Is the current Irish government the greatest in the history of the state?

Did you smash it

Obviously a controversial statement but there has been no scandals, strikes or resignations from the current government in its term. The main opposition party has the most seats of any party but have they being able to score points off the government? Tax revenue is huge, the housing crisis was inherited from previous governments and is being taken on with increased public housing projects.

if you don’t agree with the title statement, what Irish government was better?

artanevilla

Pretty low fùcking bar is set when a good government is one with "no scandals".

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848184#Comment_120848184

its not really. Some European countries have a government scandal a month. If their opposition was voted in they’d have the same.

SEPT 23 1989

The housing crisis

what parties were involved in the previous governments that caused it?

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848228#Comment_120848228

The topic ive raised is the successes or failures of the current incumbents.

Strumms

Tax revenue is huge, and so is the spending. Out national debt is at an all time high too.

Just prior to the pandemic the national debt was 203 billion.

About a year ago it was 226 billion. which is one of the highest per capita debt burdens in the world, 228 billion now..

Madd Finn

Who to compare against? Britain? With five premiers in the past 8 years, one of whom faced (albeit minor) criminal charges, another who lasted about a month but that was long enough to blow up the economy.

America, with an amiable old buffer who would make a lovely grandad (and probably is) but who is really only there because the alternative is so grotesque he was impeached not once but twice.

France, with a populace that likes nothing better than to manifester in the streets, and burn their major cities in the process.

Russia? Ukraine? Poland? Hungary?

I think we're doing all right.

Of course I'm a smug old git that owns his😊 own house......

😊

L1011

The previous Government was the current Government, minus one party, and with another pretending they weren't in.

The Government before that spent the first three years being told we had more houses built than we'd ever need and that they needed pulling down; and then the last two years included the first rent freeze and an attempt to get modular housing done - which the FG-(FF) government abandoned.

So no, they didn't inherit the housing crisis off anyone else.

On resignations - are you forgetting the three Agriculture ministers in a few months?

On strikes - firefighters are on rolling strikes right now.

For a better government, the Rainbow pisses all over this one. Similar economic miracle; only one significant scandal (Noonan HepC stuff) which was inherited, but utterly cocked up in handling; huge modernisation and reform; but then booted out at the behest of Tony O'Reilly who preferred FFs way of doing business (the Payback Time headline)

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848260#Comment_120848260

Surely Michael Lowry was a significant scandal?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848293#Comment_120848293

Forgot that actually happened during the Rainbow term, it was late enough but it was still before the election.

Two scandals then. Agriculture had that in six weeks in this Government, plus the various junior Minister resignations (Troy, English) and the non-resignation things like Collins.

Shoog

No.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848245#Comment_120848245

I get why people reference debt per capita, but its not a particularly relevant metric. We're also only 23rd globally, behind, for example, Germany, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland and even Norway, with their colossal sovereign wealth fund.

Debt to GDP and yield rates are better at showing the relative size of the debt to the economy and how easy it is to refinance the debt. There is a reason countries use debt financing.

Podge_irl

As to the topic, while resignations and scandals may be symptoms of poor governance, their absence in and of itself doesn't strike me as a good barometer for successful governments.

bobbysands81

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058304974/is-the-current-irish-government-the-greatest-in-the-history-of-the-state

Wow. Just wow.

The failure to get a handle on the housing crisis alone makes this Govt an abject failure.

osarusan

The monumental scale of their ongoing failure to bring any semblance of control to the housing situation, by itself, rules them out.

rob316

They will live and die on housing and they are failing massively. They have farmed the whole thing out to the private sector, added fuel to the fire with ridiculous policies and schemes.

They absolutely fucked the rental market with the eviction ban, killing any faith private landlords had in the system.

Got a child waiting for an autism assessment, tough, you'll currently be seen in 2028.

Your sick and need a hospital bed? Tough, best we can do is put you on a trolley in a corridor with another 100 people.

So no, they are an absolute disaster.

SuperBowserWorld

Housing crisis

Rental crisis

National debt crisis

Public money wastage crisis

Children's hospital, crisis

Public transport crisis

Anti social behaviour crisis

Health service crisis

Children still waiting for scoliosis treatment crisis

Children unable to get qualified mental health treatment crisis

Hubris crisis

Animal welfare crisis

Emissions crisis

Neutrality crisis

Migration/refugee crisis

...

To base a government as "doing well" because there are no stupid "scandals" like someone resigning or having an affair is ridiculous.

We've had the same government for years.

They have the most money to spend of any government but you know it'll just be wasted. People are not being trained, educated, rewarded to solve the problems we have. There is no long term thinking.

... exhales ...

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849746#Comment_120849746

What’s the hubris crisis? What do you think is the best government in the history of the state?

whisky_galore

So long as 'scandals' don't directly hit anyone's pocket, no one apart from meeja will really make much noise. People will whinge and moan for a few weeks until the next distraction, but they won't take to the streets over it. Hell, apart from the fringe left, they're aren't much bothered about taking to the streets over housing because either (a) they're too busy or (b) they have their own house and don't care.

SuperBowserWorld

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849813#Comment_120849813

Hubris ... They don't recognise the problems that exist as they think they are doing a great job.

Best government ? I don't know.

I think the 90s were possibly a time when we were not drunk with money and things had not gone out of control. So, whatever governments facilitated that. There was also the peace process and a lot of optimism.

Shoog

This government is the best recruiting ground for socialism I have seen. Hence the rise of SF.

numbnutz

Leo.....is that you?

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849581#Comment_120849581

Also the national debt fell last year which goes against the doom mongering a bit. The NTMA is projecting it could fall below 200billion by 2030.

Furze99

The current government can meander along whatever way they want under no real threat. With the coalition of FF & FG, there is effectively no alternative for most middle of the road moderate voters. We're stuck with them for the foreseeable.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058304974/is-the-current-irish-government-the-greatest-in-the-history-of-the-state

...jebus! the denial is strong in this one!

...every government has its successes and failures, but as always, all governments eventually fail, history wont be kind to our current one!

Riskymove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058304974/is-the-current-irish-government-the-greatest-in-the-history-of-the-state

"The main opposition party has the most seats of any party"

does it?

Alibaba

No scandals - Heard of RTE -- Under our governments nose !!

Ramasun

It's a low bar, avoiding self-destruction seems an achievement for Irish governments.

ZookeeperDub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058304974/is-the-current-irish-government-the-greatest-in-the-history-of-the-state

Quietly and efficiently getting on with running the country is not what some people want

They prefer numpties shouting and roaring with not a single good idea between them

ZookeeperDub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120853150#Comment_120853150

RTE is not run by the government. As we have seen they have multiple highly paid people who are supposed to be doing that

Of course if the government took over more control of RTE they would be accused then of fixing the media, well more than they are accused now

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120936504#Comment_120936504

The buck stops with the government on RTE. That is what the Minister's brief covers and is what he/she is tasked with. They cannot wash their hands of ultimate responsibility for oversight.