Thursday, Feb 9th 2012
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 [...]
Sarah Carey suggests the Government listen to the Opposition. Agreed. As a rule, we should all listen to each other. Of course, Sarah employs a sleight-of-hand. When she says ‘opposition’, she specifically refers to ‘Richard Bruton’ and ‘Fine Gael’. I guess Labour doesn’t count. But there you are - already commentators are laying down tasks [...]
To kick public sector workers around the block is in danger of becoming an officially recognised sport; bloated, inefficient, over-paid - and don’t even mention pensions. Tony O’Brien is opining on the best instrument - scalpel or chainsaw - to achieve public sector savings:
‘If tackled correctly we could be aiming for efficiencies of 10 per cent, which is equivalent [...]
Where stands the debate on the unusustainability of ‘universalism’ now? The Government has stated that only 5% of over-70s have incomes exceeding €36,400 (€72,800 for a couple) and the cost of providing them a medical card would be €10 - €15 million. Unsustainable? It amounts to pennies. In fact, it amounts to less than pennies [...]
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I think that’s an underestimate.
The chart above is taken from an analysis by Dan O’Brien of the Economist Intelligence Unit which appeared in yesterday’s Sunday Business Post. He presented this chart to make a point:
‘The increase in public spending in Ireland over the past decade has [...]
The Leader of the Opposition would equally be of the view that he needs to see fairness and equity in the way in which scarce resources are allocated. Can he justify a change by his members’ on the basis that a Government decision to offer medical cards to well-off pensioners, to senior civil servants, High [...]
It’s raining medical cards - in the nightmares of the Fianna Fail backbench TDs. What were they thinking? Is the €100 million savings worth the political disaster the Government has brought on to itself? €100 million? It’s peanuts in the grand scheme of things - not even representing a fifth of 1 percent of all [...]
You’d think that some people would show a bit of humility. But Sean Fitzpatrick over at Anglo Irish is not one of those people. Okay, so during his tenure as chairperson his bank ran such a reckless, irresponsible and idiotic policy that it (and he, by extension) almost brought the country, never mind his own bank, to [...]
Well, at least the business sector was happy. Not that there wasn’t the odd whinge - business spokespersons are forever whinging. ISME, especially, was in ‘bemoan’ mode.
‘The decision to increase excise duties, particularly on petrol is deplorable and will further add to business costs. Taken together with the increase in VAT, inflationary pressures [...]
