You know it’s getting bad when one of the leading bank economists goes on the national airwaves and suggests that the nation pray.  On Morning Ireland we had a number of informed commentators giving us their perspectives on the Government’s proposals to recapitalise the banks - in effect, a second bail-out. After going through all the varying worst-case [...]

Some on the Left are trying to put a brave face on the Irish Times poll today. ‘Consolidating’ support at 14 percent is one rationalisation. Another is that the Labour leader has the highest satisfaction rating of any party leader (or rather the least dissatisfied); yet Pat Rabbitte outpolled Enda Kenny in every MRBI poll. [...]

Maybe I’m getting paranoid but I can’t help feeling that we’re being primed to blame the incoming Obama administration if our inflow of foreign investment starts drying up, resulting in massive dislocations in our economy.  Robert Shapiro, an influential advisor to the new President, has suggested that Ireland wean itself off foreign direct investment (FDI).  [...]

Did anyone catch it?  Stephen Collins did but he didn’t give us the maths.  When Minister Lenihan introduced the Finance Bill he made a small amendment in the new income levy, imposing an extra one percent on incomes above €250,000.  In doing so he put forward two statistics:  first, that this would net the state coffers €60 [...]

David McWilliams has produced a table.  In fact, two tables (I’ve collapsed it into one).  Standing on these tables he spreads the gospel - in order to avoid bankruptcy and ‘decades’ of misery (decades, mind you) we must rip up the pay agreement and start slashing ‘wildly over-paid’ public sector salaries.  We are on the [...]

Everybody altogether - let’s help Shane Coleman. In his opinion piece in the Sunday Tribune yesterday Shane took us all to task for being selfish, greedy and indifferent to the economic crisis upon us. So far, not very insightful. But it’s when he attempted to justify his opinion with ‘facts’ that he floundered completely. We [...]

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5.  Put it in a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper and place on the middle rack.  Cook for 20 minutes per pound and when finished take it out and let it rest for a few minutes. Slice and soak in gravy.  There you have it - Fianna Fail’s recipe [...]

Mission accomplished! Unfortunately, the euphoria is short-lived as we return to the dismal news coming out of our own economy: unemployment rising to over 260,000 with the increase in October nearly equaling the entire rise in 2007; service business activity contracting at an alarming rate; the EU Commission opening excessive debt procedure against the [...]

If I were a Fianna Fail Minister I would be embarrassed to go abroad to meet my peer group. I’d put a bag over my head. I’d put on an accent and pretend I was a county supervisor from Winnemucca, Nevada. I’d do anything to cover up the fact that I was [...]

Does anyone believe the Government know what it’s doing? I’m not talking about the budgetary U-turns or that sinking sensation one gets when viewing images of the troika of Lenihan, Coughlan and Cowen on our television screens. No, it’s the bank guarantee. First, the Government stated that the banks which sign up [...]