Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Ireland: One of the top 5 places to live according to the UN

«1

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,145 ✭✭✭Lands Leaving


    Problem with that is it measures GDP, but not cost of living seemingly. Ah well, to Iceland!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,931 ✭✭✭togster


    No its not its sh!te


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    I'm well travelled & for the most part I'd agree.

    But the problems in the health service geniunely scare me.

    I don't think there's any honour in Irish politics, and its getting worse. I think that has begun to impact upon people's quality of living too.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    togster wrote: »
    No its not its sh!te
    Course it is.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 192 ✭✭halfinch


    although are health systen is crap we do have a good standard of living. Yeah the cost of living is high but so is the minimun wage

    Ireland, craic an


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 226 ✭✭SlinkyToo


    I dont know where you travelled but no country I have ever been, has honourable politicians.

    Having just come back from 17 years of travel, I can see Ireland's biggest problem is the people.

    Heads and Arses.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,983 ✭✭✭leninbenjamin


    it's an incredibly flawed index.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 848 ✭✭✭armour87


    Everywhere u go has its ****s


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,821 ✭✭✭RxQueen


    top 5!! you got to be kidding... its a sh!thole! well where i live is anyways,:D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,905 ✭✭✭Rob_l


    I love ireland nearly as much as cake!


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,321 ✭✭✭prendy


    No its not its sh!te

    so youve lived in other countries to give such a well constructed answer.

    i think it takes a few things into account but id agree that its one of the best places to live.
    nowhere is perfect and sure weve got our problems but overall i think its good.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 226 ✭✭SlinkyToo


    All countries have their faults and I think when you travel dont see half the flaw of your temporary abode.

    What I have found coming back after 17 years is this -

    Good -

    Meat tastes amazing, good quality
    The views
    The major property slump on the horizon
    The country finally has broadband and shopping malls
    The hot (Polish) women

    Bad -

    The BMW driving, overvalued house living, overborrowing, baby fashion talking, Pat Kenny Watching, Brass Neck Bertie Loving Social Climbers.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,606 ✭✭✭Jumpy


    prendy wrote: »
    so youve lived in other countries to give such a well constructed answer.

    i think it takes a few things into account but id agree that its one of the best places to live.
    nowhere is perfect and sure weve got our problems but overall i think its good.

    I have, Ireland ranks pretty low tbh.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,321 ✭✭✭prendy


    I have, Ireland ranks pretty low tbh.

    ok...in what ways and compared to where?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,182 ✭✭✭Tiriel


    SlinkyToo wrote: »
    Good -

    Meat tastes amazing, good quality
    The views
    The major property slump on the horizon
    The country finally has broadband and shopping malls
    The hot (Polish) women

    Bad -

    The BMW driving, overvalued house living, overborrowing, baby fashion talking, Pat Kenny Watching, Brass Neck Bertie Loving Social Climbers.

    That is brilliant!! Fair play to ya - super list there :D

    I wouldn't like to swap my life in Ireland - love it here and have travelled far and wide only to be damn glad of what we have going here. Yes there are faults - but overall.. I think it's incomparable with any other country.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,264 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    prendy wrote: »
    ok...in what ways and compared to where?


    Compared to where I live, health service is better, decent broadband at a decent price, public transport is better and runs on time, roads are better, cost of living is cheaper, property is affordable, drink is cheap, people are not falling around the streets at 3am every weekend.... and those are just the ones from the top of my head!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,931 ✭✭✭togster


    prendy wrote: »
    so youve lived in other countries to give such a well constructed answer.


    Eh yeah i live in Sweden now. Have lived in the states too, france germany, italy. I meant its **** in relation to things that bother me, traffic, health, prices, pace of live. Its just my opinion


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 226 ✭✭SlinkyToo


    Yes and I think if Dublin was bombed to the ground and rebuilt, the population would have a chance to deisgn it properly. It would also help if we were all anal retentives.

    If you are like 90% of the Irish people I met when travelling, you have probably been no further than your bedsit and the local Hamburg Scruffy Murphys.

    Stay over there... Ireland is finally coming of age and those who believe will ride the wave of relaxed living that our forefathers lived for, nay, died for, all those years ago... wake up boys theres a light at the window, there are men coming down from the hills.... oh wait thats Chris De Burgh.

    Anyway my point is.... One Mans ****e is another Mans Manure

    Can I have my money now, me Mammys calling me in for Dinner


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,375 ✭✭✭kmick


    I work with a lot of people not originally from Ireland - here is what they say when I ask them in order of what they see as important.

    1) Very safe here. We may debate this but compared to India or Africa we have a utopia.
    2) Fresh air and not too crowded. Compared to india for example they have very bad air quality problems. Also much more crowded.
    3) Friendly people. Most people in Ireland have a if you do ok by me I will do ok by you attitude. Even though we are not the community based country we used to be there are still a lot of vibrant communities and friendly people.
    4) Politically stable - we dont have a great government but we have an ok one.
    5) Opportunity - Ireland for the last 10 years has been a place of opportunity. If you want to make money you can simple as that.

    These are not my views but I think overall apart from the weather its a pretty damn good country.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,011 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    Ireland: 150,000 Poles can't be wrong...

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,931 ✭✭✭togster


    kmick wrote: »
    I work with a lot of people not originally from Ireland - here is what they say when I ask them in order of what they see as important.

    1) Very safe here. We may debate this but compared to India or Africa we have a utopia.
    2) Fresh air and not too crowded. Compared to india for example they have very bad air quality problems. Also much more crowded.
    3) Friendly people. Most people in Ireland have a if you do ok by me I will do ok by you attitude. Even though we are not the community based country we used to be there are still a lot of vibrant communities and friendly people.
    4) Politically stable - we dont have a great government but we have an ok one.
    5) Opportunity - Ireland for the last 10 years has been a place of opportunity. If you want to make money you can simple as that.

    These are not my views but I think overall apart from the weather its a pretty damn good country.


    Well first off most countries in Afriaca are developing countries so to compare their standards of living with Irelands is naive tbh. This is the point, Ireland is OK, but its not great.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,220 ✭✭✭✭biko




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 668 ✭✭✭mise_me_fein


    Ireland. nice in parts, not in others but I think we're one of the nicest groups of people in the world and many others do also.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,606 ✭✭✭Jumpy


    prendy wrote: »
    ok...in what ways and compared to where?

    Poor health
    Poor education
    Major social problems
    Public transport is terrible
    Roads are badly designed
    Overdevelopment without infrastructure.

    Compared to Australia and England.

    For a 'rich' country, I can see no evidence at all that any is being spent in the right places.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,178 ✭✭✭kevmy


    Everytime this Ireland is sh1t/great argument comes up I always state the following:

    Every metric is flawed, no one takes everything into account.

    Everyone has different expectations or hopes, you cannot please everyone.

    However I think it is fair to say we are in the top tier of countries in the world. This tier consists of maybe 20 - 30 countries. Consider there are ~200+ countries in the world and thats pretty good.

    IMO the top tier consists of (in no particular order): USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, most of Western Europe


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 226 ✭✭SlinkyToo


    Yeah England is a real nice place. Chav hoodies, schools closing, crime rife, I left there because it was so awesome.

    Australia has major issues, racism, alcohol abuse, outback murders, Paul Hogan


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,606 ✭✭✭Jumpy


    SlinkyToo wrote: »
    Yeah England is a real nice place. Chav hoodies, schools closing, crime rife, I left there because it was so awesome.

    Australia has major issues, racism, alcohol abuse, outback murders, Paul Hogan

    Paul Hogan rates have dropped considerably in the past few years.

    Either way, from my experience, both those countries are superior to here.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,125 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    SlinkyToo wrote: »
    I can see Ireland's biggest problem is the people.

    Heads and Arses.

    Stop talking nonsense people all over the world have heads and arses. Unless you are talking about people who have arses for heads. But it's not right to abuse people who suffer from Torsonic Polarity Syndrome.

    http://www.southparkstuff.com/content/images/epiguid/season5/episode510.jpg


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭mucker23


    that data is taken from 2005, now ireland has 3rd highest GDP, with norway and luxemburg above us, got this from the economist annual 2008, they use data thats 2 years old so not very accurate


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 454 ✭✭CrazyTalk


    SlinkyToo wrote: »

    Good -


    The hot (Polish) women


    Hear hear!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 226 ✭✭SlinkyToo


    The best thing that ever happened to this country was the influx of Polish Women.

    No longer do haggard beer soaked ciggie reeking control freaks think they are gods gift to irish men.

    For every one of these, there is a hardworking, model looking, man pleasing, Svetlana just waiting for Mister Wrong to chat her up.

    I applaud the AIB for printing its leaflets in Polish.

    Oh and if other countries are superior to Ireland, off you go then.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,815 ✭✭✭✭galwayrush


    As long as you don't need a Mortgage or Childcare and don't get sick,don't mind the ****ty roads, or care about the lack of decent public transport guess it's all right.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,815 ✭✭✭✭galwayrush


    mucker23 wrote: »
    that data is taken from 2005, now ireland has 3rd highest GDP, with norway and luxemburg above us, got this from the economist annual 2008, they use data thats 2 years old so not very accurate

    High GDP sounds fantastic, but we're also up to our necks in personal debt.
    3rd highest GDP but highest personal debt.:confused:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10 Sagacity


    The point of those indexes is to highlight how much trouble some countries are in, mainly look at the bottom of the table.

    Arguing over which rich country is slightly better than the other is missing the point. Any of the top 30 are really all the same.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,061 ✭✭✭✭Terry


    You don't like Ireland?
    Why are you still here?


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,921 ✭✭✭✭Pigman II


    Terry wrote: »
    You don't like Ireland?
    Why are you still here?

    A dog ate my passport


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,145 ✭✭✭Lands Leaving


    Terry wrote: »
    You don't like Ireland?
    Why are you still here?

    Because all my stuff is here!!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 226 ✭✭SlinkyToo


    You can use your driving licence for id if your wife ate your passport.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,145 ✭✭✭Lands Leaving


    SlinkyToo wrote: »
    You can use your driving licence for id if your wife ate your passport.

    Took a second to sink in, then :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,921 ✭✭✭✭Pigman II


    SlinkyToo wrote: »
    You can use your driving licence for id if your wife ate your passport.

    How dare you! My wife is Polish and therefore stunning. She only eats passports to maintain her figure. The dog who ate my passport is a female Irish friend of hers.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,145 ✭✭✭Lands Leaving


    Pigman II wrote: »
    How dare you! My wife is Polish and therefore stunning. She only eats passports to maintain her figure. The dog who ate my passport is a female Irish friend of hers.

    Racist


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,011 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    galwayrush wrote: »
    High GDP sounds fantastic, but we're also up to our necks in personal debt.
    3rd highest GDP but highest personal debt.:confused:

    It's not really a surprise. We have a young population. They're going to have high debts with mortgages. We have interest rates set for Germany, not for Ireland, so credit is or was cheap, encouraging debt rather than savings. We have high GDP and high cost of living because we are in a common currency zone. Our currency doesn't get stronger when our economy is strong, so the only way for us to get richer relative to our Eurozone neighbours is for wages and prices to rise.

    All the shenanigans the government has been going through with SSIA schemes and stamp duty\first time buyers grant etc were done for the simple reason that we couldn't increase or decrease our interest rates when required.

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,264 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    SlinkyToo wrote: »
    If you are like 90% of the Irish people I met when travelling, you have probably been no further than your bedsit and the local Hamburg Scruffy Murphys.

    Just seen this now, I take it this was aimed me. I wouldn't know anything about the local Scruffy Murphys as you put it, but you seem to be the expert with your figures and travels.

    SlinkyToo wrote: »
    Stay over there...

    I've no plans on returning, so don't worry. I know where I'd rather be if I was to fall ill tomorrrow.

    SlinkyToo wrote: »
    It would also help if we were all anal retentives.

    I'll take anal retentiveness over cute hoorism any day of the week.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,560 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    SlinkyToo wrote: »
    No longer do haggard beer soaked ciggie reeking control freaks think they are gods gift to irish men.

    For every one of these, there is a hardworking, model looking, man pleasing, Svetlana just waiting for Mister Wrong to chat her up.
    Surely you mean Mr.Wong.

    As for the UN report, I'm sure it was based on exhaustive research watching Derby O'Gill and the Little People and reading Round Ireland with a 'Fridge.

    We are a first-world economy with a second-world infrastructure due mostly to the lack of accountability that our politicians enjoy.

    We are not a 'low-tax' economy as the Fianna Fail smoke and mirror act would have us believe. We pay roughly 50% tax on gross income when you factor in all the various stealth taxes, that's just a little less than countries with proper education, health and policing services such as Germany, Belgium and France.

    We're living on borrowed time as far as the Celtic Tiger goes. What little of the manufacturing base is heading east, the building sector (the second largest employer after the public sector) is gearing down big time and public spending is starting to spin out of control.

    We didn't have the foresight to develop small indigenous businesses during the good times and instead threw free money at foreign manufacturing companies to come over and set up shop for a few years.

    In short, we lack political capital and visionary leadership, but you could say that about a lot of countries.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 226 ✭✭SlinkyToo


    Well said Dubwriter.

    It has always been the same in this country, we always expect outside investment and never bother to do anything home grown.

    Whats worse is, the outsourcing trend will shortly hit Ireland in a much bigger way than previously and it will be good bye Dub based execs, hello Jaun from Argentina.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 226 ✭✭SlinkyToo


    Jester77, having travelled and lived in over 25 countries on 4 continents I think I can give a valid opinion.

    Frankly its embarassing to arrive somewhere and have the foreigners advise me on the best pub, just because I am Irish.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    We are clearly not a great place to live. On top of the other reasons such as poor healthcare, infrastructure (roads/rail/broadband), high cost of living etc..., our towns and cities are filthy.

    Seems it wouldn't hurt the councils to hire people to clean them. I think the excuse that everyone should clean up after themselves is nonsense because I do but what about all those that don't and won't! Should we all have to suffer living in their filth? Most of them aren't learning their lesson either as I've never seen someone get fined for littering in my life.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 398 ✭✭Hydroquinone


    DublinWriter's right.
    Still, though, once all the foreign investment dries up because the global companies can get the same thing made cheaper and faster the Far East, it'll make the "Oh noes, Ireland should be Irish - there's too many feckin' forridners here" clowns happy.

    Before they emigrate to somewhere they can get a job.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,570 ✭✭✭Ulysses Gaze


    Ok I've seen a few people here who don't believe Ireland is one of the top places to live (obviously looking beyond GDP) can I ask then for all the people who DON'T think Ireland is a great place to live....

    Why are you still here? What keeps (or brought you back here) you in Ireland? Family, Friends, significant other? Lack of a second language?

    And are you planning to amscray in the future?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    Ok I've seen a few people here who don't believe Ireland is one of the top places to live (obviously looking beyond GDP) can I ask then for all the people who DON'T think Ireland is a great place to live....

    Why are you still here? What keeps (or brought you back here) you in Ireland? Family, Friends, significant other? Lack of a second language?

    And are you planning to amscray in the future?

    Family, friends, I could become fluent in French if I had to but there are plenty of English speaking countries I could move to.

    I'm gone as soon as the economy goes down the crapper which due to the present governments incompetency should be within the next 5 - 10 years.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement