Is the present FF/FG/GP government the worst in the history of the state?

Peter Flynt

An incredible housing/rental crisis, emigration back for all ages with a vengeance, record tax receipts but a shortage of vital public servants like nurses, doctors and teachers, Gardaí effectively going on strike, basically no immigration policy, taxpayers money used to fund NGOs who agree with government policy only, crime not taken seriously especially in Dublin, seriously incompetent politicians at the heart of government & justice, . . . .

I have never known anything like the general malaise that exists in Ireland at present.

So is the present FF/FG/GP government the worst in the history of the state?

BlueSkyDreams

With full employment, the highest ever tax returns in the history of the state and better job prospects for the population than we have ever known.

The answer to your question. No.

Jim_Hodge

Absolutely not. Things are generally in a much better state than in the 70s and 80s. Compared to many countries we are faring as well as, and often better, than many countries. It's no utopia but it could be and has been worse.

Cluedo Monopoly

100% Yes.

The tax take is solely down to MNCs availing of our tax haven and UK leaving EU. Nothing to do with this government's policy.

The amount of tax money FFG have wasted over the years. This country could be so so much better. Just look for example at the Health System and a long overdue Children's Hospital with no known final cost.

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194646#Comment_121194646

Highest ever tax returns yet what do we get in return? Over 1 million people are paying the highest rate of tax (50%+) after just €40,000 (the lowest threshold in the western world). . . . No wonder such a boast exists.

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194655#Comment_121194655

In the 70s and 80s things were bad, for sure. . . . and you can go back further when the state was in its infancy. Yet then we were a country with very limited resources and still could produce affordable housing for instance for a huge number of people. Fast forward to the 2020s and this is a government which boasts of record tax receipts, full employment and yet celebrates 80,000 young people forced to leave Ireland over the past three years simply because a similar number immigrated (i.e. older people)?

Jack98

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194674#Comment_121194674

Would be surprised If anywhere near 10% of those 80k don’t return there is a housing crisis in every developed economy we as a nation flock to.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194663#Comment_121194663

You get one of the highest standards of living on the planet.

So, there is that.

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194687#Comment_121194687

That's all relative. Even in brexit Britain this could be claimed. Besides such a claim could have been made 30 or 40 years ago......so hardly an achievement from the present government.

Are we getting value for our money from this government?

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194660#Comment_121194660

The fact the MNCs are here is very much because of govt policy.

Our very low corporation tax rate, coupled with our willingness to invest in FDI & to nurture it so effectivley over these last few decades.

Things aren't perfect in Ireland, but the job market for such a small country is absolutley exceptional & it almost certainly will never get better than where we are today.

The govt over the past 20 yrs have got many things wrong, but employment and job opportunities are gold standard.

Enjoy & capitalise on those employment opportunities whilst we have them would be my advice to anyone in Ireland.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194692#Comment_121194692

I'm not old enough to remember the 80s, but I am sure some posters here could put a perspective on what life was like then.

I don't think many of them would choose to swap our standard of living for what we had back then.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194674#Comment_121194674

You're only looking at one issue. Overall it's hugely better now. Did you have to pay the mortgage rates of the 80s? Housing was not universally affordable at all.

Wouldn’t it be a great country we had if grown ups acted like grown ups?

as opposed to what we have at the moment which is a bunch of whingers who blame everyone but themselves when things aren’t going their way.

if you can’t afford to rent or buy a house that’s not the governments problem. It’s not mine, or the guy down the streets problem either.

but regardless of that they do an awful lot to help, there’s HAP, rent allowance, RPZ’s etc. I’ve said it before but it would be a cold day in hell before the government had any notions of capping rents. That’ll go down well alright,

”ok landlord, you can only charge up to €XYZ a month for this house”

”selling the fcuker so”

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194712#Comment_121194712

What did this government achieve? What new policy? What vision? What legislation? What reform? Since 2020.

The hard working people of Ireland have brought us a successful economy.

robbiezero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194712#Comment_121194712

He is asking about the present Government. The policies to attract MNCs have long been in place.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194828#Comment_121194828

A successful economy enabled by successful govt employment policy, which in turn delivers those very jobs that make the economy succesful.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194851#Comment_121194851

So have the current govt.

Jack98

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194792#Comment_121194792

If you watched upfront Monday night there was a couple aged 26/27 who had the harrowing experience of saving for 3 years living at home, had to move outside dublin a travesty and by some miracle managed to be home owners at that age… It is doable people are just unwilling to sacrifice they’re comforts for a few years they prefer to moan and were handed things too easy all the way up.

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194792#Comment_121194792

It is the responsibility of government to provide affordable housing for all of its citizens - in fact it is one of the most basic responsibilities. The last thing we need on here is another whinging landlord.

ednwireland

worst government, didn't one recently end up with the imf coming in.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194874#Comment_121194874

Right and you’d like them to just wave the wand and build the houses yeah? Not as though there’s a housing plan for 2030 already, nor schemes readily available for first time buyers etc. sounds to me like you’re expecting the government to start telling estate agents what to charge for their houses

im not a landlord I’m a renter, actually, but nice one.

edit: also sorry but since when is it any governments responsibility to ensure the government provides all citizens with “affordable” housing? It’s also funny that you ignored all examples of them doing exactly that, regardless of responsibility.

Council houses & several housing charities exist in Ireland

Rent supplement

HAP scheme

Help to buy

Like it sounds to me like you expect the government to start offering mortgages and deposit free purchases.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194874#Comment_121194874

Where did you get the notion that it’s the government’s responsibility to provide affordable housing for everyone?

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194892#Comment_121194892

Article 25 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Of course there are many Paddies who are now so rich that they consider housing to be a commodity like oil, coffee or metals.

What's more this is a responsibility which previous Irish governments (broke ones it has to be said) took very very seriously indeed. If you want to refuse housing as a government's responsibility then you might as well declare that sanitation or provision of water is not required at all. Now I know this is the belief of the Reaganite/Thatcherite neo-liberalist tories on boards.ie who all get a serious boner when it comes to ripping people off on housing but there needs to be some objectivity.

Sconsey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194663#Comment_121194663

Something does not add up with your numbers...The highest tax rate is 52% (income tax + PRSI + USC), this kicks in for a single person at earnings over €70k. At just over €40k you would be paying 48.5% (income + PRSI + USC), not 50%+. I have not included any tax credits that most people get, which would reduce the overall number.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194920#Comment_121194920

So you’re going to ignore all the housing provisions we have available then?

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194888#Comment_121194888

Previous governments had magic wands and no money. . . . Where do you think places like Cabra, Kimmage, Tallaght, Crumlin etc. . . all came from?

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194928#Comment_121194928

Provisions like HAP are used to direct money into the pockets of landlords. HAP shouldn't exist as it artificially increases rental prices for those who cannot afford them. It is a total scam - a scam not available to the "squeezed middle" this govt likes to pretend they care about but do nothing for. Also provisions are a total irrelevance if there's a massive housing shortage with not enough getting built. . . and that is definitely the case.

Tork

No government starts with a clean slate. Instead, they have to pick up and work with what was left to them by the previous government. And remnants of the one before that and before that and so on. If I was to point a finger at governments that did us a lot of harm, it was those Bertie Ahern Fianna Fail governments of the noughties. The effects of the housing bubble they whipped up are still being felt today. We went from one extreme (building increasingly expensive houses, even in areas where they weren't needed) to an almightly building crash and almost nothing being built. If we'd kept going at a slower steady pace, maybe things would be better now.

The IMF coming in, and the ensuing cuts in pay for public servants is something else that resonates to this day. We're training up doctors and nurses only to see them emigrate to countries where their pay is better and they have a better chance of somewhere to live.

I think the people who believe a Sinn Féin government will solve everything are going to be sorely disappointed. Already they're rowing back on their promises and talking about things needing two terms to be sorted. Much as we'd like all the housing, healthcare, crime etc. issues to be sorted, they're so knotty and difficult to sort, I don't think anybody can do it easily.

antimatterx

I'd say things are pretty good atm. Housing is most definitely improving. I can see it everywhere. It would be a travesty if this government wasn't reelected.

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194921#Comment_121194921

A single person reaches the highest rate of tax (40%) at €40000 (not including the other deductions).

This is immoral and is tantamount to state theft.

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194953#Comment_121194953

"The IMF coming in, and the ensuing cuts in pay for public servants is something else that resonates to this day."

Those cuts resonate to this day because that is the CHOICE of the present govt. The post 2011 IMF FG/LAB govt can legitimately argue that they had no choice. The present government cannot and prefer to see people do without services that they're paying for.