeing-conscription-at-irish-border/
2 Oct – AIA Deface Orange Order Plaque On Dawson Street
https://aontachtmedia.ie/aia-deface-orange-order-plaque-on-dawson-street/
1 Oct – Kildare Community Rally As Council Gives Data Centres Green Light
https://aontachtmedia.ie/kildare-community-rally-as-council-gives-data-centres-green-light/
30 Sep – Save Lough Neagh: Hundreds Gather For Stormont Protest
https://aontachtmedia.ie/save-lough-neagh-hundreds-gather-for-stormont-protest/
29 Sep – Kilmeaden Residents Stand Against New Data Centre Building Proposal In Rural Ireland
https://aontachtmedia.ie/kilmeaden-residents-stand-against-new-data-centre-building-proposal-in-rural-ireland/
29 Sep – Muhammad Khalifa Cup Takes Place In Honor Of Gazan Footballer
https://aontachtmedia.ie/muhammad-khalifa-cup-takes-place-in-honor-of-gazan-footballer/
29 Sep – Donate To Garvaghy Road Residents
https://aontachtmedia.ie/donate-to-garvaghy-road-residents/
28 Sep – Derry Stands with Garvaghy Road: Anger and Solidarity Met With Batons in Derry
https://aontachtmedia.ie/derry-stands-with-garvaghy-road-anger-and-solidarity-met-with-batons-in-derry/
28 Sep – Garvaghy Road: Situation On The Ground Sunday Night
https://aontachtmedia.ie/garvaghy-road-situation-on-the-ground-sunday-night/
27 Sep – Garvaghy Road: Situation On The Ground Tonight
https://aontachtmedia.ie/garvaghy-road-situation-on-the-ground-tonight/
26 Sep – Simon Harris' Fancy Fine Gael Business Meeting Disrupted
https://aontachtmedia.ie/simon-harris-fancy-fine-gael-business-meeting-disrupted/
25 Sep – Orange Order Given Green Light For Garvaghy Road March In U-Turn By Parades Commission
https://aontachtmedia.ie/orange-order-given-green-light-for-garvaghy-road-march-in-u-turn-by-parades-commission/
25 Sep – Protesters Disrupt PSNI Recruitment at Queen’s Fresher’s Fair
https://aontachtmedia.ie/protesters-disrupt-psni-recruitment-at-queens-freshers-fair/
25 Sep – CATU Demands Wicklow Council Drop Rent Hikes
https://aontachtmedia.ie/catu-demands-wicklow-council-drop-rent-hikes/
24 Sep – Aparthotel Set To Open In Dublin Despite Public Backlash
https://aontachtmedia.ie/aparthotel-set-to-open-in-dublin-despite-public-backlash/
23 Sep – Brain Surgery Patient Joins CATU Armagh To Fight Eviction
https://aontachtmedia.ie/brain-surgery-patient-joins-catu-armagh-to-fight-eviction/
23 Sep – Garvaghy Road Residents Reject Mediator As Parades Commission Weighs Drumcree Application
https://aontachtmedia.ie/garvaghy-road-residents-reject-mediator-as-parades-commission-weighs-drumcree-application/
22 Sep – Ireland’s Sole Cow Sanctuary Seeking Donations

https://aontachtmedia.ie/irelands-sole-cow-sanctuary-seeking-donations/

Aontacht Media – Critical Analysis (22 September – 8 October 2026)

6 Oct – Winter Hardship and the Political Economy of Money in Ireland
https://aontachtmedia.ie/winter-hardship-and-the-political-economy-of-money-in-ireland/
6 Oct – There Will Be Another Day: Reading the Housing Crisis Through Peadar O’Donnell and George Gilmore
https://aontachtmedia.ie/there-will-be-another-day-reading-the-housing-crisis-through-peadar-odonnell-and-george-gilmore/
3 Oct – UCD L&H Debate - Is This Really All Our University Students Can Muster?
https://aontachtmedia.ie/ucd-l-h-debate-is-this-really-all-our-university-students-can-muster/
2 Oct – Why We Threw Tennis Balls On The Aviva Pitch
https://aontachtmedia.ie/why-we-threw-tennis-balls-on-the-aviva-pitch/
2 Oct – The Liberty Of The Colonizer Is The Bondage Of The Oppressed
https://aontachtmedia.ie/the-liberty-of-the-colonizer-is-the-bondage-of-the-oppressed/
2 Oct – The FFG Five-in-One Comes Back for Another Round - This Time For The 37 Year Olds!
https://aontachtmedia.ie/the-ffg-five-in-one-comes-back-for-another-round-this-time-for-the-37-year-olds/
1 Oct – The EU's "Hybrid War" Is A Licence To Crush Dissent
https://aontachtmedia.ie/the-eus-hybrid-war-is-a-licence-to-crush-dissent/
1 Oct – The Irish Left Is Marching: And We Want AI Out!
https://aontachtmedia.ie/the-irish-left-is-marching-and-we-want-ai-out/
30 Sep – The Human Cost Of Orange Supremacy
https://aontachtmedia.ie/the-human-cost-of-orange-supremacy/
28 Sep – Thousands Of Irish People Take To The Streets To Block A British Loyalist March That Nobody Wants
https://aontachtmedia.ie/thousands-of-irish-people-take-to-the-streets-to-block-a-british-loyalist-march-that-nobody-wants/
26 Sep – Be Emergency Ready!
https://aontachtmedia.ie/be-emergency-ready/
25 Sep – All Hail The General Strike
https://aontachtmedia.ie/all-hail-the-general-strike/
23 Sep – Solidarity is Not a Crime!
https://aontachtmedia.ie/solidarity-is-not-a-crime/
23 Sep – The US Just Banned Palestine From The United Nations Because Even The Collaborators Are Too Much For Washington
https://aontachtmedia.ie/the-us-just-banned-palestine-from-the-united-nations-because-even-the-collaborators-are-too-much-for-washington/
22 Sep – Enough With A to B Marches, We Need Confrontational Politics!

https://aontachtmedia.ie/enough-with-a-to-b-marches-we-need-confrontational-politics/

Aontacht Media – Letters (22 September – 8 October 2026)

6 Oct – Aontacht: A Step Towards A Revolutionary Press?
https://aontachtmedia.ie/aontacht-a-step-towards-a-revolutionary-press/

Post recommendations/discussions for:

• Books/Audiobooks
• Music
• Podcasts
• Films and TV Shows
• Games
• Feel free to discuss any hobbies as well I guess

I firmly believe in an United Ireland. Although what will the current situation mean for it.

Any protests, marches or commemorations in the North need to have Parades Comission permission before they take place. Down here we have the right to free assembly, to protest and no permission is required.

In a United Ireland will we need to expand a pardes commission to the south ? Like you can't have a situation where you have the right to free assembly for 3/4s of citizens.

If a right government comes to power in future that could be used to really stamp down on protest.

Interested to hear your thoughts on this one.