Private landlords need incentives to retrofit their properties, otherwise it’s not financially worthwhile
Lower heating bills benefit tenants, not landlords, while rent caps mean they won’t get higher income from letting out cosier homes
The good news is the real economy is still growing strongly
The bad news is that critical infrastructure is lagging behind
Ireland badly needs to invest in infrastructure. That means more tax
Much of the cost of vital water, transport and energy investment falls to the Irish State, and that means more tax
Will the coming election manifestos tackle economic inequality and poverty?
Ireland’s disposable incomes have become so evenly distributed, we now outrank Sweden
Election budgets are not always giveaways
There is a long history of governments tightening spending even as an election looms
Irish governments largely ignored nationalist discrimination in the North for more than 50 years
Final deal to end economic war with the UK held favourable terms for the Republic but took no action on tackling discrimination in the North
EU’s knee-jerk return to national business subsidies could distort the single market in favour of larger states
Ireland’s new MEPs must build on good relations with our partners as global trade barriers come back in vogue and climate fatigue sets in
Housing Commission’s analysis of the crisis paints a mammoth challenge but falls down on one glaring contradiction
Targets will require extensive additional investment by State and access to foreign funding, but rent controls pose a problem
Despite what people may think, taxes in Ireland are low compared to Europe
The heavy lifting for the State is done by the levy on corporations
The ability of research to affect policy can be a waiting game
Ireland’s rampant inflation of the mid-1970s saw research insights rapidly translate to public policy
New EU tax on carbon imports could complicate things for Republic
Levy due in 2026 aims to address competitive gap opening between EU and countries which don’t price in climate costs associated with carbon emissions
How does a global pandemic affect birthrates?
Ireland saw no reductions in births related to the first pandemic lockdown, but 2021 saw a significant increase
An attempt to buy the next election with a giveaway budget would be a gross miscalculation
Spending more money would add to inflation without making us better off, whatever about its effects on voting behaviour
The world’s richest countries must invest in effective, cheap technologies to tackle climate change
There is a case to encourage European production of strategically important goods to guard against restrictions from other countries
We must do more to welcome Irish people returning home
Many returning emigrants are highly skilled and hugely valuable for our economy