Research on Housing, Governance & Citizen Participationhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mty6hkn4a22fI randomly found today my thesis writing playlist and I'm totally having very mixed feeling about it 🤯 Not about the music taste at the time (it was really great haha) But it's amazing to think how music can bring back sooo many memories Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcJCNLgEsHs&list=RDBcJCNLgEsHs&index=226 Aug 2026 10:58 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mty6hkn4a22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mtgnxmdkr22vNTA still ‘considering’ to improve their app that doesn’t work [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Aug 2026 11:48 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgnxmdkr22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mtdtgh35m22q“We will find you and if we find you, we will not let you live.” That's what cricket female players heard from the Taliban regime. Vicious gender politics is at the centre of sport in Afghanistan. Ireland's officials love to sounds outraged but DO NOTHING ABOUT IT https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/08/18/cricket-ireland-showed-indifference-to-gender-apartheid-by-hosting-afghanistan/18 Aug 2026 08:48 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtdtgh35m22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mt72nkiycc2xhttps://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/people/2026/08/16/i-found-the-racism-of-my-black-irish-childhood-embarrassing-now-it-has-given-way-to-fear/16 Aug 2026 11:14 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt72nkiycc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3msqb3b3bk22kThe Dunsink plan shows Ireland has a lesson to learn from the Soviets Objections to Dunsink are not about what’s in the plan. They’re about what’s missing https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/08/08/sinead-osullivan-the-dunsink-plan-shows-ireland-has-a-lesson-to-learn-from-the-soviets/10 Aug 2026 13:59 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3msqb3b3bk22khttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3ms3tdx6npk22My piece in the @irishexaminer.bsky.social this week: Ireland's EU presidency must reclaim housing as a democratic and use this opportunity to shape an inclusive discourse https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-41885461.html02 Aug 2026 11:00 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms3tdx6npk22https://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mqzlv6ag3k24I was there just to wait for Argentina to lose in the final match but then I was caught by surprise with a quite OK halftime show: Madonna, the Ronaldinhos, BTS! Ted Lasso?! Even Bieber was there but his song killed the vibe 🤣 And Shakira of course19 Jul 2026 20:16 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqzlv6ag3k24https://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mqzbglmi2k2qChildcare services need urgent policy changes: when a provider is overcharging and pulling out of public funding to avoid paying refunds it is holding parents hostage. These parents don’t have options! Childcare space a very scarce https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026/07/18/dublin-creche-raising-fees-after-being-ordered-to-refund-more-than-100000-to-parents/19 Jul 2026 17:09 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqzbglmi2k2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mqjcjfagjs2jPeople do read your thesis: https://patthomson.net/2026/07/07/people-do-read-your-thesis/ It's good @patthomson.bsky.social debuked this one. It might be that few people will read it cover to cover (external & internal examiners, supervisors, proofreader) but once it reaches a repository, other plp will engage w/ it too!13 Jul 2026 08:46 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqjcjfagjs2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mpgrcg2rtk2pBrussels asked for housing advice, then ignored its own EU‑funded research: https://euobserver.com/217560/brussels-asked-for-housing-advice-then-ignored-its-own-eu-funded-research/29 Jun 2026 15:07 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpgrcg2rtk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mox6tfg6ik27“Removing households from housing lists or homelessness statistics is not a solution to the homelessness and housing crises.” Homelessness charities warn new housing bill could bar vulnerable people from emergency accommodation: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/homelessness-charities-warn-new-housing-bill-could-bar-vulnerable-people-from-emergency-accommodation/a/157582412.html23 Jun 2026 10:26 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mox6tfg6ik27https://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mnxnp5pi422gFamily of Stephen Ogilvie issue statement: "We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility - do not do this in the name of our loved one as we do not share the same values" >> https://www.psni.police.uk/latest-news/family-stephen-ogilvie-issue-statement10 Jun 2026 21:27 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnxnp5pi422ghttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mnpt4hhpjc2s'A constitutional right to housing would give the residents of Oliver Bond House [in Dublin] clearly identifiable rights and a mechanism to enforce those rights in court." >> https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/06/05/lorcan-sirr-oliver-bond-residents-are-suffering-the-slow-violence-of-state-neglect/07 Jun 2026 18:43 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnpt4hhpjc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mnpbcf6nuc2vThe ongoing housing crisis continues to make women more vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation "Sex-for-rent demands in Ireland: ‘You can sleep with me or I’m not going to help you" https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/housing-planning/2026/06/06/sex-for-rent-demands-in-irelands-housing-crisis-you-can-sleep-with-me-or-im-not-going-to-help-you/07 Jun 2026 13:24 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnpbcf6nuc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mn3xpftlfs2lHow Ireland’s far right has opened new front by targeting Dublin’s council homes The far right is hijacking anger on working-class Dublin estates over a shortage of council houses by vandalising vacant properties https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2026/05/30/irish-only-or-it-burns-how-the-far-right-targets-dublins-council-houses/30 May 2026 21:12 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mn3xpftlfs2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/valescal.bsky.social/post/3mmyrtmde5s2fHow a VFS Global turned visas to Europe into big business, enjoys a near monopoly on outsourced visa processing and makes profit on hidden service fees and very low staff salaries while consistently mishandling data: https://www.politico.eu/article/how-a-company-turned-visas-to-europe-into-big-business/29 May 2026 14:49 +0000at://did:plc:pnlkmhtctibmp6b3v6iondsx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmyrtmde5s2f