McCreevy Versus EU

Sir, - If a left-wing Italian government generated 7 per cent inflation, in order to reduce unemployment, how would our Irish…

Sir, - If a left-wing Italian government generated 7 per cent inflation, in order to reduce unemployment, how would our Irish economic establishment react? I suspect there would be unanimous condemnation from Irish media and economic think-tanks. I imagine there would be long economic treatises on how Italy's irresponsible actions had undermined the economic prospects of all of Europe.But when our own Government causes inflation, not to help the poor, but to give tax cuts to those who are already wealthy, it seems inflation is not the greatest economic evil. Inflation is OK if it is incurred by a Government's desire to give money to the rich, rather than to take people off the dole. - Yours, etc.,Tim O'Halloran, Ferndale Road, Finglas, Dublin 11.Y is on leave.