Archive for April, 2009

If plumbers generally turned up on time. If every Doctor favoured the patient over their “business”. If more political decisions were free of bias and corruption. If quality assurance was an intrinsic part of our culture (like, say, English soccer), then we would be the wealthiest nation in the world. …

Ireland’s bank’s are in a mess, our economy on its knees, immigration has turn to emigration. All around us there are ten’s of thousands of empty houses for sale that nobody want’s. These empty houses are unproductive and loosing value every day, and will continue to loose value for some time.
In time our government…

A few weeks ago, in a car crossing from China to Hong Kong, I caught a glimpse of what the future might hold. After the usual formalities about visas and passports, the car door was opened aggressively. The woman with a SARS mask said nothing but pointed a gun to our heads and pulled the trigger.

This is what Ballybunion is going to look like after a bit of global warming. Looking out at Bondi Beach as the big surf rolls in and the beautiful people catch the waves on a warm Sydney autumn evening, it is easy to imagine the west of Ireland in a few decades.

This is an idea for long term benefit. The personal debt / income ratio must be reduced now to allow normal expenditure in the future. Make the paying down of personal debt tax deductible.
How should this be financed? Two ways. Root and branch public sector expenditure cuts and an increase in…

My idea is to rebuild our community spirit. As huge unemployment figures will haunt us for considerable number of years and maybe even decades. The whole concept of competition will be a stumbling block for many SMEs and only the strongest and lucky ones will survive. This idea will not generate money but it will…

When public sector workers strike all money saved on wages during the strikes should be returned to tax-payers as a tax credit or end-of-year U.S.-style tax rebate.
The effects should be
- to reduce political pressure on the govt. to give in to public sector strikes
- to have a deterrent effect on would-be strikers themselves
- ease the…

Is the bank tail wagging the Irish economy dog? It is certainly beginning to feel like that. Not content to wreck the economy in the first place, the banks’ managements have now embarked on a “silent takeover” of economic policy.

I found out recently (on this forum) the Dutch have a maximium wage which is earned by their prime minister and nobody else in state employment can earn more…
I think this is an excellent idea and we should adopt it here….
Lets say its at EUR150,000/year
1) We already have a minimum wage, everyone knows what it…

Everyone in the country should be issued a copy of Michael Porter’s “Competitive Advantage of Nations”, as necessary reading. Ireland’s advantage still lies in the relatively young, English speaking, relatively well-educated population – and its ability to tap that intellectual power for innovation. Bizarrely, Tuesday’s budget included cuts in Education. Go figure.
Celtic Tiger I (1994-2000)…