Blog Archive

Let's Have More Budget Transparency

Nat O'Connor 21/11/2011

Nat O'Connor: Seán Whelan on RTÉ Six One News last Friday quipped that democratically elected representatives were the first to see Michael …

Bad plan, false arguments

Michael Taft 21/11/2011

Michael Taft: The Minister for Finance’s comments justifying VAT increases are deeply worrying, for they evince either considerable unfamiliarity …

Solving the Euro Crisis without Germany Paying More

Nat O'Connor 18/11/2011

Nat O'Connor: It seems that domestic politics in Germany are focused on dealing with a perception by German taxpayers that they are at risk of …

Embracing "Deadly Sins"

Tom McDonnell 17/11/2011

Tom McDonnell: Eurointelligence is reporting that Wolfgang Franz, chairperson of the group of economic counsellors to the German government, is …

Is the government hiding more austerity?

Michael Taft 16/11/2011

Michael Taft: The Government may be hiding up to €800 in austerity measures in their recent Medium-Term Fiscal Statement (MTFS). I use the term …

German Think-tanks, Ireland and the European Crisis

Nat O'Connor 16/11/2011

Nat O'Connor: The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, is making an official visit to Berlin today. As well as meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel, he will speak to …

MTFS (III) - Sensitivity of government finances

Michael Burke 14/11/2011

Michael Burke: Having criticised the government’s talk of improvement in government finances and the economy on the basis of the MTFS forecasts, …

MTFS (II) - It's official, there is no recovery

Michael Burke 11/11/2011

Michael Burke: The government is focused on deficit-reduction. But it is failing to reduce the deficit. There is an extraordinary discrepancy between …

MTFS (I) - Things are getting worse, not better.

Michael Burke 10/11/2011

Michael Burke: The forecasts for both the deficit and for the debt level have worsened since April. The government’s Medium Term Fiscal Statement …

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