Tag: politics
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Anglo, Politicians and the bogs…
I kinda like Joan Burton. No, not in strange way, but she always seemed (at least in 2008-9-10) to have a good solid handle on the banking calamity. It’s a pity she got the smeared end of the stick when labour went into government. Actually, when you think of it – labour got the ‘go…
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Sowing the seeds of the next banking crisis…
This is a extended version of a column in the Irish Examiner 29 June 2013. The revelations of the attitude of the Anglo bankers –sociopathic is a word that comes to mind- should remind us of the need to stop and look at the governments banking policy. What was surprising to many about the Anglo…
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Anglo, referenda and inquiries
This morning we hear one again that the government are thinking of re running the referendum on granting enhanced investigative power to the parliament. We also hear that the government are going to ensure that the proposed banking inquiry will investigate the “axis of collusion” between Fianna Fail and the wretched anglo. The self same…
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For what, exactly, are we borrowing billions?
This is a expanded version of my column in the Irish Examiner 18 May 2013. Hardly a week goes by now without a minister or backbencher reminding us, usually in stern , schoolmasterly tones, that “we are borrowing a billion euro a month to pay for <insert public sector spending head> ”. So we borrow…
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The richies are different….
So Richie Boucher, the CEO of Bank of Ireland, is on a salary and benefits package of over 800k. The BoI AGM is on today, and the Irish taxpayer owns 15% of BoI. The minister for finance has declined to vote to reduce this package (and that of the part time chairman…). At the same time the…
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The behavioural aspects of the collapse of the Croke Park Extension
This is a expanded version of a column published in the Irish Examiner 20 April 2013. In the christian bible the First Book of Kings has a wonderful vignette of how not to win friends and influence people. King Rehoboham is discussing policy with his advisors, having recently taken the throne from Solomon. The advisors…
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Ban this Filth NOW (that’d be €500 notes…)
Fighting crime is a tough job. And so, shortcuts are often proposed. The latest is to : ban €500 notes. These dastardly beasts (introduced to not annoy Germans who used DM1000 bills) are it seems uniquely the provenance of criminals. So, if we recall them, and ask people to explain where they got them it…
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A song for europe…and cyprus
To some a song for Europe will always be Ted and Dougal…. but for the modern generation the superb Gavin Kostik has, following from his 10 Commandments, a new one. There’s a hole in the system, dear Draghi, dear Draghi, There’s a hole in the system, dear Draghi: a hole. Then fill it dear Olli,…
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Did (does?) Michael Noonan support haircutting guaranteed depositors in Cyprus?
This is well worth reading : http://t.co/7xKBLBaEhc . The account suggests he did. Whatever about the merits, and there are some, of bailing in large depositors, pretty much everyone agrees that the idea of hitting deposits that were believed to be guaranteed was a dumb idea. Let’s also ignore the confusion on from where the idea emenated. Nobody…
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STEM and HSS journal cuts in Irish University Libraries
Universities are research and teaching institutions, and at the core of research lies the ability of the researcher to discover what is and what is not known about an area. This in effect involves as comprehensive review of the literature as possible and if the library holdings of journals are not as complete as possible…