The Economist's take on the Irish situation

nesf

http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13331143

It's worth reading to get an outside view of what's going on. The short and sweet version:

Ireland's taken the painful route back from the fiscal abyss before so it should be easier a second time. Wage cuts and deficit reduction are the way back to export led growth and the Irish Government seems to realise this and the Irish people seem to be coming around to the idea.

I obviously agree with this, though anyone who reads my posts would realise this.

Fluffybums

Would love to read the article from your link but unfortunately the mobile broadband (of the type the government think is the way to roll out country wide broadband in a "knowledge based economy") is so good I died of old age waiting for it to download!
I wonder if the Economist realise that one of the first public sector cuts was in education - I suspect that might alter their view.

nesf

Fluffybums wrote: »

I wonder if the Economist realise that one of the first public sector cuts was in education - I suspect that might alter their view.

Not really given the magnitude of the deficit. We need to take painful and distasteful measures now to stabilise the fiscal situation so that we can be in a position to address things like Special Needs education when the economy recovers.

From an economic perspective, in 2007 (I think) our spending on Special Needs education was over half the budget of the Gardaí for the year. That's a lot of money.

anonymous_joe

Decent article actually. Sensible perspective, and lacking any bias.

Cuts a lot of the hyperbole out that we've grown used to in the media.

Time Magazine

Fluffybums wrote: »

I wonder if the Economist realise that one of the first public sector cuts was in education - I suspect that might alter their view.

That doesn't change my view at all.

Thanks for the thread, nesf.