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We have had crises before and recessions which resulted in mass lay-offs. But as Social Protection Minister Joan Burton pointed out to me this week, in an interview, we have never had the level of personal debt that abounds in this State.
Labour was the cutting edge of the new Coalition in the last 24 hours. We had Pat Rabbitte, Joan Burton, Ruairi Quinn and Brendan Howlin all emphasising the need for stringency and there was a particular emphasis on the importance of real change under the terms of the Croke Park public sector pay and reform agreement.
It’s an unlikely prospect, but if any TDs in the Government parties feel they were excluded from Cabinet because of either being too young or a female, a legal case could theoretically be taken against the Taoiseach and Tánaiste.
Before they disappear under the receding wave of time, here are some impressions of the recent elections. In the course of the campaign, some people complained they were boring but the present writer didn’t find that to be the case.
In happier times . . . or maybe not: Gerry Adams (left) and Christy Burke
(Photograph by Matt Kavanagh)
An old editor of mine use to discourage us from writing stories about the Labour Party and the trades unions because he found them boring. But you couldn’t really dismiss Labour as boring these days.
Eager young faces at the Labour conference (picture by Cyril Byrne) (more…)
Not for the first time, one wonders why politicians agree to appear on the Vincent Browne show on TV3. You can watch his interview this week with Labour deputy leader and finance spokeswoman Joan Burton by clicking here. (more…)
The Government has now added non-Irish banks into the scheme, though it seems the rider about a “case-by-case” basis may just confine it to Ulster Bank, and possibly to NIB.
The excluded banks lobbied ferociously today and from mid afternoon it was clear that Ulster Bank was confident that it would be included. (more…)
