So.. what exactly is the state of the nation?

Squall Leonhart

After years and years of bad news, doom and gloom, negative reports (all warranted), there seems to be much more optimism around these last 6-12mths about Ireland and our future.

Is this all spin, or are there really green shoots, are we just tired if reporting the negativity or is there tangible change on the ground?

My feeling is things really are improving... But perhaps not as well as it could be.

Discuss!

Grayson

It still sucks for many people, however the state's now in recovery. It's just hard to see if you're not directly impacted.

George Jones

It's grand.

DoYouEvenLift

Some people are doing well, some people aren't, others are shooting up heroin on the streets of Dublin.

Señor Fancy Pants

Get back to work Enda!

kneemos

We have Greece to thank for devaluing the Euro and boosting manufacturing and exports.

The Diabolical Monocle

The state is that we need a giant national collective farm.
Combine this with the ghost estates and we're all good.

libelula

Everything's sound. Be grand.

snubbleste

According to Liveline, death death death

osarusan

The nation? Look at the state of it!

Mr_Muffin

It's getting worse by the day. It's like Mad Max around my way.

_Brian

Seems urban areas are doing well with the expansion in manufacturing providing jobs.

More rural areas are slow to recover but some improvement is being felt even in these areas.

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

According to Liveline, death death death

No, no, no. It's det, det, det.

Buona Fortuna

George Jones wrote: »

It's grand.

We're just waiting for Greece to implode the Eurozone, followed by the dissolution of the EU, followed by Russia taking us all back to the Dark Ages with its new nuclear weapons.

Other than that we're grand so.

dandyelevan

Deleted User wrote: »

No, no, no. It's det, det, det.

More like Debt, Debt, Debt

George Jones

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

We're just waiting for Greece to implode the Eurozone, followed by the dissolution of the EU, followed by Russia taking us all back to the Dark Ages with its new nuclear weapons.

Other than that we're grand so.

Yep! Forever grand.

Squall Leonhart

Personally I was too young really to get swept up in the madness 2004-2007ish, it was possible but luckily I was just that little too young. As such I've no mortgage etc, but also feel unable to ever purchase.. At least not alone.

After years of mediocre work and seeing virtually no jobs advertised in my sector (one which was very hard hit) I've recently landed a decent job and see more positions advertised in this line of work.

It does seem however that rural areas and small towns are done. I've lost hope of ever being able to return to my own town in the south east, all the work seems to be Cork or Dublin, but hey... Better than no job (been there...)!!

jobeenfitz

As someone said a few years back, "the ship is sinking but its sinking slower than it was before".

Every year we are further in debt as a nation but as long as we are in denial all is fukn grand. Lets Party!

dandyelevan

Ahh, shure, we'll be fine.
I saw on the Indo that one of the newer Irish Armies marched through Dublin last week-end, resplendent in new black uniforms, combat boots, berets and, of course...sunglasses, and all that kit didn't cost the State a penny! No...t'wasnt Hitler's SS, but I think it was the Irish Republican Socialist Party, IRSP / INLA, or some such.

The Gardai seemed okay with their new 'brothers - in - Arms' marching through the Capital, some even saluting the flag as it passed, if what I heard is correct? Well, if it's okay with the Gardai 'tis fine with me.
The more armies we have the better, and there's absolutely no law preventing folks marching in uniform in Ireland.
Still, I wonder if the IRSP / INLA have a Navy too...and an Air Force...we could have multiple fly-overs for Easter 2016


That would be swell.

jobeenfitz

dandyelevan wrote: »

Ahh, shure, we'll be fine.
I saw on the Indo that one of the newer Irish Armies marched through Dublin last week-end, resplendent in new black uniforms, combat boots, berets and, of course...sunglasses, and all that kit didn't cost the State a penny! No...t'wasnt Hitler's SS, but I think it was the Irish Republican Socialist Party, IRSP / INLA, or some such.

The Gardai seemed okay with their new 'brothers - in - Arms' marching through the Capital, some even saluting the flag as it passed, if what I heard is correct? Well, if it's okay with the Gardai 'tis fine with me.
The more armies we have the better, and there's absolutely no law preventing folks marching in uniform in Ireland.
Still, I wonder if the IRSP / INLA have a Navy too...and an Air Force...we could have multiple fly-overs for Easter 2016


That would be swell.

I think the word "swell" has been very under-used of late.

Well done to you Dandy.

mb1725

We're still up to our necks in debt but not as bad as Italy, Greece etc: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/ireland/government-debt-to-gdp

In the run up to the election everything will seem to be rosy though.

cloud493

It's alright. I honestly can't tell the difference between now and 3 or 4 years ago.

Squall Leonhart

@mb1725

That's exactly why I asked. With a general election imminent it's going to be harder to get a real picture. Politicians will waffle about recovery and what a great job they have been doing, whilst simultaneously doom merchants and anti-government types will try convince us the sky is falling.

Is it only those who are saddled with exorbitant mortgages (which they knowingly, wilfully took out - albeit when many shouldn't have been given money by anyone) who are still left affected?

(Before I'm shot, of course there are many genuine cases, but sympathy is low for those who bought second and third homes or "starter homes" for 400k+)

diomed

Good.

etoughguy

The state of the nation never bothers me, if I need more money I work a second job, I rely on myself for my education and I don't blame the state for anything. My personal circumstances start and end with the guy in the mirror. If the state is doing great good, if not then good. From what I hear from others things have improved alot in the last few years but people are largely negative by nature so will probably tell you we're screwed

Aongus Von Bismarck

Doing well, and going to get better. The Irish people elected a pragmatic government and took their pain. It's paying off.

The One Doctor

I'm a civil servant waiting to get back on the pig's back.

ressem

mb1725 wrote: »

We're still up to our necks in debt but not as bad as Italy, Greece etc: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/ireland/government-debt-to-gdp

In the run up to the election everything will seem to be rosy though.

According to the IT / Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/visual-data/best-and-worst//most-government-debt-per-person-countries

The Greeks currently owe $38K per capita in Government debt, around as much as the UK.
Ireland owes $60,356 per capita in Government debt.
(2014 numbers)

And the suggestion has been made that the government's proposed election buying will breach agreements on gradually reducing borrowing; resulting in a 300 million fine to be dumped on us, under EU Governance rules; for the hope of gaining 5-10 seats?

And these same TDs pretend to be scandalised by FIFA votebuying, and vocalize about inquiring into the FAI?

Squall Leonhart

$60k per capita... Does anybody know if this figure is spread per head of population or to those aged 18+?

Eugene Norman

Squall Leonhart wrote: »

$60k per capita... Does anybody know if this figure is spread per head of population or to those aged 18+?

Per capita is everybody.

Electric Sheep

Property prices are rising. Irish logic sees that as a good thing, so we must be doing better.

Eugene Norman

There are a few storm clouds ahead, not least of which is potential increases in interest rates. Until then - be grand.

Public_Enema

Señor Fancy Pants wrote: »

Get back to work Enda!

He wouldn't know work if it kicked him in his spineless back.

RomanKnows

Eugene Norman wrote: »

There are a few storm clouds ahead, not least of which is potential increases in interest rates. Until then - be grand.

Fully agree. The lack of affordable housing is going to be a real issue for the next Government - looking like a FG/FF government, possibly FG/Labour/Independents if the private FG opinion polls ring true at the ballot box.

Do they interfere in the market and introduce rent control? Or let the whole thing off again? Stop An Taisce from not allowing high-rise in the docklands area?

The economy is booming again. It's where to put all the people in decent accommodation is the problem that needs to be solved.

questionmark?

As someone who now lives across the water I can diffo say there has been a big improvement since I left a few years ago. I head back a good few times a year and each time you notice the simple things like more traffic on the road in rush hour, more people in the pub, people actually carrying bags after a days shopping. It has been slow and painful but the country is on the way up despite what sinn fein and the AAA would have you believe. Its not perfect and there is a long way to go yet. Housing is an issue in the greater Dublin area and more jobs need to feed down to rural Ireland. I had high hopes for this government, I lost hope with them for a while but now see that the painful decisions are starting to work.

TomBtheGoat

questionmark? wrote: »

you notice the simple things like more traffic on the road in rush hour

Funnily enough, I found the traffic busier the ever when the recession started and my journey time to work steadily increased for several years. Perhaps the roads were full of traveling burglars, but traffic on my route got heavier and that was the last thing I expected.

KomradeBishop

QE and the devaluation of the Euro, plus debt available at record-low interest rates, means we're doing well for now - but the devaluation from QE is a 'beggar thy neighbour' type policy which will only benefit us until other regions devalue against us (removing the benefit we gain from devaluation), and over time QE has diminishing returns.

For instance, the US have undergone QE for years to stave off deflation, but now the US is slipping into deflation again, which shows that QE doesn't work in the long run - it's just a stopgap measure.
We'll follow suit as well, heading into deflation, and likely much sooner than it took the US as well - may start seeing disinflation around the end of next year.

BuilderPlumber

It is mixed. Depending on where one is often. Cities and bigger towns are doing well but rural areas not so much.

Thankfully, a lot of the negative drivel is off our screens too. Remember 2010 or 2011 and you had all this The Frontline, etc. spouting negativity all the time.