Ever since the crisis began, progressives have been on the back-foot, forced to react to the agenda driven by the orthodoxy.  However, 2012 has started on a more hopeful note. …

There’s nothing wrong with saying, hey I got it wrong.  We all get something wrong from time to time; never more so when the subject matter is economic and fiscal…

There’s been a lot of discussion about whether 2012 will see property prices hit the ‘floor’.  The Government and NAMA are doing their bit to help to stimulate house purchases…

A lot of people are going to find it difficult in 2012, what with the economy returning to recession and all.  But for one group, it will be business as…

10 years of austerity?  What is the ex-ESRI researcher Richard Tol talking about?  Wasn’t austerity to only last until 2015?  Is this what we have to look forward to?  In…

That time of year to take a break.  Season's best to all readers.  Will be back first thing in the New Year.

It didn’t take long.  Patrick Nulty, TD voted against the budget on Tuesday night.  Suddenly, on Thursday morning an op-ed appears in the Irish Times attacking the young TD.  And…

It didn’t take long.  Patrick Nulty, TD voted against the budget on Tuesday night.  Suddenly, on Thursday morning an op-ed appears in the Irish Times attacking the young TD.  And…

Act two of the budget:  increased taxation on capital and property amounts to a quarter of the cuts in social protection alone (never mind education and health).  The takes took…

When we move from the numbers in the budget papers out into the real world we find that Child Benefit and child income support has been cut again – not…

Despite the Taoiseach’s 17 references to jobs in his national address last night, the budget presented this afternoon will cut out between 15,000 and 20,000 jobs from the economy next…

The Taoiseach is to speak to the nation – apparently on Sunday when we will all be huddled around televisions, radios and computers.  In the spirit of being helpful, the…

According to the CSO, there is a growing number of people experiencing deprivation (read here and here for a full discussion of this on Progressive-Economy). In fact, nearly one-in-four of…

The domestic economy is headed into a double-dip recession according to the ESRI.  And that’s just the beginning of the bad news.  Government ministers and certain commentators will put it…

The Minister for Finance has said there was a need to have ‘an informed debate’ on the issue of the proposed VAT rises, and ‘not simply resort to rhetoric’.  No…

The Dublin Council of Trades Unions’ March Against Austerity tomorrow (12 Noon from the Garden of Remembrance) is taking place against a rising European and global awareness of the power…

Government Ministers are floating all sorts of horror options (medical card fees, closing hospital  beds, cutting education grants and Child Benefit, etc. etc.) while at the same time insisting this…

We’re into the great expectations-management game again.  It happens once a year, just prior to the budget.  ‘Proposals’ are leaked or rumoured.  The media – colluding in this annual exercise…

This was originally written for Progressive-Economy The Minister for Finance’s comments justifying VAT increases is deeply worrying for it evinces either considerable unfamiliarity with basic economic facts; or considerable indifference…

Why didn’t the Irish media report this comment by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform? ‘Today I am announcing further reductions in Public Service numbers.  I expect this reduction…