I am convinced that Ireland is in Serious trouble

Nash Bridges wrote: »

Dublin is not far off booming,

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ... I'll have what you're smoking. i work in dublin (henry street) and since Christmas the place is a fvcking ghost town. We thought January was difficult but February has been even worse.
Bottom line people do not have a pot to piss in.

6541 wrote: »

This is a very worthwhile debate and loads of really good points made. I am proud to be Irish, Proud of Ireland but I think we are in real trouble. So I will tell you the local story.

I am from Castlebar the so called capital of Mayo. Dam it this is where An Taoiseach is from. Castlebar is decimated, Its main street has boarded up shops, there is a ring road around it which is falling into disrepair, there are zero jobs, basically the youth have left. There are thousands of Castlebar people in The States, Oz, NZ etc.
Castlebar and Mayo are dying on its knees. It really is last man out turn off the lights.

So are people suggesting that really we all need to move to either Dublin, Cork or Galway ?

Either that or sign on for the rest of your life. I lived in Castlebar for 2 years. Even when times were good, a significant number of people didn't seem to work. That was true for Galway too

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

In all honesty, yeah probably. I mean what would you propose as a solution?

Move Dublin, Cork and Galway to the countryside of course.

syklops wrote: »

The luas is full in the morning all the way from Stillorgan to Citywest with people going to work. There goes the "no jobs" argument.

New jobs, less pay. Cost of living not adjusting as quickly as needs be for many to have a comfortable living. If a graduate is starting on 19k a year, in 10 years they'll be lucky to be on 30k. Rent and house prices, a long with more and more tax\charges has to hit peoples pockets.

6541 wrote: »

This is a very worthwhile debate and loads of really good points made. I am proud to be Irish, Proud of Ireland but I think we are in real trouble. So I will tell you the local story.

I am from Castlebar the so called capital of Mayo. Dam it this is where An Taoiseach is from. Castlebar is decimated, Its main street has boarded up shops, there is a ring road around it which is falling into disrepair, there are zero jobs, basically the youth have left. There are thousands of Castlebar people in The States, Oz, NZ etc.
Castlebar and Mayo are dying on its knees. It really is last man out turn off the lights.

So are people suggesting that really we all need to move to either Dublin, Cork or Galway ?

Is this seen as a move because the want to or becaue they have to?

It's always been a case that ambitious young teens/early twenties move from small towns to big cities in order to further their careers or expereince wider ranges of cultures - is this what's happening (in whcih case, it's a social thing and not an economic one) or is it purely driven by search for work?

Reading this thread has being informative, just one thing bugs me is the disprespect some people have for others opinions.
What i can tell you through my job, contacts etc, is that the country is still fragile, you only have to drive an hour any direction from Dublin to see towns with commercial properties with the infamous "to let" sign buried into the wall, drive and see ghosts estates, making you wonder what the hell planners and councils were thinking off.

I was at a function last weekend at a famous hotel down the country, all posh, and packed, i was told by the receptionist that 2014 was a very good yr, and 2015 is well on track with bookings, and this place aint cheap, yet within ten miles of it, saw numerous houses half built and left to rot it seems, and ghost estates, that are fit just for the bullzozer.

My point is there are serious contrasts around the country,some are still doing fine, others are slowly recovering, and some may never, either way the "crash" has affected most if not all,you just need to travel around to see it, as i pointed out earlier in thread, a good friend who works in an organisation that tries to get people help through advice etc, told me that id be surprised at the range of people coming to them for help, as she said its not just the unemployed, its the people who look comfortable with holiday homes and 2 houses, who are often struggling to keep head above water,and feel they are weeks from losing everything.

Opinions vary,and theres alot of media spin, good and bad, but all the govt spin in the world isnt going to get waiting lists and repossessions down, its not till the good news is actual reality on peoples doorsteps, will everyone agree completely,

Wompa1 wrote: »

Did you start your career in 2009? I think the money you make in your job (assuming you don't move around much) is heavily influenced by what you started on. Not many employers will give you a 50% raise.

When I left in 2012, groceries were cheaper than they had been. You could get better deals but having gone back a few times since, it seems to have changed in the last year. Fewer deals. Services have gone up in price too.

I don't know how that could be fixed, in fairness...so just voicing, no solution! Like a politician or a protestor

Genuinely (I sound like I'm just being contrary now) I started my job in summer 2009, I'm still working in the same place, and my gross salary has almost exactly doubled in that time. It's a little under double.

Reading this I feel like I'm living in a different country to the rest of you. :pac:

Wompa1 wrote: »

New jobs, less pay. Cost of living not adjusting as quickly as needs be for many to have a comfortable living. If a graduate is starting on 19k a year, in 10 years they'll be lucky to be on 30k. Rent and house prices, a long with more and more tax\charges has to hit peoples pockets.

What proportion of graduates are starting out on 19k a year? I don't know any

Icepick wrote: »

Ireland in world rankings:
GDP per capita - around 15th place
Human Development Index - around 10th
Democracy Ranking -11th
Index of economic freedom - 9th

so stop whining about 1st world problems and actually do something if you want to make things even better

is there a corruption index?

Icepick wrote: »

Ireland in world rankings:
GDP per capita - around 15th place
Human Development Index - around 10th
Democracy Ranking -11th
Index of economic freedom - 9th

so stop whining about 1st world problems and actually do something if you want to make things even better

I did - I moved to Berlin

In fairness, though, that was nothing to do with economic reasoning.

chrysagon wrote: »

yikes..i presumed we would be in the top 10 considering the nepotism and sheer greed of our politicians... guess they need to try harder!!!:o

that actually would make a good thread!!!!

Top ten would mean Ireland was one of the 10 least corrupt countries in the world?