Current Governments Economic Recklessness

Idbatterim

I find it jaw dropping, just how reckless the current shower are, saying before the elections and then reiterating on 100 day anniversary, how there would be no income tax hikes, no cuts in welfare, Croke Park agreement to remain in place. These cowboys are just as reckless and short sighted as the last shower, its quite staggering to see them be carbon copy's off FF just operating under different names...

martingriff

I am flabargasted with all the people here saying they are stunned with the election promises not been met. I mean come on people this country is in a financial mess and everything (even the so called protected croke park agreement) will be up for change.

FG were stupid and moronic to give promises but guess what THAT IS WHAT WINS ELECTIONS. People want politics to change but I bet the next time people go to the polls they will look at who is up for election and say what did they do for me/promise me and not what did they do for this country.

Like it or not everything is on the line and they better lead by example and cut high a lot. The bailout and the banks that is going to take longer. Realistically I always thought 2 years but hey thats me.

Delancey

Cannot myself see how they can maintain SW spending , no Income Tax increases and keep the Croke Park Agreement other than a massive round of cuts to hospital beds , teaching posts , etc.
There is a prediction of a decent decrease in petrol / diesel prices in the next few weeks due to a fall in oil prices - whats the betting they will target that decrease and snatch it away via an increase in excise duty ?

Croke Park Agreement is indefensible but then it always was....

golfwallah

When in opposition, FG and Labour weren’t calling for less government spending, they were calling for more.

Their main selling point in the election was that they weren’t FF and that was enough to get them elected. I mean, how many voters actually read election manifestos, or even the Programme for Government that was cobbled together after the election?

Now that they’re in power, FG / Labour seem to have no ideas of their own. So far, they are continuing with implementing the policies of their predecessors (e.g. the EU/IMF Programme for Financial Support, Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, “Croke Park Agreement”, etc.).

It will be interesting to see if the next set of CSO statistics on GDP, growth, Government borrowing, etc. will push them into invoking paragraph 1.28 of the Croke Park Agreement, which states that “the implementation of this Agreement is subject to no currently unforeseen budgetary deterioration.”

We’re hearing a bit of sabre rattling at the moment, including the Taoiseach, saying Government is determined to implement its Programme for Government.

If CSO figures on the economy are worse than expected, maybe then, we’ll see some action along the lines advised by Norman Schwarzkopf:
• “When placed in command - take charge”
• “Do what is right, not what you think the high headquarters wants or what you think will make you look good”.

But I wouldn’t bet on it.;)

southsiderosie

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