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Mega projects and a tale of two Irelands

The latest subscriber-only journalism from David McWilliams, Corinna Hardgrave, Cliff Taylor and more

A crane at a residential construction site in Sandyford, south Dublin, Ireland, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The mass purchase of affordable houses — on the market for about 400,000 euros ($490,000) — set off a public firestorm and highlights the growing tension over the squeeze in urban housing and the role of large investors. Photographer: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/Bloomberg

Two Irelands: 'One ecosystem believes in the future and drives itself on; the other appears resigned to disappoint, fabricating excuses as it misses targets.' Photograph: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/Bloomberg

Sun Feb 18 2024 - 08:54

Welcome to this week’s IT Sunday, a selection of the best Irish Times journalism for our subscribers.

This week, David McWilliams expores a tale of two Irelands: in one, nothing can be done on time or within budget (think the fiasco of the National Children’s Hospital, or the inability to provide affordable homes); the other is an Ireland that “deploys the same people and can achieve amazing outcomes, on time, within budget, resulting in more income and more jobs for hundreds of thousands of people”. So, what is the difference between these two worlds - one that operates excellently and another that consistently fails? “One ecosystem believes in the future and drives itself on; the other appears resigned to disappoint, fabricating excuses as it misses targets,” writes McWilliams.

While massive investment in in housing, infrastructure, public transport and climate change measures is massively needed in Ireland, we also must get better at planning and delivery. That is the argument made by Cliff Taylor in his own examination of Ireland’s mega projects, which comes in the wake of confirmation this week that the cost of the National Children’s Hospital had grown yet again. Read Taylor’s take here: The era of throwing money around like Smarties on big projects has to stop.

Fintan O’Toole, on the week he reaches pensionable age, is talking about that very topic - the State pension. More specifically, he’s highlighting a bizarre scenario in the rules, whereby the Government, while trying to incentivise people to delay taking their State pension for a few years, is bringing in another change that negates that very incentive.

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“Up to now, those aged 66 and over were exempt from paying PRSI on their incomes. The State has just increased this cut-off point to 70. So someone like me who has a private pension and continuing work income will keep paying full PRSI for another four years... But here’s the mad bit. There is still a way to avoid paying PRSI if you’re over 66. Breathtakingly, that get-out-of-PRSI-free card is to take your State pension. If you don’t take your State pension at 66, you pay full PRSI on all your income. If you do take it, you pay none.” Read more here.

Corinna Hardgrave, in her latest outing on Ireland’s restaurant scene, visits a Tipperary treasure she says fully deserves its shiny new Michelin star. Just be sure to bring a rich friend if you’re going to peruse the mostly-French wine list.

Trish Murphy, in her latest instalment of Tell Me About It, is responding to a reader whose family dyamics are at an all-time low following their sister’s cancer diagnosis: “Her attitude from the start of her diagnosis was toxic, she felt we were talking behind her back. She has leaned on one of my brothers, but I don’t have the best of relationships with him as I find him extremely toxic and narcissistic.” Read the full query, and Murphy’s advice, here.

Staying on advice columns, Roe McDermott’s reader query this week centres on a woman who is thinking of ending things with her boyfriend. She’s feeling guilt about even considering breaking up with him, however - he’s warm, kind, funny and there are no big issues in the relationship, she just feels he’s not the man for her. What’s more, the reader worries about his financial situation and where he would live, should the relationsip end. “Repeat after me: you are allowed to end a relationship that is no longer working for you,” begins McDermott in her response. Read the rest here.

It’s an off-week for the Six Nations, and Matt Williams this week took the opportunity to reflect on last weekend’s games. In short, he’s not impressed with what he’s seeing: “My father would tell me about these horrid, time-wasting and boring things called kicking duels,” writes Williams. “Again from the 1950s when the two fullbacks indulged themselves by endlessly punting the ball back and forward between each other... Like rugby Frankensteins, the French and Scots breathed life back into this long-dead, boring rugby zombie, empowered by inept legislation from World Rugby that was aimed at stopping players from gaining an advantage from their team’s long kicking game.”

In this week’s On the Money newsletter, Dominic Coyle is discussing auto-enrolment pensions, and what lessons Ireland can learn from the UK. Sign up here to receive the newsletter straight to your inbox every Friday.

As always, there is much more on irishtimes.com, including rundowns of all the latest movies in our film reviews, tips for the best restaurants in our food section and all the latest in sport. There are plenty more articles exclusively available for Irish Times subscribers here.

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