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 [...]

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 [...]

Ah, the low-paid - if words were money they’d be living on easy street.  Everybody wants to help the low-paid.  Certainly, Fianna Fail was determined to.  Shortly before becoming Taoiseach, Brian Cowen had this to say:
‘In terms of those families whose income earners would be classified as low paid or who are dependent on social [...]

A good idea is a good idea - or at least a partially good idea. Tom Parlon, former PD parliamentarian and currently construction lobbyist supremo (yes, the same guy who said construction workers’ should be grateful to have their pay slashed) - he’s come up with a germ of a good idea. [...]

Must have been a slow news week. The Sunday Tribune reported on ICTU’s proposals to combat inflation. They claimed they were submitted to the national pay talks two weeks ago. However, the pay talks had already collapsed. In fact, this is old news. The proposals were published two months [...]

If you were to correct every misconception, every mistake, every misrepresentation - every piece of sloppy journalism regarding the economic facts that spews our every day in the Irish media, you’d gum up the worldwide net. For the sake of time and sanity, sometimes you let things slide. Until, that is, you come [...]

The Labour Party is proposing a Private Member’s Bill that would require the Government to draw up a national strategy to combat fuel poverty. Party spokesperson, Liz McManus, TD, said:
‘The strategy would require the Minister to specify a comprehensive set of measures to ensure the efficient use of energy and set a target date for [...]