Irish birth rate falls below 1.4 - far below replacement level

That's fine. But policy decisions cannot be made on the back of the preferences of a single individual.

The issue is not whether you personally want kids, the issue is that there are some people who would want them, but circumstances aren't conducive to it.

I'm not talking about rich elites, I'm talking about couples on 200k etc combined, I e not very much, if their paying child care , mortgage etc. .

Unreal gymnastics going on here. Would you class a Christmas bonus in work as a 'pay rise'?

Why not have new increases for parents? Why subsidise services - shouldn't parents be the best judge of where the money gets spent on their children?

It's funny how the boomers causing the decline of life quality for young people are the same people also alarmed by decline of birth rate and are perplexed at how to solve it.

The 'boomers' generation entered the workforce between 1966 and 1984 on average and without them there would have been no foundations for the Celtic Tiger years that arrived soon after with the surge of growth commencing ~1992-1994 onwards.

The reason is simple, young people have no money due to wages not rising with inflation and have no prospect of owning a home due to the never ending housing crisis.

Young people have plenty of money for the latest iPhones, PS5, Multiple TV and Music subscriptions, holidays abroad, best of clothing, etc… The reason house prices are so expensive is because of demand.

Mind you, when house prices were relatively cheaper, banks were seeking interest rates of 16% in the 1980s and 14% in the 1990s. No walk in the park and certainly no protections for defaulters then either.

Many cannot afford to have a child without falling into poverty and also feel it would be irresponsible to bring a child into an unstable rental situation where they could be turfed out onto the streets or their parents shed at a moments notice.

Agreed, successive government policies have been neglecting the family unit as evidenced by cuts and stagnation in Child Benefit rates, etc…

The solution is also simple, mass transfer of wealth from the old and rich to the young and poor.

Inheritance tax in this country is punitive, people who would love to downsize etc… are penalised.

Flood the housing market with properties particularly through taxing the hell out of vacant properties

Vacant properties are vacant for a host of different reasons, this is not the answer.

and banning foreign investors buying property,

Agreed, slap on a 99% tax on these foreign investors.

and make the minimum wage a living wage.

Absolutely not, this country is already very uncompetitive. Instead of gifting service providers and retailers yet another excuse to hike prices - how about the government looks at policies to assist people, whether homeowners or business owners via relaxing excessive taxes. VAT was raised from 21% to 23% as a temporary austerity measure - why does it still hold today. Similarly USC. We are all acutely aware of how government is pi$$ing away the extortionate taxes we already give them.

But of course the FF/FG electorate don't want to hear about solutions that hit their pocket so the birth rate will continue to fall and young Irish will continue to emigrate.

Again, see my point above regarding excessive waste on taxes being squandered. If a drunk asked you to spot them another €50 after spotting them €50 this morning, would you?

Unreal gymnastics going on here. Would you class a Christmas bonus in work as a 'pay rise'?

People would certainly factor it into their income. I don't see how that is relevant though.

Why not have new increases for parents? Why subsidise services - shouldn't parents be the best judge of where the money gets spent on their children?

The 2 main complaints from parents the past number of years, is the cost of child care and cost of going back to school.

This was identified and this is where the money was spent.

Far better use of public money and way more beneficial to child and parents.

I think people are far less financially independent than a generation ago

Half my estate left school before 15 and got the boat.

I think you need to take off the rose tinted glasses.

A generation ago Ireland was beyond grim, it is better by every single metric now.

You are telling me my experience of living through it?

Cool.

Metallica played Moscow to 1.6 million people in 1991.

Russia must have been fabulous so. Because a once off concert is how we now gauge history.

Your experience doesn’t equate to facts, just your opinion.

Where did I say it did?

A generation is usually defined as between 20-30 years, let’s go with 25 as the mid point. A generation ago in Ireland was around the year 2000, it was hardly “beyond grim” place to live by any stretch of the imagination. Saying it was is nonsensical and hyperbolic.

I don’t remember a load of 15 year olds emigrating around the millennium?

The generation was defined in the context of the conversation.

Bowie played Slane in 1987.

It's clear what era we were talking about.

Unemployment was touching 17%.

And it wasn't just the traditional poor who had to get the boat.

A 1987 report from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on the immediate fate of third-level graduates makes for stark reading. Half of all engineering and 70pc of architecture students emigrated within six months of graduation.

But Bowie played Slane, so there was that. 😕

You are the only one being pedantic.

It was clear by the exchange what era we talking about.

Creches don't want babies because they have to get additional staff. Especially if they are only 3 months old.

You would be better off engaging with a child minder until at least the child is toilet trained.

It doesn't really alter it sadly, if the child needs to be fed and changed it's more intensive therefore more staff is needed.

The best alternative is a trusted child minder who offers reasonable rates and doesn't charge for holidays or when the child isn't there.

Then you need to milk your holidays and paternity leave. Try do a 4 day, etc.

It's not for ever though, things get easier and cheaper and dearer and then cheaper, etc. etc.

Before you know it the little fella will be getting you things like the remote control and answering the door.

Paying you back.

Struggle to save for a deposit because rents are so high.

Struggle to buy a house because they're insanely priced and in short supply.

Struggle with bidding wars or having to queue to buy a house.

Struggle to conceive because the above takes so damn long.

Struggle to get a local doctor.

Struggle to get a creche place.

Struggle to get a school place.

It's a constant struggle, I'm not at all surprised that the birth rate is dropping like a stone.

Libertarian bollox only fails because libertarian bollox wasn't applied hard enough.