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Have Irish people really never felt poorer?

Survey evidence challenges claims that the public mood has reached historic lows

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The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.
Tue Apr 28 2026 - 06:00 • 2 MIN READ

Never felt poorer?

Sir, – In her opinion piece, Sinéad O’Sullivan makes a serious argument about the gap between Ireland’s headline wealth and the state of its public services. But the rhetorical flourish in her headline – Ireland’s population has “never felt poorer” – is not supported by the evidence (“Ireland’s population is told it has never been richer, yet it has never felt poorer”, Opinion, April 25th).

The Eurobarometer survey, which has tracked Irish subjective wellbeing for more than 50 years, recorded 96 per cent life satisfaction here in autumn 2025, second only to Denmark in the EU. The proportion judging their household’s financial situation as “good” has remained well above the EU average through recent waves, and nowhere near the lows of 2008–2012.

Irish people are clearly worried about housing and the cost of living, and rightly so. But “worried about specific things” is not the same as “never felt poorer”. The distinction matters if we want the diagnosis to fit the disease. – Le meas,

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KEVIN DENNY,

Associate professor,

School of Economics, UCD

Sir, – Sinéad O’Sullivan argues Ireland created a tax jurisdiction and forgot to build a society. Ireland has become wealthy through external investment but has failed to answer the question of what to use its wealth for.

O’Sullivan’s remarks are a wake-up call on how we should plan for our future. But how do we construct a debate around these strategic issues? One first step could be an assessment by the National Economic and Social Council (Nesc), which was established in 1973 to advise the Government on strategic policy issues related to sustainable economic, social and environmental development of Ireland. Members are appointed by the Taoiseach for three to five-year terms, and are drawn from a wide range of interests, including business, trade union, agriculture, community and environmental organisations. Nesc has a track record of producing substantial research.

Nesc could look at the challenge of prioritising long-term funding issues, how other countries have done this and produce a 15-year budget proposal on what the national expenditure priorities should be. A national debate around these challenges is long overdue. – Yours, etc,

BRIAN CALLANAN,

Ennis Road,

Limerick.

[ Ireland’s population is told it has never been richer, yet it has never felt poorer ]